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Time certainly goes by fast. One day you’re interviewing for your first job and the next thing you know you’re a few short years from applying for Social Security.

If you’ve planned for your retirement, you’ll likely have a good stash of funds saved.  But the unfortunate news is that according to the ​Insured Retirement Institute,​ 42 percent of baby boomers have nothing saved for retirement, and even those that have saved don’t have nearly enough to survive on.

For years it was assumed that tax planning was reserved for the wealthy. While wealthy individuals will see the most benefit from tax planning, with big changes looming for the 2018 tax year, even middle-income earners can reap the benefits of tax planning.  

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on a kid’s television network, you’ve seen just how inundated young kids are with commercials for everything from the latest gadget, to some dreadful snack that features something gooey and/or messy. It’s also safe to bet that many of these kids run to their parents, wanting to buy some or all of these items.

There are a variety of financial management tools and applications available today that can be used to help you manage your money. From software applications to phone apps, there’s no shortage of help available.

Unfortunately, those apps and software programs can only do what you set them up to do. And all the apps and software products in the world will make no difference in your financial situation if you don’t do the following:

As college tuition continues to rise to unprecedented levels, student loan debt continues to rise as well. Between 1980 and 2016, tuition at public universities jumped 344 percent, while private universities saw tuition rise 241 percent.

For many early 20-somethings that are freshly graduated and are now facing credit card and loan bills, the last thing on their mind is investments. Your new job can just about cover rent and groceries but the limitless pocket money of your youth is now a distant memory. Granted, saving for retirement may be a far fetched idea with the mountain of immediate payments piling up; however this does not mean that young Canadians should ditch investing entirely!

Started in 1996, 529 plans provide tax incentives for those saving for post-secondary education. The plan allows funds saved to be used at any eligible education institution, which typically includes colleges, universities, vocational schools or any post-secondary educational institute that is currently eligible to participate in U.S. Department of Education student aid programs. Operating much like at 401(k) or IRA, funds deposited into a 529 plan are not taxed, either by the federal government or the state in which the participant resides.

If you follow any financial publications, there’s no doubt that you’ve seen the words “Robo Advisor” splashed across the pages. It’s flashy, it’s buzzy, but what exactly is the deal with Robo Advisors?

It’s that time again - the end of a fiscal year and that means tax season is just around the corner. With each passing filing it seems as though young professionals are turning their backs on financial professionals such as accountants, investors, and advisors, and turning to the technological solutions. But the friendly neighborhood accountant shouldn’t hang up their calculator just yet - young people still need financial professionals.