By Kevin Wark

Most insurance advisors are familiar with the benefits of corporate-owned life insurance. To start, it may be "cheaper" to fund the premiums with after-tax corporate dollars rather than using personal funds.

Despite a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and renewed lockdowns in many regions, markets trended upward during the fourth quarter of 2020, boosted by growing clarity around the outcome of the U.S. presidential election and significant COVID-19 vaccine progress.

FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS
• S&P/TSX Composite hits 9-month high of 17,684.1 on December 17th
• S&P 500 hits record high of 3,760.2 on December 31st
• Canadian dollar hits 32-month high of $0.7880 USD on December 17th
• WTI Oil hits 10-month high on December 18th closing at $49.24 USD
• Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate at 0.25% in Q4

Check out this great read from our partners at Belliveau Veinotte on how the CERS is open to property owners and not just tenants.

The idea that retirement is a continuous vacation is a myth. It takes planning to spend time with purpose. Make no mistake it is important to relax, travel while you can, and enjoy every day - but that shouldn't be a retirement thing, it should be an everyday state of mind. Too many folks think life starts at retirement but get there to find disappointment realizing that life is best lived with purpose, which takes effort.

 Recovering from the pandemic-related downdraft of the first quarter, financial markets enjoyed a period of relative calm and optimism through of the summer of 2020. Equity prices in many markets continued to improve, with some sectors moving sharply higher as lockdown restrictions eased and economic activity gradually resumed ...

What does everyone know about group health & dental plans? That's easy: The cost goes up every year, and selecting a specific plan design for the increasingly diverse needs of ​staff can be a challenge. 

While the first quarter of 2020 was dominated by anxiety surrounding the initial outbreak of COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdowns and capital market declines, the second quarter demonstrated a remarkable bounce back in those markets – even with a resurgence of the virus in the U.S. and renewed lockdown measures.