Tax Planning

Help your single clients achieve financial autonomy. Nine out of 10 women will find themselves solely responsible for their own finances at some point in their lives — some because of divorce or a spouse’s death. Financial advisors play a key role in helping these clients regroup, embrace their new role as sole decision makers and thrive as a result of proper financial planning.

Pre-approved for:
- IIROC (cycle 9) - 1.0 Professional Development (expiry 31 Dec 2023)
- MFDA - 1.0 Professional Development (expiry 17 July 2025)
- The Institute (Advocis) - 1.0 Financial Planning (expiry 17 July 2025)
- FP Canada - 1.0 Financial Planning (expiry 10 Sept 2025)
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.0 Life (expiry 17 July 2026)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.0 Life (expiry 17 July 2025)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.0 General Subject (expiry 16 July 2025)
 

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Pre-approved for:
- IIROC (cycle 9) - 1.0 Professional Development (expiry 31 Dec 2023)
- MFDA - 1.0 Professional Development (expiry 31 Dec 2023)
- FP Canada - 1.0 Financial Planning (expiry 9 Dec 2024)
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 0.75 Life (expiry 5 Dec 2025)
 

Register

Students will learn about the impact of interest, and inflation, in our current markets, for Canadian investors.  Learn about the history of interest rates in Canada, and what that means today.  We will provide examples of how to survive and thrive in these uncertain times.  Inflation, considered another form of taxation, can have a significant economic impact.  Learn how to manage the risk with purchasing power and the ability to build wealth.

Approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.0 Life (expiry 30 June 2025)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.0 Life and/or A&S (expiry 30 June 2025)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – Pending approval
- MFDA - Pending approval

Taxes are one of the largest eroders of your clients’ wealth.  Understanding the tax theory, behind the tax return lines, can position your client for success throughout various lifecycle stages.  Learn some of the tax nuances, and tax changes, that can be triggers for good planning with your clients.

The role of a professional financial advisor is crucial to your clients, especially in times of stress.  These could be external stresses or internal, and personal, stresses to the client.  Understand some of the factors that influence financial decision-making, having a significant impact on investor behaviour.  What are some of the tactics that can be used in order to mitigate client risk and reign in emotional decision-making with financial matters.

With a greater percentage of our population transitioning from the accumulation phase of their investing lifecycle, to a funding/withdrawal phase - returns, risks and the means by which we manage to balance both to achieve an investor’s objectives have become an increasingly important part of the financial advisor’s skill set.

Learn where the FHSA fits into the tax-efficient order of investing. There are a variety of factors to consider including where the client is at with respect to life stages.  Understand the interaction with RRSP, TFSA’s and the Home Buyer’s Plan when used for a home purchase.  What is the impact for the original deposits, growth and withdrawals of these sources.

One of the options for savings for a child’s education is an “in-trust account”.  This module will explore the mechanics of this type of trust, in particular, how it differs from a formal trust (as opposed to an informal trust).  You will learn the advantages, and potential risks, of this type of trust in terms of control and tax implications.  How this can be used along with other existing plans (such as RESP and CESG) will be identified.

Proactively help clients plan for and manage their financial health by reporting on improvements in debt and savings over time. The focus is on a healthy balance sheet and responsible use of debt in building family wealth.  Learn how to pay down debt and in what order, what types of debt are necessary to accelerate the building of wealth, and how to manage cash flow for upcoming life events. This applies both to individuals and families as well as companies – see the various tactics used in both scenarios.

Advanced serious illness planning requires a three-legged stool that has a medical, financial, and legal dimension. If any of these dimensions or ‘legs’ is not done properly, the stool doesn’t function, and the person (and their family) is inadequately prepared for their future.  All this suffering can be prevented by ‘better upstream’ personal planning.  The student will understand the basic principles behind the preservation of wealth and how to discuss these concepts and implement decisions with the client.

Canada has been undergoing a significant demographics shift with an increase in the number of Canadians over 65, and over 80.  This has introduced major challenges with social and health policy.  Understand the role of families in managing and planning for end-of-life care.  Is there a role for a trusted advisor, and what does that look like?

We will focus on four key ways Canadians save for retirement.  This include Public plans, Employer sponsored plans, Private Registered Plans and Non-registered savings.  In this module we will explore the accumulation, growth, de-accumulation and transition for each of these types of retirement vehicles?

As a business owner, pension options and their associated risk can vary quite significantly from that of an employee.  This module will explore some unique retirement saving strategies unique to business owners over and above the standard registered or non-registered personal savings.  We will touch on potential succession planning as it relates to selling the business, whether via transfer within the family, selling to a partner or stakeholder, or selling to a third party.

Canadian governments are invested with Canadians in their future retirement savings with two public pension programs; one is based on mandatory contributions by workers and their employers (the Canada Pension Plan).  The other is paid on a universal basis when Canadians reach age 65 (the Old Age Security).  You will learn how tax planning with the CPP funds can cause you to rethink your savings priorities both pre-retirement and in retirement, and ultimately, significantly grow and preserve your overall wealth for post-retirement concerns.

Locked-in plans are when employers’ and employees’ vested contributions and interest are transferred into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan until the investor reaches a specific age depending on the pension legislation applicable to your plan.  In this module, we will learn some of the nuances at a provincial level and explore scenarios such as moving inter-provincially and the impact that can have. 

A principal residence is a dwelling that is owned by the taxpayer and ordinarily inhabited by the taxpayer or some family member during the year.  We will explore the mechanism of how the principal residence exemption rules function in several scenarios, with single and multiple qualifying residences.  We will also discuss the impact of partial rental of a residence, capital gains, and recent legislation such as the anti-flipping tax.

What happens when you own a home and a vacation home?  What happens if you have a rental as a partnership?  We will explore new legislation that has a significant impact on these types of scenarios.  We will take a deep dive into the Underused Housing Tax (UHT) and a practical, case study approach to navigating these new rules.

This course is ideal for professionals in financial services looking to gain the skills needed to proactively help clients plan for and manage their financial health. The focus is on reporting on improvements in debt and savings over time to create a healthy balance sheet and facilitate responsible use of debt in building family wealth.  

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

This module will provide students with a detailed overview of the potential tax benefits to be gained as a result of charitable gifting using life insurance. Learn how to discuss, in broad terms, the benefits available and liaise with various specialists, clients, accountants and charities in providing the correct solution, before and after death. Several strategies and outcomes are demonstrated in this module.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

Protect yourself and your senior clients by knowing the rules for dealing with senior investors and how to implement those rules and guidelines.  The regulatory framework as it applies to client capacity has been slowly evolving.  There is more guidance and best practices being provided by regulators.  Learn how, as an advisor, these should be incorporated into your practice.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Compliance (expiry 20-June-24)

As more and more Canadians enter the ‘Empty Nester’ stage of life, this presents a real opportunity for you to reinforce your role as their trusted advisor and help your clients navigate this new chapter in their life. Identifying and navigating the financial gaps and opportunities will be covered.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Insurance of Persons (expiry 20-June-24)

In this module, we’ll look the importance of integrating charitable giving into your clients’ financial plans. This module discusses the features and benefits of different philanthropic structures for charitable giving, disbursement requirements for foundations, endowment funds and donor advised funds and how to work with investment committees and charitable sector investment policies.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

As our population ages, advising clients on complex decumulation strategies has always been important.  Now, with new market volatility and a significant reduction in value in many boomer portfolios, there are a number of strategies you can discuss with your clients to ensure they are maximizing tax changes and minimizing the taxes they have to pay on their pension payments and registered account withdrawals.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Insurance of Persons (expiry 20-June-24)

This module considers various registered plans. The suggested order of investing is also reviewed, bringing to mind the importance of advice.  It is one thing to be familiar with the various registered investment types and their technical aspects; however, advice represents the next step, considering areas such as strategies to arrive a favourable outcome or how one choice is made over another, based on a client’s particular situation.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Insurance of Persons (expiry 20-June-24)

This module will look at how a TFSA can be used for people at different life stages to grow their wealth and reduce the impact of too much taxable income on government benefits and tax credits. Understand the benefits and common misconceptions, as well as misuse, of a TFSA.  Concepts such as the order of investing, contribution room, penalties and restrictions, common issues as well as common strategies will be addressed.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Mutual Funds (expiry 20-June-24)

As your clients’ financial professional, you are often one of the first to discover diminishing capacity.  Therefore, you can play an important role in serving vulnerable clients and meeting their changing needs.  You can continue to bring value to your clients by discussing relevant topics such as healthcare and long-term care planning, post-retirement planning, PoA, among others. Insurance may have an important place in helping clients prepare for and navigate their lives as they become more vulnerable.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Compliance (expiry 20-June-24)

Disability can strike anyone at any time, throwing a client’s plans for a rosy financial future off track. Temporary or long-term Loss of income is usually the most immediate issue that you and your client will have to address.  But the matter is much more complex. We’ll look at registered plans, non-registered investments, insurance, and government sources of income and benefits through the lens of disability planning.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Insurance of Persons (expiry 20-June-24)

Disability can strike anyone at any time, throwing a client’s plans for a rosy financial future off track. Temporary or long-term Loss of income is usually the most immediate issue that you and your client will have to address.  But the matter is much more complex. We’ll look at registered plans, non-registered investments, insurance, and government sources of income and benefits through the lens of disability planning.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 Compliance (expiry 20-June-24)

Dealing with the myriad of responsibilities following the death of a client can be a daunting experience for executors and beneficiaries alike.  As a knowledgeable source of advice on how to protect the deceased client’s wealth, and by confidently providing required documentation in a timely fashion, you can ease their burden and demonstrate your reliability as a source of future financial advice.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

The home-based business is one of the most common for self-employed entrepreneurs and has become a reality for employees as well.  This can be fraught with audit potential because of the mixed-use of home, car, and other deductible items.  The home-based individual, therefore, must be especially careful about allocating the personal use of inventory and other property used in business and account for this.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

This module will identify and explore a number of the key challenges that business leaders are facing in the recent turbulent times, along with some high-level strategies to address these areas.  We will discuss your role as an advisor and how value can be provided to clients in times of transition, when business leaders need support the most.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)

Managing and working in a family business has its advantages and disadvantages. Understanding family dynamics and systems is the most challenging aspect of working within a family business, and unless there is a good understanding of strategies to address these areas, even “great” plans and ideas can fail to be implemented. Understand the common issues in a business family and to recognize the value you bring as a trusted advisor.

Pre-approved for:
- Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) – 1.00 Life (expiry 20-June-24)
- Insurance Council of Manitoba – 1.00 Life and/or A&S (expiry 20-June-24)
- Chambre Securité Financière (CSF) – 1.00 General Subject (expiry 20-June-24)