Cindy Bowden Insurance and Benefits

By Cindy Bowden 

It’s spring – and tax time. Chances are you are getting advice from multiple different advisors about your tax and financial planning. And chances are, it’s all good advice… but some of the advice from one advisor may conflict with that from one of your other advisors. Or it may be too narrowly focused on one specific area of expertise. Or it may be overwhelming. Or it may not address the real issues of what you need to retire well. Or your other advisors may not be ‘strong’ enough to ask…

By Cindy Bowden 

Most of us wouldn’t dream about going through life without some kind of benefits package. One of the biggest benefits of a group plan is that you can get the health and dental coverage you need without having to qualify or provide medical evidence. 

There are several plans to choose from. Some are good and a few are even great… but you have to know where to look and how to put together a plan that actually serves the needs of the individuals who need to be covered. It’s my job to look at…

By Cindy Bowden 

Most people don’t ask enough questions about their retirement planning because either they don’t know what to ask, or they know what to ask but they are afraid of the answers. If you’re in one of these two camps, don’t worry. I’m here to help, and I can promise you that when it comes to asking the right questions, no matter how long you’ve been putting it off, today is the best day to start. (Yes, I really mean that!) 

Here are seven questions you might be thinking of asking… 

1. How…

By Cindy Bowden 

I am writing to you this month to alert you to an urgent proposed change in legislation that will affect how you pay for financial advice and services. In a nutshell, the Ontario government wants to eliminate all commissions and trailer fees, and instead force investors to pay a separate fee for service that would be subject to HST. 

Frankly, this scares me. This model was tried in the U.K. and almost overnight, 25% of independent investment advisors like me quit, leaving millions of…

By Cindy Bowden 

Whatever tradition you follow, the holidays are always a time for re-connecting with family. And for many people it’s one of the few times during the year all the generations get together. 

The thought of all the different generations laughing together, playing together and sharing life lessons always makes me smile. Why? Because it reminds me of the wonderful friendships I have made in all my years of working with my clients, and how I have helped so many people at different stages of…

By Cindy Bowden 

Lately I’ve been seeing the results of years of planning to protect my clients against worst case scenarios. They always say there is nothing worse than running out of money before they die. 

So if it’s on your mind, you’re in good company, especially in this volatile economic climate! 

Now I don’t think the reality is anywhere near that bad, but with the dollar going up and down like a yo-yo, crazy low interest rates, and periodic talk of another possible world economic meltdown, it…

By Cindy Bowden 

It was 6 in the morning and I was just getting out of bed. OK I admit it. I was a little preoccupied with a client case I was working on. Maybe that’s why I didn’t see the dresser that was right in front of me. Bam! I jammed my foot right into it and broke my 4th toe. I woke my son up at the other end of the house yelling ‘ow, ow, ow!’ 

When the pain subsided and I could think half-clearly again, my first thought was, “I hope it doesn’t snow because I certainly don’t have boots that would…

By Cindy Bowden 

I know that the last thing people want to hear are stories about doom and gloom. That’s why, in my letters to you, I try to keep a light and personal approach when I talk about insurance. But today I want to switch gears and talk about something very serious. 

OHIP has been slowly but surely making changes to reduce the amounts they have to pay out in the event of a claim. They have done this to manage their government budget – which is good – because the alternative would be to raise…

By Cindy Bowden 

Spring is a wonderful time… the sun shines bright and warm, trees grow new buds, and the grass turns green. People shed their winter parkas and spend more time outdoors. It’s also a time when almost every major religion has a holiday: Christians celebrate hope and rebirth; Jews celebrate freedom from slavery; Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s birth and enlightenment… 

It seems there is so much to be hopeful about. But when I speak to my clients, I see that along with the positivity of the…

By Cindy Bowden 

As is my custom at this time of year, I am sending out a little pocket planner to use, as many of my clients do, for reminders and events throughout the year. It’s my gift to you as a token of my appreciation for the trust and confidence you have in me as your advisor. 

As I sit at my desk, however, thinking about my life and career, I am struck by the awareness that the true gift is the contribution I am able to make to my clients’ lives. A recent report found that investors who have a…