Hello Carrick on Money readers. My name is Vikas and I’m here as The Globe’s retirement and financial planning reporter while Rob enjoys some well-earned vacation.
Given your attention, I want to take this chance and introduce my beat.
Planning for retirement can be a daunting process: too much technical terminology and not enough context about real life issues. Perhaps it feels distant or that you won’t ever be able to afford retirement.
My goal is to change that. No matter where you are on your financial journey – whether just beginning, midlife adjustment, or wondering what retirement will look like – I want to meet you where you are and address both numbers and lifestyle changes that accompany retirement.
My initial months on the beat have allowed me to cover stories ranging from young Canadians taking “mini-retirements” and retirees navigating reverse mortgages to how Millennials navigate their workplace environments. Here are a few of my favourite stories so far.
Young Canadians are taking mini-retirements for travel and hobbies – no matter the cost. Some 20- and 30-somethings are ditching work even though this means having to live more simply right now – because living is worth living!
Data indicates an increasing trend of retirees turning to reverse mortgages as a method to pay down debt and repay mortgage loans.
Swedish Death Cleaning demonstrates how decluttering before death can reduce stress for loved ones as they age, while creating stronger family ties.
Children who outpace their parents into retirement often struggle with feelings of guilt that accompany this milestone achievement. Although they worked hard at reaching it early, unexpected emotions now threaten their happiness with early retirement.
Trade wars pose a huge risk to new retirees just starting off their savings plan, adding further uncertainty into an already volatile landscape.
My goal for this beat is to reflect your needs as an informed reader: what financial or lifestyle challenges are preventing you from planning for retirement effectively or whether some topics should be included more prominently than they currently are covered?
Vikas provides her personal finance reading list
Are You Shopping Canadian Online? There Is an App For That!
People might notice more people spending longer browsing grocery aisles these days and scanning labels for that maple leaf symbol. An app may help with that task – here’s one list of reliable apps you could check out; or consult The Globe’s guide.
An expert reacts to financial influencers
Many content creators like to tout money hacks they claim you need to know, but have you ever questioned if these methods really work? Ramit Sethi from Netflix’s “How to Get Rich” offers his insight.
Aging at Different Paces
Even among couples of equal ages, one partner could biologically be much older. That difference has major ramifications for caregiving duties, finances and future prospects of their relationship.
Are workplace wellness programs helping?
One British study provides an emphatic answer: no. A researcher examined over 200 companies offering in-office well-being programs like mindfulness seminars or lunchtime yoga and found no difference in outcomes for participants or nonparticipants.
