by:Cory Brzozowski & Greg Thompson

Financial planning for the future and investing in one’s retirement is one of the most important duties someone can do.  It can be scary to think that the decisions one makes today can have serious financial consequences in the future.  Failure to make the proper decisions can put additional stress and strain on a marriage which may lead to other more serious problems down the road.  It is important that each spouse share the responsibility in the decision making.  Even if it may not be one spouses forte or strength,  always try to take an interest and try to know what’s going on, since the decisions being made will ultimately impact the future of both spouses.
 
Whether one invests in mutual funds, segregated funds, stocks or privately managed accounts, all can play an important role in one’s retirement goals.  Years ago, the companies themselves were responsible for the employee’s retirement through Defined Benefit Plans.  However, in the past decade, the responsibility has been shifted back to the employees through what’s called a Defined Contribution Plan.  Nowadays, the employees themselves are responsible for making their own investment decisions usually with little or no help.  This responsibility can be a huge stress and burden on many people. We, at Canadian Financial Help Desk, strongly advise that one should ask a professional to develop an investment strategy that is right for your situation.