Blog by DOINA BIOLAN B.Comm

December Market report - Alberta

January 23rd, 2017
December Market Report - Alberta Click here for the full monthly report, including additional details on the outlook for Alberta's housing market in 2017. I. Alberta MLS® Trends A total of 2,612 Alberta residential unit sales were recorded through the MLS® Systems of real estate Boards/Associations in December, rising 3.2 per cent from the same month last year. The average MLS® residenti ...

IS HELPING YOUR CHILD BUYING HIS/HER FIRST HOME A GOOD IDEA?

January 21st, 2017
  Is helping children buy their first home becoming ‘the next parental responsibility’? It’s the type of family support that some people will be proud to give and others will be jealous they never got, but a new survey shows first-time home buyers are getting on average more than $10,000 from family members. Why the price of your home may not be climbing as much as you think The aver ...

ARE YOU FINANCIALLY ON TRACK FOR RETIREMENT?

January 19th, 2017
Are you financially on track for retirement? Most of us realize that it is in our best interest to save for retirement. We put aside money when we can, but often we are unsure if we will have enough saved in order to achieve a financially secure retirement. As a Financial Advisor I can help you create a retirement plan that works for you. By learning about your retirement objectives I ...

10 or more years until you retire

January 18th, 2017
10 or more years until you retire Retirement is a long way off, so you figure you've got lots of time to think about it. And with more than 10 years to go, you've got plenty of other things on your mind. Still, it's time to start taking concrete steps that will pay off in the long run as part of a simple yet effective action plan. Money matters Create a monthly budget so you'll… Be ab ...

CMHC Increasing Insurance Premiums Effective March 17, 2017

January 18th, 2017
CMHC Increasing Insurance Premiums Effective March 17, 2017Breaking news! CMHC ( Canada Mortgage and Insurance Corporation) is hiking mortgage insurance rates for the third time in three years (LTVs affected are 75% and greater) . Premiums are effective March 17, 2017.    At 80% LTV the premium almost doubles from 1.25% to 2.40%, this will greatly affect the monoline lenders who pay this pr ...

WE HAVE A RETIREMENT INCOME CRISIS ON OUR HANDS

January 17th, 2017
WE HAVE A RETIREMENT INCOME CRISSIS ON OUR HANDS   A recent survey by BLACK ROCK found that while 60% of Canadians are actively saving for retirement, including 52% of 25-to-34-year-olds, there's a clear discrepancy between retirement income expectations and savings habits.   Respondents said on average they expect an annual income of $46,900 for 25 years in retirement. But those who've s ...