Now being conducted at
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Burnaby, British Columbia
A Financial Education Class
Over 6 hours of instruction that can change the rest of your life!
If you are over 40, close to retirement or already retired, you cannot afford to miss this informative program.
Learn what you need to know about these retirement planning issues and more
- Determine if you are ready to retire early
- Integrate your finances with your goals and values
- Use new tax laws to your advantage
- Properly allocate your assets within your retirement plans
- Ask the right questions when evaluating insurance coverage
- Discover how to maximize your income without unnecessary financial risk
- Ensure your estate plan still functions properly under new laws

Class Options

Saturday Morning
BCIT
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Room # 214 Town Square D (SE2)
Saturday April 18th, 2020
9:00am to 1:30pm

2 Evening Classes
BCIT
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Student Association building
Room # 324 Student Council Chambers (SE2)
Wednesday April 15th & 22nd, 2020
6:00pm to 9:00pm

Saturday Morning
BCIT
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Room # 214 Town Square D (SE2)
Saturday February 29th, 2020
9:00am to 1:30pm
I wish I would have taken this course years ago. It was a real eye opener!! Not only do you get a lot of information in the materials provided, they also give tips on various tax and investment benefits I didn’t know about. The planning part can be arduous as you gather your expenditures but that in itself was well worth the effort – makes you realize where every cent you spend goes and so easy to change a few bad habits and save money! Why wouldn’t you want to have a plan way before retirement.
Best to attend a little while before retirement as there is lots of info on how to plan for it. However, as an already retired person, I did come away with useful information on how to manage our finances and end of life decisions.
I learned many interesting and valuable tips at this course and would recommend it to anyone, if you are close to retirement or just at the age where you should start planning.
Well presented with useful, practical information to take away and put into action. Highly recommended for any age. Lynn is knowledgeable and a skilled presenter.
I am planning to retire in the very near future and found this very informative and well presented. Valuable information was given regarding investment, taxation, estate planning etc. I highly recommend attending.
This seminar is a great way to update what we all need to know financially as Canadians and Ontarians in 2019! The information is well organized in the workbook, and (the instructor) makes it interesting with real life stories. Definitely time and money well spent!
My wife and I attended the seminar on Sep 25 and Oct 2, SNOW DAY. I will be retiring next year and I wanted to learn more and confirm the retirement plan I have in place. The course was very helpful. Good ideas and plans for retirement. Facilitator was very knowledgeable and friendly. Great course to take earlier in life rather than just before retirement . Having an early plan is the best. I recommend the course to all including family and friends.
It was a great presentation but I would like more on investing. How I can invest to retire soon.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our classes. The information given was invaluable and presented in a clear and professional way. We would recommitted this class to people of all ages, but especially those nearing retirement.
Best to attend a little while before retirement as there is lot of info on how to plan for it. However, as an already retired person, I did come away with useful information on how to manage our finances and end of life decisions.
Helpful information to start planning for future retirement.
Great seminar! Very informative and very easy to follow.
I attended the session at MUN on September 28. The presentation was well done, subject material relevantt, the venue was comfortable, and the snacks were great on an early Saturday morning. Well done!
I found the seminar to be very helpful towards my retirement. There was lots of information I didn’t know and some that helped me clarify stuff in other areas. I would recommend this course to anyone.
This seminar is highly recommended for anyone approaching retirement in 2, 5 or 10 years. Excellent instructors, foundational content clearly presented and easy to understand.
Still 10 years away from retirement, but the seminar was very useful to set us on the right track. Didn’t really know much about Saving for retirement prior to attending the seminar. Would recommend to anyone who wants to intelligently manage their money.
An ounce of prevention is worth a punt of cure and a whole lot of potential financial heartache. Excellent info to assist with planning 🙂
My husband and I attended a seminar recently. We found it to be a practical and enjoyable seminar, assisting us with financial planning in advance of his retirement. We recommend this to other.
I attended the seminar Sep 25 / Oct 2, 2018 and was so happy I did! The information was valuable, the material was well organized, the workbook is a take-home treasure and the instructor was engaging and entertaining. This course not only prompted me to change my action plan for our finances, but also to think differently about the whole life-shift of retirement. Ironically, this course would be even more valuable to those in their 30’s and 40’s because I realize now I’ve missed out on some great opportunities.
Great seminar for everyone regardless of age or knowledge level. Not only did we get the benefit of all the material covered in the classroom presentation, everyone was offered a one on one consultation at no extra charge at a later date. We definitely took advantage of this extra perk. Well worth the time for planning your retirement. Thanks!!
We found the seminars and the presenters very enlightening. We are at the point of transition to retirement and seeking information and suggestions. Left the seminar with a list of questions and things to research. This is what is needed. To plant seeds of inquiry.
I recommend this class not only to 40+ age group, younger generations could defiantly benefit from this. I found lots of great information that helped me plan for a better future 🙂
AGENDA
Retirement Planing issues to discuss with your financial professional
LIFE PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT
- Traditional vs. New retirement
- How to retire by design (with goals) not by default
- The Retirement Planning Process
INVESTMENT PLANNING
- Why you want a cash reserve
- Consideration before you invest
- What are debt investments: Stocks and GICs
- What are equity investments: Stocks and Dividends
- Types and benefits of mutual funds
- What is the appeal of segregated funds and their appeal
- What are Managed portfolios
- What are tax-deferred accounts
- Investment risks
RISK MANAGEMENT & HEALTH CARE
- Prepare for the unexpected
- Key questions to ask in assessing health care risk
- Disability insurance coverage
- Long term care and insurance
- Using life insurance to protect income
TAX PLANNING
- The four buckets approach to tax planning
- Using Registered Retired Retirement Funds (RRIFs)
- When to convert RRSPs to RRIFs
- How a “locked in” RRSP (LIRA) is set up
- Tax friendly ways to withdraw your retirement income
- Breaking down common investments and how each is taxed
INCOME PLANNING
- Determine how much money you’ll need
- Early retirement trends
- How long must your money last?
- Estimate your expenses. What’s essential? What’s not?
- Avoiding common mistakes
- Impact of inflation
- Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs)
- Strategies for Spousal Contributions
- Pension plan options
LEAVING A LEGACY
- The importance of Estate Planning
- Planning for incapacity
- Taxes must be paid
- To probate or not
- Trusts are just for the wealthy, true or false?
- Joint ownership of accounts
- Reducing taxes with gifts to charity
- The high cost of dying without a will
RETIREMENT ROAD BLOCKS AND MISTAKES
- 10 retirement planning mistakes
- Understanding the different types of risk
- Credit and debit in retirement
- How the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) works
- Start Canada Pension Plan too early or too late
OPTIONAL CONSULTATION AND ANALYSIS

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
KEY RETIREMENT PLANNING ISSUES
LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
NO SOLICITATION
PERSONAL CONSULTATION AND ANALYSIS
ENROLLMENT FEE
Qualified Instructor

Chad Ekren
Speaker and Financial Educator
Chad Ekren is a veteran financial educator who has provided Financial Strategies for Successful Retirement workshops to the general public starting in 1995. He has also educated employees of many organizations including school boards, engineering firms, hospital unions, and local city and municipalities.
In addition, Chad co-hosted the Managing your Wealth radio show on 600AM.
I’ve benefited from the first day I met you, financially, and I’m grateful for that, for the experience, and I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me financially. You’ve given me security, you’ve given my wife Muriel security. That’s important in my life, very important.
— Dal Richards, 1918 – 2015
Enroll Early! Seating is Limited.
Still have questions?
Please note: Our education classes are not affiliated with the British Columbia Institute of Technology.