Canada’s “Idiot Millionaire”, Derek Foster, is coming to Saskatchewan!

Derek writes about SPP in “The Worried Boomer”

At age 34 Derek Foster left the workplace and has become Canada’s youngest retiree. Investing in simple stocks he has become know as an “idiot” millionaire. In is book “The Worried Boomer” Derek dedicated an entire chapter about Saskatchewan Pension Plan.

Join Derek, the Idiot Millionaire, at one of the following events to learn about his simple investment approach and how it can be a part of your journey into retirement.

Regina: August 13 – 11:30 am

Hosted by: Regina Chamber of Commerce
Lunch at Conexus Arts Centre Theatre lobby
200A Lakeshore Drive

Register: online at reginachamber.com or 1-306-757-4658
Costs:
Members: $35 pre-registered/Door: $40
Non-members: $50 pre-registered/Door: $55

Saskatoon: August 17 – 7:30 am

Hosted by: North Sask Business Assoc & Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at Saskatoon Club
417 21st St E

Register: by email in**@ns******.com or 1-306-242-3060 register by 10 am August 16
Costs: All attendees $18

Bestselling Books:

• Stop Working
• The Lazy Investor
• Money For Nothing
• The Idiot Millionaire
• Stop Working Too: You Still Can

Each attendee will receive a $10.00 coupon towards the purchase of one of Derek’s book available at the event.

Jonathan Chevreau podcast

Hi, my name is Sheryl Smolkin. I’m a lawyer and a journalist. Today I’m pleased to be continuing the Saskatchewan Pension Plan’s series of financial expert interviews with Jonathan Chevreau.

Jonathan was the personal finance columnist for the Financial Post from 1996-1998 and then for the National Post since its launch in 1998 until this year. He has recently been named Editor of MoneySense magazine.

Although he has authored or co-authored seven non-fictional financial books, his most recent work is “a novel about one couple’s turbulent journey to financial independence” called “Findependence Day.” And that’s what we are going to talk about today.

Welcome Jonathan.

Q. Is the expression “Findependence Day” a Chevreau original or has it been used before by others?

A. I would say it is a Chevreau original although at one point there was an unrelated film called Findependence Day. I just looked at the American Independence Day, played around with financial independence and came up with “Findependence Day.” The title came first, and then I thought I should write a book to go with it.

Q. You are known as a financial writer who writes serious articles and books about complex financial matters. What made you decide to write a novel?

A. I think like a lot of journalists there was always a secret closet novelist lurking because it seems like a more creative, long-term project than bashing out daily columns. Then there is always the example of David Chilton’s The Wealthy Barber.

Q. Although Findependence Day is clearly fiction, some of your characters and concepts seemed very familiar to me, so I have to ask you:

• Is Didi Quinlan of the television program Debt March based on Gail Vaz- Oxlade’s show ‘Til debt do us part?

Well like most fictional characters it’s a composite, I would say she’s was certainly one of three or four people, keeping in mind the book was also written for the US market. We have a lot of financial reality TV shows now. When I talk to American journalists they’re convinced I am talking about Suze Orman. But I would say that Gail is probably the single closest model.

• Were you thinking of Stewart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe when you created “The Vinyl Cave?”

Actually, that was based on Kate Dunn’s Vinyl Museum around the turn of the century. Then Peter Dunn had two Vinyl Museum stores in Toronto – one was close to where I lived on the Lakeshore.

• Did you draw on Finance Professor Moishe Milevsky’s characterization of people as either “stocks” or bonds” as discussed by the financial advisor Theo in the book?

I think I actually did credit Moshie’s book in the fine print or in “Theo’s library”at the end of the book.

Q.  In the opening chapter, television host Didi Quinlan tells the young couple Jamie and Sheena Morelli that she is going to drill two words into their skulls: guerilla frugality. Is this phrase also a Chevreau original and what does it mean?

A. Yes it is original. I came up with that expression in a column long before I wrote the book. To me it’s like guerrilla warfare. In order to save and invest you have to first get out of debt, and then you have to continue to be frugal in order to build wealth. What I mean by the term is “guerrilla warfare on the economic consumption front.”

Q. Another thing Theo, the financial planner in the book advocates is developing different streams of income on the road to financial independence. Does that mean moonlighting or working at more than one job? Is that practical for hard-working, busy parents?

A. Ideally you can always give yourself a raise. You can get a raise from your boss or change jobs and earn a higher amount. You can aIso take on extra work to earn another $10,000 or more on nights and weekends but this may be stressful and perhaps not the optimum approach if you have a young family.

Ultimately as you know anybody who is a retiree probably does have multiple streams of income – two or three pensions, government benefits and private savings in a RRIF. But when we’re in the wealth accumulation phase, if both partners are employed we tend to be dependent on one or two different sources of income.

You have to go from one or two salaries to these multiple sources of income when you become financially independent and ultimately when you are in full stop retirement.

Q. If you could identify one or two key messages in the book for people striving to achieve financial independence, what would they be?

A. If your goal is financial independence or findependence, the means is guerilla frugality. The two go together. So be frugal first to get rid of your debt and second to build wealth. These are the key takeaways in order to achieve what I call Findependence day.

Q.Have you reached your Findependence day, and if not what is the magic number?

A. I used to put anywhere from 57-64 on my blog, the Wealthy Boomer. Right now I’ve joined MoneySense magazine at 59 years old. I guess my partner and I have achieved financial independence of sorts, but we want to achieve a higher level. I am at the stage of working now because I want to, not because I have to. And as you know everything gets better the longer you wait.

I enjoy what I do and I don’t find there’s a big distinction between what I do evenings and weekends and what I do during the day. I’m up reading all this stuff on twitter and social media and I might as well get paid for it as long as I enjoy it and I’m healthy. The thing is, at some point, I may not have a willing client, or a willing employer even if I want to work to 70 or 75. At some point we all must have financial independence because our body or our minds won’t permit us to earn the single employment stream that most people rely on.

Thanks Jonathan. It was a pleasure to talk to you today. I read your book cover to cover and learned a great deal. I actually joined the SPP to get “another stream of income” although I have an employer-sponsored pension plan. If they haven’t already done so, I’m sure many SPP members will be interested in ordering the book from your website.

It was a pleasure Sheryl. There’s actually a question and answer about the Saskatchewan Pension Plan in the June issue of MoneySense.

Canada’s “Idiot Millionaire”, Derek Foster, is coming to Saskatchewan!

Join Derek, the Idiot Millionaire, at one of the following events to learn about his simple investment approach and how it can be a part of your journey into retirement.

Regina: August 13 – 11:30 am

Hosted by: Regina Chamber of Commerce
Lunch at Conexus Arts Centre Theatre lobby
200A Lakeshore Drive

Register: online at reginachamber.com or 1-306-757-4658
Costs:
Members: $35 pre-registered/Door: $40
Non-members: $50 pre-registered/Door: $55

Saskatoon: August 17 – 7:30 am

Hosted by: North Sask Business Assoc & Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at Saskatoon Club
417 21st St E

Register: by email in**@ns******.com or 1-306-242-3060 register by 10 am August 16
Costs: All attendees $18

Bestselling Books:

• Stop Working
• The Lazy Investor
• Money For Nothing
• The Idiot Millionaire
• Stop Working Too: You Still Can

Each attendee will receive a $10.00 coupon towards the purchase of one of Derek’s book available at the event.

Small business owners can increase recruitment and retention success in a competitive labour market by strengthening their employee benefits package. Saskatchewan Pension Plan (SPP) is a smart, simple way to offer pension benefits to employees (full-time, part-time, casual or temporary).

Furthermore, there are tax advantages for employers who make contributions on behalf of employees. Having a pension plan shows you are committed to helping employees save money for retirement. As a true pension plan, money invested in SPP remains locked-in until retirement.

Here are some FAQ about adopting the SPP as your company’s retirement savings vehicle.

Q. How much will it cost me if I add the SPP to my employee benefits program?

A. SPP offers all the benefits of an employer-sponsored pension plan – but you bear no cost for plan administration.

Contributions can be made:

(a) By the employer as an employee benefit;

(b) By the employee through a payroll deduction;

(c) Or cost-shared by the employer and employee.

There are no sales commissions when members contribute or retire and there is no cost to set up your business plan.

Q. I’m very busy. Is SPP complicated to administer?

A. Administration is simple. SPP assists with the initial paperwork and implementation of the Plan. Employers can then receive monthly, quarterly or year-end reports that serve as the reminder for their next contribution. All employees between the ages of 18 and 71 may participate in the Plan, including full-time, part-time, casual and temporary staff.

After the intial set up SPP handles the distribution of receipts and statements to the employees.  The employer has no liability for the investment decisions or future pension obligation to their employees.  Investment instructions are provided by the employees and SPP directs and monitors the investment managers.

Q. Do I have to contribute every month?

A. You can tailor the plan to your company’s size and budget. Contributions to the Plan can be made monthly or any time of year. There is no minimum contribution, and no obligation to contribute every year. The maximum is $2,500 per year.

Q. Do all my employees have to participate?

A. Unlike plans that require a minimum enrolment before the benefits can be offered, SPP has no minimum. Even if only one employee is interested, you can start an SPP Business Plan – and you can just as easily add members to the Plan at any time.

Q. How is SPP treated for tax purposes?

A. SPP allows your business to put pre-tax dollars into investments for your employees. The employer contributions are deductible as a salary expense and employees may deduct the total contribution within RRSP limits.

Q. What happens if an employee leaves my company?

A. Should an employee leave your company for any reason, they simply take their SPP Plan with them, without any additional paperwork or sign-off for the employer. As Plan members, they can contribute to the Plan regardless of where they live or who employs them.

Q. Is there a waiting period until my employees can participate?

A. Many other pension plans require that an employee work at a company for a certain length of time before they are eligible to contribute. With SPP there is no waiting period; employees may begin participating at the employer’s discretion. Contributions belong to the employee as soon as they are invested.

Q. How do I tell my employees about SPP?

A. SPP will help employers with this.  Please contact SPP and arrange for someone to speak to your employees.  There are tools available on our website, including a wealth calculator, as well as opportunities to learn more about SPP on our blog (savewithspp.com), Facebook and LinkedIn.

Q. What do I have to do to get started?

A. Each employee will need to fill out a membership application, which is available online, and provide a copy of a proof of age document such as a passport or driver’s license.

Employees are then listed on the “Employer contribution statement” which is also available online.  Mail all the paperwork into SPP and we will set up the accounts for each of your employees and an employer number for you.

Contributions for your employees can be submitted by cheque, automatic payment or credit card.  Contribution amounts are flexible and voluntary and employers are free to use SPP as an incentive or bonus.

For example,  the employer may decide to match an employee $500 per year or may choose to offer SPP as a place for employees to deposit any bonus money. SPP is flexible and can be customized to fit your business!

Derek Foster retired at the age of 34 despite spending his 20s backpacking across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand – and living a number of years in Asia.  He has written six books including “The Idiot Millionaire” and most recently, “The Worried Boomer.”

On February 13, 2012 he was interviewed by Patricia Lovett-Reid Senior Vice President with TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. for Business News Network. When asked for one tip that is not out there in mainstream personal finance, here’s what he said:

“Join a pension plan. Why doesn’t everybody join a pension plan? There is a pension plan available called the SPP run out of Saskatchewan and anybody in Canada can join it. It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. Have a few eggs in that basket here, a few over here, a few over there….

…The reality is that a lot of people don’t belong to a pension plan and they are going to have to create some sort of income stream in retirement. There’s talk of OAS changing, who knows what will happen to CPP? The SPP is another stream of income. If you put all these baskets together, eventually you have enough to live fairly comfortably.”

Shouldn’t YOU join SPP?

BNN interview

You Tube video: Meet Derek Foster

This man admits he’s an idiot millionaire

By Sheryl Smolkin

In the first two months of every year, oceans of words are written trying to help people understand why retirement savings is important and how best to grow their money.

However, a recent TD Poll reveals Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents still have a variety of misconceptions about their retirement finances, from when they should start saving to the amount they will need.

Here are four retirement savings myths that continue to proliferate in spite of ongoing efforts by financial institutions, governments and the media to enhance the financial literacy of Canadians.

Myth 1: You should focus on eliminating debt before saving for your retirement.

The majority of survey participants (63%) in Manitoba and Saskatchewan think they should focus on eliminating debt before saving for retirement, and 59% feel they should never retire with any debt.

If you have a mortgage, you have debt. With most mortgages amortized over 25 years, if you wait to start saving until your mortgage is paid off, you will never accumulate enough to retire. It’s important to pay down as much debt as possible before retiring, but it’s also essential to strike a balance between reducing debt and saving for retirement.

Myth 2: In an economic downturn it’s safer to sell your investments and only put your money in guaranteed investments.

Those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the least likely to believe that putting money only in guaranteed investments is the safest strategy durng an economic downturn (32% vs. 42% nationally).

Consumer prices rose 2.3% in the 12 months to December 2011, following a 2.9% increase in November. GICs may be safe, but at best they are currently earning about 1.5 per cent – much less than inflation.

An advisor can help you determine the right asset allocation for your portfolio, which will optimize potential returns without exposure to inappropriate levels of risk.

Once you have a plan, stick with it. Trying to time the market doesn’t work, even for the experts. If you sell everything and move to fixed income investments when markets are down, you will not participate in the gains when the inevitable recovery occurs.

Myth 3: The older you get, the less money you spend/need for day-to-day expenses.

With more than half of Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents believing this to be true, they are the most likely in the country to feel that your expenses will decrease as you age (55% vs. 46% nationally).

But if you plan to travel, continue membership in pricey clubs and eat in expensive restaurants, your cost of living in retirement could be more rather than less.

Also, don’t forget to take into account everyday expenses such as dental and health care, or unforeseen expenses such as accidents or home repair.

Work with an advisor to estimate what your expenses will be in retirement, and to ensure that you are saving enough now to pay for these future expenses when you no longer have a pay cheque.

Myth 4: You don’t need to have money in the stock market to grow your retirement nest egg.

Sixty-four percent of people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan do not believe that investing in the stock market is required to establish a financially-secure retirement.

When it comes to retirement savings, it’s important to establish a good balance and have a variety of investments and savings products, including equities, bonds, and savings vehicles such as SPP, RRSPs or TFSAs.

Your portfolio should also contain a mix of conservative and more aggressive investments, depending on the number of years you have until retirement and your comfort level, which will help you maximize your retirement savings.

Saving money is as easy or as hard as you make it. As fellow moneyville blogger Krystal Yee recently wrote in RRSP baby steps: The $12.50 solution, you don’t have to start by saving hundreds of dollars from every pay cheque. Find a number that works for you – even if it’s only $25 bi-weekly – and have it automatically deducted from your bank account as soon as you get paid.

Also read:

How worried should you be about retirement?

Do you really need an RRSP?

Sheryl Smolkin is a Toronto lawyer, writer and editor. She can be contacted through her website or you can follow her on Twitter @SherylSmolkin.

If you are like most of us, maximizing contributions to the Saskatchewan Pension Plan and other retirement savings plans is at the top of your “to do” list every February.

Because 2012 is a leap year, you have until Wednesday February 29^th to increase your 2011 SPP contributions to the annual maximum of $2,500.  SPP must receive your contribution on or before the deadline.

If you want to make sure you get your money to us in time, consider contributing:

• In person or by telebanking at your financial institution.
• By phone using your credit card; or
• Online from the SPP website.

And don’t forget that throughout the year you can also make monthly contributions by pre-authorized chequing from your bank account or contribute by mail.

If you make regular monthly contributions, you’ll hardly notice it, and at this time next year you will already have “contribute to SPP” crossed off your “To Do” list

By Sheryl Smolkin

We all know we ought to maximize Saskatchewan Pension Plan and other retirement savings plan contributions so we can retire comfortably sooner rather than later.

But the fact that your SPP contribution is deducted directly from your income for tax purposes and lowers the total income taxes you pay not only makes saving easier – it makes you feel like you’re getting a break!

You must have available RRSP room to make an SPP contribution. SPP contributions should be reported on Schedule 7 of your income tax form and claimed on line 208. Both your application and your contribution must be received by SPP before a tax receipt will be issued. SPP contributions will also be taken into account in determining RRSP over-contributions.

Spousal contributions are also permitted and if you have available RRSP room, you may contribute and receive a tax deduction for both your personal account and your spouse’s account.

Reduce taxes at source

Although you may look forward to getting money back after you file your income tax return in April, let’s face it — where possible, the best strategy is to avoid paying unnecessary taxes in the first place.

If you contribute to SPP by payroll deductions your employer can reduce the income tax you pay at source. But if you make regular monthly contributions which have not been automatically deducted by your employer, a letter of authority from a tax services officer must be provided in order to reduce income taxes deducted.

To get this letter you have to complete a Form T1213 Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source and provide documentation showing you are making regular SPP contributions to support the request for a tax deduction at source. It may take four to eight weeks for the Canada Revenue Agency to process the request.

Tax treatment of benefits

When your spouse has been named as beneficiary, death benefits from your account can be transferred directly to his/her SPP account or to an RRSP, RRIF, or guaranteed life annuity. Tax-deferred transfer options are also available if the beneficiary is a financially dependent child or grandchild.

All annuity payments from SPP are taxable in the year received and are eligible for the $2,000 pension income credit and for pension income splitting. Each year you will receive a T4A for the benefits that you have received in that year. Withholding tax is determined using a schedule prescribed by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Your SPP account is also tax sheltered. You may continue contributing to your account until the end of the year in which you celebrate your 71st birthday or until you begin receiving a pension from SPP, whichever is earlier. You can continue contributing to the Plan if you are receiving SPP survivor’s benefits.

Key SPP tax benefits

• Personal tax deduction available.
• Spousal tax deduction available.
• Contributions and earnings are sheltered from tax until received as income.
• SPP annuity income is eligible for the pension income credit and for pension income splitting.

  

Also read:

RRSPs and related plans

RRSP myths are just that

Why you should never borrow for RRSPs

Deductions at tax time make RRSPs popular

Sheryl Smolkin is a Toronto lawyer, writer and editor. She blogs for the Toronto star on moneyville.ca and can be contacted through her website. You can also follow her on Twitter @SherylSmolkin.

By Sheryl Smolkin

High School English teacher Andrew Hallam started investing when he was 19. In an excerpt from his book Millionaire Teacher published on moneyville.ca, Hallam talks about the benefits of starting to save early and the power of compound interest:

“…Buried in the dull pages of most school math books is something that’s actually useful: the magical premise of compound interest.

Warren Buffett applied it to become a billionaire. More importantly, so can you and I’ll show you how.

Starting early is the greatest gift you can give yourself. If you start early and if you invest efficiently (in a manner that I’ll explain in this book) you can build a fortune over time, while spending just 60 minutes a year monitoring your investments.”

Read more

Saving money can be challenging.  It is not always easy to be disciplined enough to regularly put money aside for retirement. And even when you are committed to making regular contributions, there are times when life gets in the way and other expenses must take first priority.

That’s why we try to make contributing as easy as possible for SPP members. In the FAQs below we explain more about our flexible contribution options.

Q.1 How do I make my contribution?

A. Contributions can be made in a number of ways:

• Directly from your bank account on the 1st or 15th of the month by joining the pre-authorized contribution program.
• By mail or at your financial institution using a contribution form.
• Online or by telephone through your bank.
• Authorizing payments from your VISA or MasterCard on a pre-arranged schedule.
• Contributing online, by telephone or in person using VISA or MasterCard.

Q.2 Do I have to contribute the same amount each year?

A. SPP is designed to be very flexible and to accommodate your individual financial circumstances. There is no minimum contribution. Even contributing $10 per month will build your SPP account and provide you with additional pension at retirement. The maximum contribution was changed to $2,500 effective December 7.

Q.3  Can I transfer money into SPP?

 A. SPP accepts transfers, up to $10,000 per calendar year from RRSPs, RRIFs and unlocked pension plans.

Q.4  Are my SPP contributions tax deductible?

A.   SPP contributions are subject to the same rules as RRSP contributions.    Your SPP contribution is tax deductible by you or your spouse, if he or she contributed for you. The person claiming the deduction must have unused contribution room for RRSP purposes.

Q.5 Can my creditors access my SPP contributions for outstanding debt?

A. Your money is protected from claim or seizure except in the event of an order under a marital division or an Enforcement of Maintenance Order.

Q.6 Can I take my contributions plus investment earnings out of SPP?

A. SPP is a locked-in pension plan which means your account must stay with the Plan until you are at least 55 years old. In the event of your death, the money in your account will be paid to your beneficiary.

Within six months of joining SPP, you can withdraw your contributions if you decide that you do not wish to participate in the Plan. After six months, the funds are locked in.