We need to be prepared and to have considered our options in the event our lives change unexpectedly
What would happen if you had to sell your business this week due to illness? A man recently contacted me because his doctors told him that due to an illness, he had to stop working immediately. The problem was that he owned a business. How, he asked, could he comply with his doctors’ orders and…
Business leaders need to create a culture where everyone contributes with passion and where everyone can plan for their future
A girl recently told me she wants to quit her job – she doesn’t want to work any more or go to school. “It sounds like you want to retire,” I said. “What would you do with all your time?” “I might want to do some travelling or play basketball,” she said. “I really don’t…
With one hand, the government gives. With the other hand, it takes away benefits to taxpayers
By Jason Clemens and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute Commentators have noted the thrown-together nature of the 2019 federal budget released last week. There seem to be several ill-considered initiatives and some parts of the budget openly contradict other government programs and reforms. One of the more prominent contradictions relates to housing policy. In 2016,…
A 96-year-old mother’s invaluable experiences and insights help put today’s calamitous events in perspective
It’s tempting to think when you hit your 60s that you’ve seen it all, that your analysis of contemporary issues is tight and complete. I’m here to say it ain’t. That’s because I’ve just checked in with my 96-year-old Mom, Frances Robinson, after being in Mexico for a couple of weeks, forgetfully without a phone…
Among the many fascinating people found in San Miguel de Allende was a couple who sold everything to travel the world
I’ve just returned from San Miguel de Allende full of interesting new experiences gathered in a 475-year-old Mexican central highlands town renowned worldwide for its hospitality to culturally creative folk. Those visitors like to rent 300-year-old casas, practise speaking Spanish and participate in a nuanced cosmopolitan life. The local media refer to this phenomenon as…
But much of the justification for expanding the pension plan is debatable or downright wrong
By Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute Canadians likely noticed that their first paycheque of 2019 was slightly smaller than in 2018, even if they got a raise. The decline in after-tax income is because the first of several tax increases to finance an expanded Canada Pension Plan (CPP) took effect…
When the government makes employment more expensive, the sure result is fewer jobs
The federal government began 2019 by taking a bigger bite out of workers’ paycheques: the combined employer and employee Canada Pension Plan payroll tax rose from 9.9 per cent of earnings to 10.2 per cent. It’s the first of five annual payroll tax hikes. By the time the CPP tax hike is fully phased in, a…
Retirement is a choice, so get out there and get involved
We see them everywhere. Retired members of our community, all over town, enthusiastically engaged in activities. Either they are enjoying a game of golf or shopping at the mall; working in their gardens or swimming at the pool; sometimes taking the bus to an activity centre for a game of cards with friends. These are the…
Picturing a idyllic rural setting with exercise, freedom, stimulation – and support as needed. All crafted to cater to seniors
My Mom is still teaching me life lessons in her 90s. Chief of these recently has been the creation of an intentional community in which to retire. After a year spent essentially nursing my father through his final days in a fashionable, for-profit Vancouver rest home, he died and she decided to move into an…
I’ve become much more prone to analyze daily social situations on the grounds of age, ethnicity and gender
Being older (I’m 67 and increasingly told this is old), white and male is being pointed out more and more these days. In less than glowing terms. While Donald Trump is arguably the global archetype of the boomer personae I’m describing, the phrase “old white man” is getting more deliberate usage in different parts of…