Financial Update - September 2009

September 2009

Greetings!

Welcome to the very first online edition of Insight, a quarterly communiqué for you, our valued clients, colleagues and friends. Our goal with this is simple: bring you information that is relevant and useful.

Going in, we know two things. First, most of you don't know about--nor would you care to know about--gap ratios, recast earnings or volume-weighted average prices. But that's OK. That's our job.

We also know, however, that some easy-to-understand information is very valuable. The economy is in the news a lot these days and no doubt you'd like to have a better understanding of what's going on and how it affects you.

That is the kind of information we will bring you--regularly and, as importantly, succinctly.

Rest assured, unlike most newsletters, this one isn't about us--it's about you and what we can do to help give you peace of mind.

Questions, suggestions or comments? Contact us!

Now enjoy a little Insight!
George Marsh

Is the Home Renovation Tax Credit for you?

Street-level stimulus package

In a nutshell, the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) was introduced by the federal government to stimulate the economy while encouraging you to invest in your home. Available during the 2009 tax year only, it enables you to claim a 15 percent non-refundable tax credit for certain expenditures.

While you can't buy furniture or tools and you can't write off the cost of hiring house cleaners or purchasing maintenance contracts, there are several other things eligible. They include kitchen, bathroom or basement renovations, roof replacements, the resurfacing your driveway, the laying of new sod and a host of other home improvements.

To make it easier for you, we have detailed information about the program and the claims process. The information is conveniently printed on envelopes you can use to hold all your receipts in one place. You can drop by our office anytime to pick one up or send us an email and we'll mail one to you.

Remembering David Smith

We say good-bye to our colleague and friend

Sadly, we acknowledge David's passing this past April. A member of the IPG team for several years, David leaves behind his wife, Carol Ann, their two grown children and two grandchildren, one born since David passed.

Never short of an opinion--but only when it shed new light on a situation--David will always be remembered for his love of jazz and his ability to make people feel cared for.

We are currently contacting David's clients to help them make the transition to other IPG team members or to new advisors. If you need information in this regard, please contact us.

Time to rethink money-market funds?

Staying on top of your investments

Money-market funds are, perhaps, the most conservative of mutual funds. Generally speaking, the main goal of the funds is the preservation of principal, accompanied by modest dividends.

These days, those "modest dividends" are, in many cases, almost non-existent. So, while it may be appropriate to hold funds in a money-market fund temporarily or for liquidity purposes, it may also be time to revisit the decision to keep funds there.

If money-market funds are in your portfolio, perhaps we can talk about other, similarly conservative investments designed to increase your return on investment. If you'd like to talk about this, give us a call at 613-841-0944 or send us an email.

Do we have a copy...

...of your tax assessment form?

One often-overlooked piece of documentation that will help us give you the best advice possible is the Notice of Assessment for your 2008 Tax Return.

Having a copy can help us ensure your return has been filed correctly. More than that, it can also allow us to see your marginal tax rate, your RRSP contribution room and many other things that may help us recommend tax-saving strategies. Please drop off a copy or mail one to us as soon as possible.

A proud member of
IPG Logo