What types of insurance are available?

Life insurance in the beginning was the benefit which was realized at the death of the policy holder. It was really “death insurance” which in today’s world would be a hard idea to sell. Today, the world of insurance has expanded to different types of insurance where you don’t have to die to win. While also providing benefits to the policy holders who are alive – a living benefit. Living benefit plans are insurance policies that provide financial benefits to survivors who face issues due to aging, illness, accidents and dependency.

Disability insurance

Disability insurance (sometimes referred to as DI) is an insurance policy that pays out a stream of monthly income in case you get disabled and cannot work. The injury or disability does not have to have happened at work but it must severe enough to prevent you from working and earning an income. Many people have both short-term disability and long-term disability coverage through work but you can buy personal disability policies if there is not coverage like in the case of some self-employed individuals.

 Health and dental coverage

Health and dental plans are often covered through group benefits. These plans are designed to help with the unexpected cost of healthcare needs when you need it. There is a growing concern that governments will have significant cut backs in the health care industry and as a result, the financial burden of prescription drugs, visits to the dentist, eye exams, and paramedical services may increase in the future. Individual Health and Dental insurance policies can also be purchased through insurance companies.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is something you can buy when you travel outside of Canada in case you get sick or have an accident while you are away. Travel insurance can cover the cost of your medical emergencies. Travel insurance may or may not include trip cancellation coverage. Most travel agencies will offer travel insurance coverage. However, you can also choose to purchase from a third party. If you’re planning your trip online or on your own, you’ll have to research which insurance companies are best for your needs.

Critical illness insurance

Critical illness insurance is a type of insurance that helps you if you become critically ill. There are many different conditions that might be covered under a critical illness policy but the most common are heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Typically, critical illness insurance provides a lump sum payment when a specific condition is diagnosed. The money can then be used for any purpose. Some examples include finding alternative medical treatments anywhere in the world, hiring a caregiver, paying debts, covering expenses that are not covered under government health care, paying for private nursing homes, or providing income support.

 Long term care insurance

Long-term care insurance is another coverage that is rapidly growing in popularity. It pays a daily or monthly benefit for medical or custodial care received in a nursing facility, in a hospital, or at home if you are unable to carry out some of the common activities of daily living (ADLs). Some examples include:
· Bathing
· Dressing and undressing
· Eating
· Transferring from bed to chair, and back
· Voluntarily controlling urinary and fecal discharge
· Using the toilet
· Walking (not bedridden)

Few people plan to get injured or ill. Getting insurance of any kind is a form of risk management . . . preparing for unfortunate circumstances in life. Be sure to include a review of living benefits when you review other types of insurance.

 

 

I’m going to see other Banks

At Henley Financial and Wealth Management we are here to help you save money wherever we can, we want to help you save money being spent unknowingly and unwillingly.

So, let’s start with something we know that everyone has… a bank account.

Why do you pay a monthly fee just to keep your money in a bank account?  Canada’s big 5 banks have been raking in the profits from monthly chequing account fees and additional transaction charges. We’ll even go out on a limb and say you do most if not all of your transactions online.

We have all fallen into this category once we got out of school and were no longer eligible for a free student chequing account. We use debit cards for everything, so our banks recommended that we sign-up for the “unlimited” chequing account for $14.95 per month. Again, we ask why do you pay to keep your money at the bank when you do all the work? You put your pay check in the bank and take it out of the bank without any assistance from them and you pay for that service – but there is no service.  Spending money Unwillingly because this is not an option. We will come back to that “option” part later.

Since most of us lived paycheque-to-paycheque in the first few years out of school we didn’t even realize how much money we were wasting on fees. You can have those monthly fees waived by always carrying a minimum balance, but how many people could do that on a fixed start up budget.

You probably pay up to $179 a year for the privilege of using your own money in your chequing account at your bank.  So, think of that as a household, your Husband/Wife, and children also have accounts so as a family (of four) you are paying over $717 a year in bank fees! That is the Unknowingly because you never stopped to do the math. Now it does not seem like much but remember you are doing all the work and it’s your money that was put in their hands.

So now that you know and are willing to save the money, would you stop paying the bank fees and switch to no fee bank account?

Here is the “Option” part we spoke of earlier, Manulife Bank has an advantage checking a online account (personal or business) that pays you an interest percentage to keep your money with them. Now that’s a service that makes sense to us, you get paid to keep your money in your own account with no penalty for using your own money. A bank with several unique features such as listed below:

• no fee daily chequing
• pays interest
• 24/7 live support
• free email money transfers
• free ABM access through the banking network
• mobile banking

Now that free chequing accounts are becoming more popular in Canada, there are many more non brick and mortar banks with high interest savings accounts than Manulife. We like Manulife because of their willingness to help with other financial needs we all need as adults, such as Mortgages, Credit cards, lines of credit, with the emphasis on keeping the money in your hands. No more Fees Lost Unknowingly or Unknowingly!!!!

Contact Us at Henley Financial and Wealth Management and we will help you set up a No Fee, High Interest Paying, Account with Manulife Bank.

What is the Best Way to Insure Your Mortgage?

 

If you have a mortgage it makes good sense to insure it. Owning a debt free home is an objective of any sound financial plan. In addition, making sure your mortgage is paid off in the event of your death will benefit your family greatly.

The question is should you purchase this coverage through your lending institution or from a life insurance company?

It might be convenient when completing the paper work for your new mortgage to just sign one more form, be aware that it might be a costly decision.

 

8 reasons to purchase your mortgage coverage from a life insurance advisor

1) Cost

Term life insurance available from a competitive life insurance company is usually cheaper than mortgage life insurance provided through the lender. This is especially true if you qualify for non-smoker rates.

2) Availability

If you have some health issues, the lenders mortgage insurance may not be available to you. This may not be the case with term life insurance where competitive underwriting and substandard insurance are more readily attainable.

3) Declining coverage

Be aware that the death benefit of creditor/mortgage insurance declines as the mortgage is paid down. Meanwhile, the premium paid or cost of the coverage remains the same.

With term life insurance the death benefit does not decline. You decide how much coverage you want to have. This gives you the flexibility to reduce the amount of coverage and premium when the time is right for you. Or keep it should another need arise or in the event you become uninsurable in the future.

4) Portability

Term Life insurance is not tied to the mortgage giving you flexibility to shift it from one property to the next without having to requalify and possibly pay higher rates.

5) Flexibility

Unlike creditor/mortgage insurance, term life insurance can be for a higher amount than just the mortgage balance so you can protect family income needs and other obligations but pay only one cost-effective premium.

When you pay off your mortgage you will no longer be protected by creditor/mortgage insurance but term life insurance may continue. Also, unlike mortgage insurance, you are able to convert your term life insurance into permanent coverage without a medical.

6) The beneficiary controls the death benefit

With creditor/mortgage insurance there is no choice in what happens to the money when you die. The proceeds simply retire the balance owing on your mortgage and the policy cancels.

With term life insurance your beneficiary decides how to use the insurance proceeds. For example, if the mortgage carries a very low interest rate compared to available fixed income yields, it might be preferable to invest the insurance proceeds rather than to immediately pay off the mortgage.

7) Can your claim be denied?

Often creditor/mortgage insurance coverage is reviewed when a death claim is submitted. Creditor/mortgage insurance allows for the denial of the claim in certain situations even after the coverage has been in effect beyond that 2 year period.

Term life insurance is incontestable after two years except in the event of fraud.

8) Advice

Your bank or mortgage broker can advise you on the best arrangement to fund your mortgage but advice on the most appropriate way to arrange your life insurance is best obtained from a qualified insurance advisor who can implement your life insurance coverage according to your overall requirements.

Your mortgage will probably represent the single largest debt (and asset) you will acquire. Making sure your mortgage doesn’t outlive you is the most prudent thing you can do for your family.

Contact me @ Henley Financial and Wealth Management  if you think it is time to review your current insurance protection.

 

The First RRSP

The first RRSP — then called a registered retirement annuity — was created by the federal government in 1957. Back then, Canadians could contribute up to 10 per cent of their income to a maximum of $2,500. RRSPs still remain one of the cornerstones of retirement planning for Canadians. In fact, as employer pension plans become increasingly rare, the ability to save inside an RRSP over the course of a career can often make or break your retirement.

The deadline to make RRSP contributions for the 2018 tax year is March 1st, 2019.

If you need help or advice with you tax planning or investments we are always available to help @henleyfinancial.ca

Anyone living in Canada who has earned income has to file a tax return which will create RRSP contribution room. Canadian taxpayers can contribute to their RRSP until December 31st of the year he or she turns 71.

Contribution room is based on 18 percent of your earned income from the previous year, up to a maximum contribution limit of $26,230 for the 2018 tax year. Don’t worry if you’re not able to use up your entire RRSP contribution room in a given year – unused contribution room can be carried-forward indefinitely.

Keep an eye on over-contributions, however, as the taxman levies a stiff 1 percent penalty per month for contributions that exceed your deduction limit. The good news is that the government built-in a safeguard against possible errors and so you can over-contribute a cumulative lifetime total of $2,000 to your RRSP without incurring a penalty tax.

Find out your RRSP deduction limit on your latest notice of assessment clearly stated.

You can claim a tax deduction for the amount you contribute to your RRSP each year, which reduces your taxable income. However, just because you made an RRSP contribution doesn’t mean you have to claim the deduction in that tax year. It might make sense to wait until you are in a higher tax bracket to claim the deduction.

When should you contribute to an RRSP?

When your employer offers a matching program: Some companies offer to match their employees’ RRSP contributions, often adding between 25 cents and $1.50 for every dollar put into the plan. Take advantage of this “free” gift from your employers.

When your income is higher now than it’s expected to be in retirement: RRSPs are meant to work as a tax-deferral strategy, meaning you get a tax-deduction on your contributions today and your investments grow tax-free until it’s time to withdraw the funds in retirement, a time when you’ll hopefully be taxed at a lower rate. So contributing to your RRSP makes more sense during your high-income working years rather than when you’re just starting out in an entry-level position.

A good rule of thumb: Consider what is going to benefit you the most from a tax perspective.

When you want to take advantage of the Home Buyers’ Plan: First-time homebuyers can withdraw up to $25,000 from their RRSP tax-free to put towards a down payment on a home. Would-be buyers can also team up with their spouse or partner to each withdraw $25,000 when they purchase a home together. The withdrawals must be paid back over a period of 15 years – if you do not pay one fifteenth of the borrowed money, the amount owed in that calendar year it will be added to your taxable income for that year.

Unless it’s an emergency then it’s generally a bad idea to withdraw from your RRSP before you retire. You would have to report the amount you take out as income on your tax return. You won’t get back the contribution room that you originally used.

Also, your bank will hold back taxes – 10 percent on withdrawals under $5,000, 20 percent on withdrawals between $5,000 and $15,000, and 30 percent on withdrawals greater than $15,000 – and pay it directly to the government on your behalf. That means if you take out $20,000 from your RRSP, you will end up with $14,000 but you’ll have to add $20,000 to your taxable income at tax time. This is done to insure that you pay enough tax upfront for the withdrawal at the source so that you are not hit with an additional tax bill (assessment) when you file your tax return.

What kind of investments can you hold inside your RRSP?

A common misconception is that you “buy RRSPs” when in fact RRSPs are simply a type of account with some tax-saving attributes. It acts as a container in which to hold all types of instruments, such as a savings account, GICs, stocks, bonds, REITs, and gold, to name a few. You can even hold your mortgage inside your RRSP.

If you hold investments such as cash, bonds, and GICs then it makes sense to keep them sheltered inside an RRSP because interest income is taxed at a higher rate than capital gains and dividends.

For more information regarding WealthSense investments and RRSP’s

Welcome to Mortgage Insurance – Protect yourself not the lender!

Your home is one of the most important purchases you’ll make and protecting it is crucial. Mortgage protection plans offered by your lender are policies that insure your mortgage against the death of the title holder and pays the outstanding balance to the lender to cover the lenders potential loss. When you need protection and security after a death, the lender seem more concerned about their bottom line than your families well-being.

The problem with the lenders (bank, credit union) plans is that you, the homeowner, do not own the actual Insurance Policy. Mortgage insurance from your lender is held by the lender and only paid out to lender, and not to your family, which leaves loved ones with little to no income replacement and no financial security.

An Individual Life Insurance Policy can be up to 40% less than the lenders offerings (depending on age and health) because the lender are the go between to the insurance company. The increased cost is added to the price of the insurance to cover the non licensed brokers fees. So not only is it costly to insure through the lender the actual coverage is not benefiting those who matter most. Individual mortgage insurance keeps your home in your family’s hands and protects the families interests, because your family deserves Financial Security upon death – not your lender. For a comparison of Individual plans versus lender plans and understanding the value of individual mortgage insurance policies versus your lender’s policies, means looking at what each policy can offer you. Please see the table below to see why a lender’s mortgage insurance plan doesn’t offer the freedom and security of insuring yourself individually.

Contact Henley Financial & Wealth Management if you have any questions or need help insuring your home for your families financial security. We are happy to help save you money while creating a positive financial future.

If you are in need of a mortgage please contact  Bayfield Mortgage Professionals a trusted professional and mortgage broker.

Individual Plans Versus Your Lender

Questions?	Individual Insurance Policies	Mortgage Loan Insurance from your Lender
Do I own my insurance policy?	Yes	No, The owner is your lender.
Who can be the beneficiary of the policy?	Anyone you choose.	Only the lender can receive the benefits from the policy.
When does coverage end?	It depends on the term that YOU choose.	Coverage ends when the mortgage is paid.
Do I have the same coverage for the life of the policy?	Your coverage stays the same throughout the term of the policy.	The coverage decreases relative to the value of the remaining loan.
What can your coverage be used for?	Any purpose. The benefits are paid as a sum to your beneficiary to be used how they wish.	The coverage may only be used to cover the balance on the loan.
Can I get lower rates if I’m a non-smoker/in excellent health?	Yes. You usually pay as much as 50% less on your insurance premiums.	No, premiums are determined under one rate system.
If I sell my home am I still protected?	Yes. Since you are the owner of the policy.	No, you will need to obtain a new policy.
Can I convert or renew my policy to change the terms or coverage?	Some policies may be renewed or converted to another policy.	No, you may not convert nor renew coverage. You may not transfer this coverage into a new policy.

 

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but owning a home won’t fund your retirement

As I was looking through past articles I saw this and was intrigued. There are many who will do well when they “downsize” their family home as the article states. But with the cost of housing even for a smaller home or condo on the rise the nest egg is becoming much smaller for the younger (45 -55) home owner. My thoughts are simple, if you have a Million dollar home that you want to sell and downsize to a $500,000 home. You probably don’t need to worry about your retirement fund, you will have the money you require to live a wonderful life.  Unfortunately everyone does not own a million dollar home, and everyone will not be able to “down size” to a smaller home at half the cost of their present home. Baby Boomers will be able to take advantage of today’s real estate market. But generations X, Y and Z will need a better plan for the future.

Everyone requires a solid financial plan your financial plan can, and should include downsizing the family home. Which economically, physically and mentally, will make sense as you grow older. But again as the article states this is only a piece of the puzzle.

As you read the article, if you have any questions, or require any help with your financial plan please contact us at Henley Financial and Wealth Management .

All the best.

Winston L. Cook

Rob Carrick

 

Sept. 27, 2017

A disturbing number of people are building their retirement plans on a weak foundation – their homes.

Years of strong price gains in some cities have convinced some people that real estate is the best vehicle for building wealth, ahead of stocks, bonds and funds. Perhaps inevitably, there’s now a view that owning a home can also pay for your retirement.

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Don’t buy into the group-think about home ownership being the key to wealth. Except in a few circumstances, the equity in your home won’t pay for retirement. You will sell your home at some point in retirement and use the proceeds to buy your next residence, be it a condo, townhouse, bungalow or accommodation at a retirement home of some type. There may be money left over after you sell, but not enough to cover your long-term income needs in retirement.
In a recent study commissioned by the Investor Office of the Ontario Securities Commission, retirement-related issues topped the list of financial concerns of Ontario residents who were 45 and older. Three-quarters of the 1,516 people in the survey own their own home. Within this group, 37 per cent said they are counting on increases in the value of their home to provide for their retirement.

The survey results for pre-retirees – people aged 45 to 54 – suggest a strong link between financial vulnerability and a belief in home equity as a way to pay for retirement. Those most likely to rely on their homes had larger mortgages, smaller investment portfolios, lower income and were most often living in the Greater Toronto Area. They were also the least likely to have started saving for retirement or have any sort of plan or strategy for retirement.

The OSC’s Investor Office says the risk in using a home for retirement is that you get caught in a residential real estate market correction that reduces property values. While housing has resisted a sharp, sustained drop in prices, there’s no getting around the fact that financial assets of all types have their up and down cycles.

But even if prices keep chugging higher, you’re limited to these four options if you want your house to largely fund your retirement:

• Move to a more modest home in your city;
• Move to a smaller community with a cheaper real estate market, probably located well away from your current location;
• Sell your home and rent;
• Take out a reverse mortgage or use a home equity line of credit, which means borrowing against your home equity.

A lot of people want to live large in retirement, which can mean moving to a more urban location and buying something smaller but also nicer. With the boomer generation starting to retire, this type of housing is in strong demand and thus expensive to buy. Prediction: We will see more people who take out mortgages to help them downsize to the kind of home they want for retirement.

Selling your home and renting will put a lot of money in your hands, but you’ll need a good part of it to cover future rental costs. As for borrowing against home equity, it’s not yet something the masses are comfortable doing. Sales of reverse mortgages are on the rise, but they’re still a niche product.

Rising house prices have made a lot of money for long-time owners in some cities, but not enough to cover retirement’s full cost. So strive for a diversified retirement plan – some money left over after you sell your house, your own savings in a tax-free savings account and registered retirement savings plan, and other sources such as a company pension, an annuity, the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.

Pre-retirees planning to rely on their home at least have the comfort of knowing they’ve benefited from years of price gains. Far more vulnerable are the young adults buying into today’s already elevated real estate markets. They’re much less likely to benefit from big price increases than their parents were, and their ability to save may be compromised by the hefty mortgages they’re forced to carry.

Whatever age you are, your house will likely play some role in your retirement planning. But it’s no foundation. You have to build that yourself.

How should I invest my tax refund?

You may soon find yourself with a tax refund.

• How should you spend it?
• What is the right answer for you?
• Would you be interested in a value added idea?

Presented by Henley Financial & Wealth Management – please continue to read you may find this of some value.

The average individual tax refund is between $1,500 and $3,000. Not everyone will get a tax return essentially a return means that you paid the government too much in tax during the year and now they want you to have it back… For the chosen few people that do lend the government their own money to invest during the year on a tax free basis, that’s the biggest chunk of discretionary income they’ll see in a year. There’s a lot of temptation to spend this cash as is not readily accounted for so it’s essentially free money.

What would you do with that cash if was suddenly given to you?

Hmm, A Trip, Newest Phone, Clothes, Shoes, Dinner and Drinks (well more drinks than dinner), Raptors Tickets, Concert Tickets and a host of many other ideas come to mind.

Once you see the cheque or the deposit in you bank account a spending rush will come over you. Earning 1% in a high yield savings account does not seem very appealing. Investing in your portfolio for future returns that cannot be seen for years to come does not give you that warm and fuzzy feeling.

You could take a trip of a lifetime. How could that be a bad investment? The experience alone is worth a lifetime of memories. This will subside next month when you realize that you spent the return and then some and have to pay for those memories. Hopefully you took some beautiful pictures to share with your face book and instragram friends. Those will more than make up for the sticker shock price of the trip.

The other items or ideas mentioned are all short term memories but definitely worth the time spent if that’s what you want. Just remember there is a difference between needs and wants.

So what should you do with your tax return? Here is an idea that will work but isn’t sexy at all. Double up on a mortgage payment. Or Pay down a credit card bill as it is the highest interest debt that you are carrying. Either is a good choice…

If you think about it paying down your mortgage with your return you are one month closer to paying off the principle on your house. This is one of the biggest assets you own in your portfolio especially with today’s housing market. Since mortgage rates are historically quite low, you could potentially make more money by investing that return in the market but as we know the market can be very volatile.

In any case it’s just a thought and the value to you in the long run is a great basic investment in yourself and your family.

 

The greatest compliment we receive is being introduced to family, friends and co-workers. Let us know if you would like to introduce someone to Henley Financial and Wealth Management. Contact us Henley Financial & Wealth Management.

 

Expect the Unexpected…

If I told you to do what you love and love what you do and spend 99.9% of your time doing so you would understand that statement as it applies to your life. Some would call it the simple life. But I recommend that you commit 0.1% of your time to plan for the unexpected, especially as you move towards some big milestones like marriage, home ownership and kids. That is when term life insurance, a type of policy that covers you for a specific length of time, can really make sense.

Don’t hesitate to call or email us for your best options when thinking about your family’s financial security.

Henley Financial & Wealth Manangement  

 

Newlyweds with debt

You are marring the person of your dreams the person that you want to share your future with. But does your future include a term life insurance policy. Here is one reason why you might want to consider buying it now:

Debt.

Insurance is designed to protect you from unknown at death. Many young people start their marriages with a significant amount of debt. It could be a disastrous if only one spouse remained to cover the payments. Say you want to cover $100,000 in debt. You can get a term life insurance policy to cover it for pennies on dollar a year, which is most likely less than you spend on coffee for the year.

Another scenario where term life insurance makes sense is when there is a big disparity in income. Insuring the difference means that if the higher income person dies, the lower income person can support their current cost of living while they rebuild his or her life.

For a newly wed couple Life insurance is something you should have. Hopefully you never need to use the benefit. You can feel good knowing that if something catastrophic was to happen your spouse is covered.

Buying your first home together

There’s “married” living the dream travelling doing what you want when you want, with no obligations. And then there’s “married with a mortgage,more debt and kids.” It’s an exciting step, a new home a place you call your own. But it also presents new risk. If one of you were to die, how would the surviving spouse manage the mortgage payments? This is when and why you buy a mortgage insurance at the bank (or they tell you that you have to purchase insurance through them). The better option is to buy a term life policy from your advisor or an insurance company, for a few reasons.

First, Term life is less expensive than mortgage insurance. Second, The payout on death benefit with term life doesn’t change, but on mortgage insurance it declines as you pay down the principal. Third, Mortgage life insurance has no flexibility meaning there is a face value policy limit and it isn’t transferable, so the policy will be cancelled if you move or become terminally ill before your mortgage is renewed.

Getting married and starting a family

There are a few things you are going to need if you’re expecting a baby. A completed baby room with the right crib, dresser, and a car seat plus all the other must haves. Oh yes you will have all the latest things needed to insure that your child is well looked after. I know this might sound morbid but at the same time you’re anticipating a new life beginning, and this is important. If you die, you want to make sure that your dependents are covered. Term life is a good short-term solution for a new family. The question is, how much do you need? The payout should cover your mortgage and replace a loss of income. How much you will need depends on the conversation you and your financial advisor have when you discuss this section of your family’s financial security.

 

What goes up… keeps going up?

The other day I read an article that suggests that many Canadians would have a problem if the market value of houses were to drop.  We have been warned of this crisis to come, but we choose to ignore the reality of the situation.

It is true that a recent study suggests that the housing market is overpriced by as much as 30 % of its actual value.  The study is based on solid financial data regarding the valuation of houses.  But as we all know your house is always going to be worth what someone is willing to pay for the house.  As long as the banks make mortgage rates attractive with low lending rates the housing market will continue to flourish.  New starts will continue to happen and the market will be flooded with homes and potential buyers.

The issue is not with the banks or people who want to own a home.  Buying a home and creating equity within that purchase is solid financial planning.  The issue for me is that governing guidelines for home ownership are on the weak end of regulation with little or no protection for the buyer.  When my parents were looking for their dream home in 1970, you had to put a 25% downpayment on the house of your dreams. That seemed like a lot and at that time and it was.  The median price of a house in 1970 was $23,00, the minimum wage was $1.60 per hour.  As it turns out that 1970’s home, which only had 1,000 square feet of living space, would be considered a garage in today’s homes.  But 45 years ago it was home, the place you grew as a family.  Today that home could be worth anywhere from $440,00 -$750,000 (or more although I shudder to think that it could be) depending on where you live in Canada.  Jump forward 45 years and in today’s market you only need 5%  as a down payment to purchase a house, and the average minimum wage in Canada is $11.40.

As the article I read would suggest if you only put a 5% down payment on your dream home today.  You could have a negative equity valuation if the market valuation drops as previous data suggests is possible.  The CMHC requires mortgage default insurance be added to the mortgage principle if your down payment is less than 25%.  You, therefore, will be increasing the debt on your home, in simple math there is no longer 5% equity in your home you would now be left with 1.6% equity in your home on the first day of ownership.  This is why the economists believe that some new homeowners would be in trouble if there were a decline in house market valuations.  We have seen this before, 2008 the housing collapse in the United States or 1980’s when the highest interest rates in Canada caused many to walk away from their homes as they could no longer afford to pay the mortgage on their home or buy a home with mortgage rates of 15% -21%.

Does owning a home mean equity?  Yes!  It should create a positive equity position in your life.

To illustrate this use the numbers from before: hypothetical situation just using numbers that are presented here in the article for ease of understanding.

The original house was bought for $23,000 (1970) and sold for $440,000 (2015).  Yes, there is value in home ownership.  But the equity gain that happened in this illustration was over a 45 year period with completely different family values, employment, and wage opportunities.

So why do we believe that a house we buy today would be worth 10% -20% more in its value on a yearly basis?

Again simple math would mean at 10% our $440,000, 1,000 square foot home would double in value after 8 years.

Has our reality changed that much?

Will our earning potential be that much more in eight years?

Does this suggest that because you think your dream home is nice that someone else should pay you 25% – 50% more for the privilege of owning your home?

Well, the funny thing is that it happens more often than not in today’s society.  People who buy houses today have been able to make money on the resale of their investment.  It has become the norm in society that your house will pay you a big return when you sell.  Although some people have their biggest asset tied to a market that could correct itself at any time in the future.  Based on today’s regulations, if you met the minimum requirements and house valuations were to drop by 10%, you would have no equity invested in your home.  Your ability to sell and get your money back would be limited to how much someone else is willing to pay for your home.

So, believe it or not, we are on the brink of a major problem should interest rates rise and the housing market correct itself.  The ability to live on credit is real, but you still must plan for the future and make sure that you can afford your present lifestyle should a change occur.

Be smart about home ownership invest in what you can afford go back in time and know that a home is a place to grow our foundation.  It does not have to be a castle, but it can be your castle.