On behalf of the entire You First team, we wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. May this time of year bring you health, relaxation, and beautiful moments with your loved ones.
We all had to adapt to a new reality this year. We came together to face these difficult times both personally and professionally. We did everything in our power to maintain our service model and optimize your finances during a challenging market environment. We thank you for your patience, cooperation, and ongoing support.
With good news on the horizon thanks to a new vaccine, we are looking forward to 2021 being a year of renewal and opportunity.
In our final blog entry of 2020, we provide you with an “everything update”, a list of recent headlines in the areas of financial aid, investments, and taxation.
Please note that due to the holidays, our office will be closed on December 25 and January 1. Our team will have reduced service between December 21 and January 3, processing only urgent requests (contributions, withdrawals) during this time. We will be back to full service on Monday, January 4 to begin the new year together.
Anthony, Sandrine, Frank, & JoAnne
Financial Aid
Online application for the BC Recovery Benefit begins on December 18
Investments
From Myles Zyblock, setting the stage for 2021
Worried about investing near all time-highs? All-time highs are not unusual
BlackRock’s current positioning: Upgrade U.S. equities
Brexit: What you need to know about the UK leaving the EU
How does Gold fit in a portfolio?
The Canada Pension Plan Investment boards commits $200M to a renewal energy projects
Taxes
It’s official: CRA allows simplified home office deduction process (max $400 deduction):
Year-end tax tips
Pandemic spending has budget watchers once again fretting about capital gains tax hikes
Vancouver Property taxes will increase 5% next year
ICBC to drop rates by 15%
Retirement / Registered Accounts
The 2021 TFSA limit will remain $6,000
CPP premium increase to cover program enhancements will continue in 2021
Deferring CPP payments is the surest way to secure lifelong income (two articles on this topic)
Article 1
Article 2
COVID-19
Health care worker becomes first person to receive vaccine in B.C.
All Canadians who want a shot will be vaccinated by September 2021, public health agency says
Province confirms 1,215 British Columbians vaccinated so far
Canada expected to receive 168,000 doses of Moderna vaccine by month’s end, Trudeau says