http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/d_christianson Most recent (7 days) columns en-gb Sat, 25 May 2013 12:14:13 CDT In 2012, big changes were made to the Canada Pension Plan rules, with some additional evolutionary updates happening this year. It's time to review the rules to make sure your CPP plans and decisions are still optimal for you. The maximum benefit available in 2013 to a 65-year-old is $1,012 per... Fri, 24 May 2013 09:51:23 CDT "If you forget where you left your car keys, that's normal. If you forget what your keys are for, you had better pay attention." That may be the most useful paragraph I've ever read to help me understand the effect of aging and other factors on cognition and mental functions. This was in a Fri, 17 May 2013 08:04:03 CDT Last week, we talked about offshore bank and investment accounts, how some people attempt to use these to hide income from Canada Revenue, and how this practice is illegal. Today, we will look at something completely different -- diversifying investments outside Canada. For most people, this is Fri, 10 May 2013 08:08:34 CDT Twice in the last week I've heard radio reports on financial issues dealing with offshore accounts and "hiding" money from the tax man. As usual with financial matters on the radio, the summary was quite misleading, reminding me it's good to periodically review the rules to keep everyone on Fri, 3 May 2013 09:16:51 CDT MANY of the Canadians who file their tax returns by next Tuesday will be receiving refunds. Many have received them already. As a financial adviser, this always disturbs me slightly. Those people have provided an interest- free loan to the government since the money was either withheld from Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:18:05 CDT I'm truly sorry. I did not want to do this, but I fear I must. Since it is April 19, and somewhere between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of the Canadians who prepare their own tax returns will finally get to that task during the next two weekends, it is my sworn obligation as your trusty personal Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:18:14 CDT If you have children or other people living in the United States who might be beneficiaries of your estate, read on. I meet more and more Canadians who are in this position, whose children have moved to America and may inherit a large amount of money someday. We will also review the rules on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:29:21 CDT Although pundits described the March 21, 2013, federal budget as a "sleeper," there are actually a lot of measures aimed at people who do effective tax planning. If any of these items rings a bell with your situation, do a bit more investigation or talk to your professional advisers. These Fri, 5 Apr 2013 03:20:02 CDT Pop quiz -- are you aware of the recent changes to Canada's government retirement systems, and how those changes might affect you? In January 2012, a new set of rules became effective for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and these can change your best strategy for the timing of your application for Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:29:30 CDT Roberto -- not his real name -- passed away four weeks ago. His family is still trying to figure out who will get his access to Netflix account for free movies, how to get back the money left in his PayPal accounts, how to unlock his Facebook page so they can shut it down, and how to track down Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:05:05 CDT