Blog
17.05.12 - Our Why
In everything Canadian Legacy Builder does, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our process inspirational, which instills confidence. And we give direction on how to be a great ancestor by deliberately rearranging portfolios with purpose, which matters to maximize the legacy value for them and the people they leave behind. Read more...
14.05.12 - The Financial Future Depends on a Conversation.
The statistics speak for themselves. The time has come to Start the Conversation as the financial future of our country may depend on it. Read more...
07.05.12 - It Will Not Happen On Its Own!
It is all part of defining what you want your legacy to be and what you want to have accomplished when your time has come. Read more...
30.04.12 - The foundation of legacy is loving others more than yourself.
Why are we not caring more about other people who are in and around our lives? To think about relevancy, my son who is 4 years old will be applying for jobs when he is older that don’t even exist today. We get wrapped around the axel of success, but it is so important to keep it in perspective. Read more...
23.04.12 - Is Your Legacy Important to You?
The spiritual world does not reward the acquisition of money. In fact, money is regarded in a very different light; it is seen not as an end in itself, but as an instrument to assist others. Read more...
16.04.12 - It is a Mathematical Inevitability
The central message is that if you want to fix this place and you want to Be a Great Ancestor, you need to change how you behave, each and every person. It has to be about the people. We need to learn to respect each other, have integrity and strive for excellence. Cultures can change but people need to want to change and the only way to change a culture of an entire city, province or country is to first of all look internally. Read more...
10.04.12 - Lessons learned from The Titanic
Today we focus on building lifeboats big enough to save those people you love because your ship is going to sail into an iceberg, a hurricane, a typhoon or a horrific storm when you live too long, die too soon, or become disabled along the way. So let’s build the right size life boat. Read more...
02.04.12 - Great Ancestors by Choice
“We should be able to see that things are hopeless, yet be determined to make them otherwise”~F. Scott Fitzgerald Read more...
26.03.12 - Dreams don’t have to stop when the dreamer dies
It is easier to work with affluent people who are afraid to be poor, than poor people who want to be rich. I have built my career around helping successful people get to where they want to go. Read more...
19.03.12 - What will Matter
"Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters." Read more...
12.03.12 - Neil Young, Kurt Cobain and my father.
My father lived the essence of Canadian Legacy Builder long before the company was founded as his priorities in the life that I knew of him was to secure the family lifestyle while he was alive and the day he left this world to create a lasting legacy for the people he loved and the causes he cared so deeply about. Read more...
05.03.12 - “Put me in charge”
"The problems we face today are because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living" Read more...
21.02.12 - Teachers Helping Teachers
At Canadian Legacy Builder, we are committed to spreading the word about individuals that are working to make a difference. We believe that one person one moment in time can make the world of difference. Read more...
13.02.12 - Death is inevitable, the probability is 100%.
“We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” Read more...
08.02.12 - Starting the conversation is just the first step
Those stories gave her an insight into the amazing people my parents were but also an insight in to why I am the way I am. Those stories will live on in our memories forever to be told to future generations with a smile and a tear. Read more...
06.02.12 - Securing lifestyles and legacies for people who care.
Life insurance agents, among all business practitioners, should be the most multidimensional in their interests. That is because, of all professions in the world, agents are able to ask questions about every aspect of a prospects or clients life. Read more...
30.01.12 - We are in a very unique position.
They people who receive those incredible gifts of love only ever ask two questions, how much and when will it be paid and the only negative comment I ever hear is why didn’t they get more. Read more...
23.01.12 - Once you learn to die you learn how to live
One never knows what truly goes on in this process but there is something to be said about the title of today’s entry, why can’t we learn to die at an early age so that we can learn how to live and make the greatest differences to the people we love and the causes we care about? Read more...
16.01.12 - Canadians have a chance to stand up and say enough is enough!
The government preaches that Canadians need to be better vigilant with our money and that we need to save more money for our futures yet our elected officials have no control over their own purse strings. When will Canadians stand up and say, enough is enough, no more free spending for you, we want accountability. If an average Canadian was a spend thrift and out spent their income, the local banker would have no issues stepping in and saying, give me your money and assets you are now bankrupt, but apparently our governments can continue to spend without limits. Read more...
09.01.12 - "I'm gonna love you through it!"
Almost everyone wants to leave an enduring legacy to be remembered and celebrated as someone who contributed to society and made a distinguishing mark on the world. Read more...
19.12.11 - Fundraising - Even the first tire was square and made out of Stone!
According to Wikipedia, fundraising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions, by requesting donations from individuals or businesses. Read more...
12.12.11 - I didn’t volunteer because I wanted a thank you, I did it because I wanted to help.
With the best financial advisors, I have always had the feeling that I am dealing with psychological geniuses, who are also equipped with sophisticated financial knowledge, capabilities, and resources. Read more...
05.12.11 - It’s the end of fundraising as we know it, and I feel fine!
For anyone who has tried to teach your child responsibility by selling their product for their team or their school would agree that I am underestimating the actual costs involved regarding time and travel, so it begs the question, how much longer until traditional fundraising is abolished completely in favour of more advantageous methods? Read more...
28.11.11 - Unprecedented Opportunity
Entrepreneurial financial advisors will increasingly become crucial “life-integrators” for millions of individuals, helping them transform their personal fortunes and lead more fulfilling lives. Read more...
21.11.11 - Reflect and Prepare
They say you can’t take it with you – but there are ways to ensure as much of their inheritance as possible stays with the family, and not with the Canada Revenue Agency. There are tax-saving strategies for any estate plan, but registered retirement saving plans (RRSPs) and tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) can only go so far. Read more...
14.11.11 - Will Movember save your family?
"...the corporate world had decided that they were going to brand cancer so that cellphone transmission towers and air pollution and plastics and dangerously mass produced foodstuffs might be excused." Read more...
07.11.11 - Never be the Same
Non profits face their stiffest challenges and the answers are no longer found in the past—the donor landscape has changed permanently. The old tools are growing more and more ineffective as donors are buried under the avalanche of information and marketing messages that barrage them every day! Read more...
31.10.11 - When the Bulls are Stampeding.
...for it is when the bulls are stampeding most enthusiastically that people are most likely to get taken for the proverbial ride… In the end, the path of financial markets can never be smooth as we might like. Read more...
24.10.11 - Sign of the times?
I can almost guarantee you will never get a communication like the above from Revenue Canada, nor will your loved ones ever get a thank you card from them after you die and they write a cheque for half of your estate to the federal government. Read more...
17.10.11 - The Butterfly Effect
We all make choices each and every day of our lives that go to affect everyone and everything around us. We make choices in our words and our actions and although we live in an ocean of words and actions we rarely acknowledge their power to uplift or put down, to inspire or discourage, to help or hurt. But in all of our choices we have the power to change lives both on our own and those around us. Read more...
11.10.11 - How will you measure your Legacy?
“My legacy will not be measured in terms of wealth I leave behind for my family nor for any special award I have earned over the years. My wish is that I will be remembered for my values, what I have shared and what I have learned together with my family, my friends, my relationships and even my adversaries.” Read more...
03.10.11 - To trust or not to trust, that is the question!
No one likes the topic of Life Insurance but once I have the ability to show what life insurance can do compared to everything else out there, it is magical. Read more...
26.09.11 - If the big banks can't do it...
I have know for a long time now that everything happens for a reason, some good and some bad and it is what we learn of the situations that determine our futures. Read more...
19.09.11 - The more things change the more they stay the same.
We all have the ability to be great ancestors, but that role starts while we are alive. Read more...
12.09.11 - We grow too soon old and too late smart
There are opportunities in our world today that can bring guarantees, bring pride of ownership, security and stability and make a massive difference to the people you love and the causes you care about. Read more...
25.08.11 - Be a Great Ancestor
Winston Churchill said ‘we make a living by what we get, and we make a life by what we give.’ Read more...
21.08.11 - Starting Conversations
So at www.canadianlegacybuilder.ca we are privileged to add value to the lives of our clients that secures life income and family legacies. We ask our advocates to ask themselves how can I use this to add value to my own families financial planning as a lifeboat and then leave it for the benefit of others a legacy?’ We then ask them to shift their paradigm from ‘do I need?’ it to ‘how can I use it?’ Read more...
15.08.11 - Our Essence.
There is unprecedented, unbelievable opportunity, to make a positive impact on the lives of others and we at www.canadianlegacybuilder.ca believe in this opportunity enough to make it our overarching message. Read more...
07.08.11 - Down, down, down, the world markets slide (again)...
I am saying to you, beware of the unknown. Markets correct, markets go up and markets go down. Read more...
01.08.11 - Situation Critical
Governments and unions have their heads in the sand and continue to ignore the problems of unfunded public sector pensions and demographics, while taxpayers and future generations are on the hook for these liabilities. Currently it is reported that over one million Canadian seniors have no income in addition to government benefits. The storm clouds are on the horizon due to the marked shift in dependency ratios and as the fear of outliving ones assets are very real, it is time for Canadians to stand up and demand change while asking the hard questions of what happens next after a life change such as retirement and death. Read more...
27.07.11 - Just what we want: more.
The life insurance industry is a great industry as this is a profession that has always embraced change and will continue to embrace change. Read more...
18.07.11 - An interest in a life insurance policy is a valuable asset.
Now I know what you are thinking, you can’t wait to rush out and sign up for the same course… and some of you shouted for joy over the words “review of the Canadian Income Tax rules” but I beg you to withhold your enthusiasm just for a moment. Read more...
11.07.11 - Is there a place where money can equal morality?
Is there a place where money can meet morality in the middle of the world where we can look out for our interests and the interests of the world around us and for future generations. Read more...
05.07.11 - Hero dies but the story goes on forever
Everyone who is loved by someone leaves a legacy of some kind. When the hero of our life story dies, Great Ancestors make sure that the story will go on forever. Read more...
27.06.11 - 70 years ago today, the greatest man to ever live was born.
I have decided to take up the challenge to ensure future generations always remember my dad and what he meant to me and raise the level of awareness in the community for what philanthropy can do and my legacy will be awareness of what a community can become. Read more...
20.06.11 - Planning beyond the numbers!
We take the opportunity to educate our advocates about planning beyond the bank and help them plan for retirement in its entirety. Read more...
13.06.11 - Fireworks for Change?
How do Fireworks paid for by tax payers make a difference in our community? Will it feed the hungry or clothe the naked? Will it educate the illiterate, will it give a voice to those in our society who have no voice? Read more...
06.06.11 - There is a reason for everything.
“I got so high, I could see where the blue turns to black. From up there you could see all that there is and it looked like there was a reason for everything.” Read more...
30.05.11 - Donations with Benefits
Philanthropy generally starts with someone wanting to give back, and is rarely for tax reasons. Our role at Canadian Legacy Builder through our Be a Great Ancestor principles is to employ different strategies to make the charitable gift the most tax- and cost-efficient. Read more...
24.05.11 - Whole Life Insurance as an Investment tool?
Whole life insurance can be an attractive option for individuals seeking lifetime insurance protection. But it is also increasingly being used as an alternative investment vehicle to build wealth and create value for future financial needs. Read more...
16.05.11 - One person, one moment in time has the ability to change history forever.
I will always remember being with my dad, standing out in the rain handing out water to runners and cyclists back in Ottawa, but what I remember most are the lessons of charity and giving back, lessons that I will work hard to ensure get passed on to future generations. Read more...
09.05.11 - Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
Sesame Street is teaching children that any amount of money, no matter how modest, can be divided three ways – some for buying the things you need or want now, some for saving for even bigger things and for future security, and some for giving to others. Read more...
02.05.11 - The trend toward charitable giving is also strong in Canada, and it is by no means limited to the mega rich.
Social capital refers to the fact that everyone, as taxpayers, are already allocating a portion of their wealth to the “betterment of society” through the taxes they pay. We can either do nothing and let the government use our tax money to support its own causes, or we can give some of our wealth to charities, get the tax breaks and support our own causes. Charitable gift planning is a way to become empowered to take charge of your social capital. Read more...
25.04.11 - Our principal function is coaching
As a financial planner, we make the unmanageable manageable for the family of a deceased individual and for the executor of that persons estate. Our role is often that of a translator, because the survivors may not understand what is going on. Read more...
18.04.11 - He has many gifts that he has selflessly given away to help many people.
"I think it's sometimes tough that the world we live in is one where we put somebody under judgment for things that maybe they haven't done… The fact that he's able to be an example of strength ... and to talk openly and honestly about his personal struggles is an inspiration for those of us who try to maybe do better in our lives." Read more...
11.04.11 - It doesn’t have to be like this.
It is true that we are standing at the precipice of the greatest inter generational wealth transfer ever known however what scares me the most is that few people are giving to charity now when charities need it most. It doesn’t have to be like this. Charities in our communities are suffering financially yet money is being wasted at all levels of government. It is time that we stand up and think about the legacy we are leaving to future generations. Read more...
04.04.11 - What a great lesson to begin the rest of our lives with.
“Like every good stage play, the finale comes upon us, and the characters – one by one – take their places at centre stage. But on some stages, the ending is designed to create the beginning of a sequel.” Read more...
28.03.11 - "To try to do this humanitarian-y type of thing you need to look inside yourself"
Very few great legacies just happen. They all take some effort but your family nobility can either start or end with you unless of course, you take charge of your legacy. Read more...
21.03.11 - What do you do?
Most people believe that when they die, the stuff they have accumulated passes to their children, but it is important to understand that in actual fact, upon death, as much as 60% of their financial stuff can be lost or stolen to fees and taxes. What is more important to know is that this sad situation is entirely avoidable. Read more...
14.03.11 - Who is your great ancestor?
...we feel a huge void every day, but know you both are with us. Dad/Grandpa, we miss the twinkle in your eyes, your laugh, your wisdom and your unending love and support every day. We cherish the many memories and your legacy live on in the many lives you touched as you were a true inspiration to all. Read more...
07.03.11 - The true value that is deep within us all!
Has our society really turned into one where people believe whoever has the most at the end wins? Read more...
28.02.11 - Great ancestors are those select few who make the world a better place for their family for generations.
Great ancestors are those select few who make the world a better place for their family for generations. They set up their children and grandchildren for so much more than they had. They are multipliers. They make their family a better and happier place to be, forever. Read more...
14.02.11 - After Major Life Events
We know that money is important but we also know it is not everything you think about. Read more...
08.02.11 - Being a Great Ancestor has nothing to do with being rich
Our health and long term care systems are not going to be getting better anytime soon...Solutions to the world's problems are located within our communities and local charities. They have many more tools available to help engage these solutions... Read more...
31.01.11 - It's not what you have, it's what you keep
...almost every cent of Ben Bernake's money is in annuities. If this is good enough for the US Federal Reserve Chair's family, then it is good enough for my family... Read more...
25.01.11 - Our Purpose of Being
...our purpose of being is to follow our happiness, seek our passions and live our lives as inspirations to each other. Everything else flows from that. Read more...
17.01.11 - What is Wealth?
I see ads that are encouraging me to save to be wealthy, or that I am richer than I think I am. Have we forgotten the lessons of the past that no matter what shade of lipstick you put on a pig it is still a pig? Read more...
07.01.11 - May You Live in Interesting Times
There is a Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Well, cursed or not, the last three years have certainly been interesting ones for entrepreneurs, individuals and the world as we know it. Read more...