Seminar for parents on RDSPs and Henson trusts

I received this note on LinkedIn, and it looks like a fantastic opportunity for the parents of a disabled child (of any age) in Ontario to get some great information. Here is the note I received:

"Presentation next week on RDSPs & Henson Trusts. February 6th at 6pm at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. RSVP or more info 905-896-8373. Know a parent with a disabled child? Forward this information to them. They will learn about all the government funding available and how to put their minds at ease to support their children."

The note was posted by Jennifer Black, Wealth Manager at Dedicated Financial Solutions. I don't know Ms. Black so I can't vouch for her personally, but if she works within the financial industry she should be a great source of information about these topics. I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone who attends this seminar.

For those who may not know, a Henson Trust is a specialized trust set up in the wills of parents with a disabled child. The purpose of the trust is to ensure that the disabled child does not lose provincial support benefits because of the inheritance.

Business succession planning workshop - FREE!

Business owners in Alberta, check out this free seminar coming up on April 26. There are some top-notch people presenting at this event, so it will definitely be worthwhile. If you're one of the many business owners out there who know you need a succession plan but are not sure where to start, start here. The notice below includes a phone number and email address you can use to reserve a seat. 

Business Succession Planning, Before During & After

If you are a small family business owner you must attend this workshop at the Derrick Golf and Winter Club April 26th 2012 7.30 am to 10.00 am.

The decision to exit a business is a serious step in the evolution of every business owners life.

Business owners need to be aware of all aspects in order to achieve the desired outcomes.

This presentation will discuss all you need to know. 

Topics covered include:

• What you need to do before selling - presented by Gene Eberly of TD Waterhouse 
• Business valuation, Sales process & Negotiation techniques - presented by Stuart Neal of Ambergate Group Inc.
• How to incorporate sales proceeds into life goals - presented by Sarkis Hakopdjanian of TD Waterhouse 
• Free of Charge

Space is limited.

Please telephone or email Sarkis at TD Waterhouse to confirm your attendance: (780) 448-8222 sarkis.hakopdjanian@td.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

A joint presentation hosted by TD Waterhouse and Ambergate Group Inc.

 

Aging, Culture and the Brain - free seminar and webcast

I've received the following news bulletin from National Initiative for Care of the Elderly. Looks like a fantastic seminar.

AGING, CULTURE AND THE BRAIN - lunchtime seminar at the ILCA
the University of Toronto's Institute for Life Course and Aging is pleased to present
AGING, CULTURE AND THE BRAIN
Mark Lachmann, MD, MHSc (bioethics), FCFP, FRCP(C)
Fellow in Geriatric Psychiatry,
University of Toronto & Mount Sinai Hospital
Thursday, November 3, 2011
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
An overview of how to approach advances in thinking about culture and neuroscience when working with elders and their families.
§
Mark is a fellow in geriatric psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital with the University of Toronto. He is currently presenting a seminar series, "Culture, aging, and the brain", with clinical work focusing on cross-cultural dementia and mental health care. He completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Toronto in June 2011. Prior to psychiatry he worked as a family physician for nine years in the Canadian North, the last two years of these as Chief of Staff at Baffin Regional Hospital in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Other training includes a Master's degree in bioethics from U of T, and a Care of the Elderly Fellowship year at Queen's University. Particular interests include polypharmacy, delirium, and the role of institutions in shaping behaviour.
Seminars are free, held at the Institute, 263 McCaul St., 4th Floor Classroom
Please RSVP to Nina Carlton 416 978-0377 as seating is limited
This seminar will be webcast and can be accessed at:
http://hosting2.epresence.tv/AGING
Nina Carlton
Institute for Life Course & Aging
University of Toronto
263 McCaul St., Room 328
Toronto, ON M5T 1W7
tel.: 416.978.0377
fax: 416.978.4771

National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE) Initiative nationale pour le soin des personnes âgées (INSPA)
263 College St., Room 328
Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W7 Canada
Phone: 416-978-0545 Fax: 416-978-4771
http://www.nicenet.ca/

Changes to Alberta's Wills Act and to CPP for 2012 - seminar

Tomorrow night (October 19) I'm co-presenting a seminar to the clients of Scotia McLeod. If you are one of these clients, or would like to talk to someone about becoming one, this seminar might be of interest to you.

I'll be presenting on the basics of estate planning, with emphasis on the changes to Alberta's Wills and Succession Act, which comes into effect on January 1, 2012. Our focus will be on helping customers decide whether their wills need to be reviewed or updated because of these changes.

My fellow presenter for the evening will be Kevin Nitchke. He is a chartered accountant, and Manager of Taxation Service for the firm of Meyers Norris Penny. Kevin is going to speak about changes to Canada Pension Plan that will come into effect in 2012.

The evening will be hosted by Ted Fox, the Director of Wealth Management and Senior Wealth Advisor for Scotia McLeod, and David Martindale, Senior Wealth Advisor for Scotia McLeod. Between these two fellows and Kevin, there's a heck of a lot of financial knowledge in one place! If you currently work with someone at Scotia McLeod, or would like to, come on out and take advantage of this opportunity to talk to this group.

The event goes from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Royal Glenora Club, 11160 River Valley Road, Edmonton. There will be refreshments served.

An RSVP is required, though there is no cost to attend. Call Deana at 780-497-3223 or contact her at deana_gosselin@scotiamcloud.com.

Free webinars on wills, estates, business succession and elder law

We're approaching 150,000 hits on this blog, and I've put some thought into what I'd like to do to celebrate that, and say thanks to the readers. I'm considering offering some webinars - free to you of course - on specific subjects that are consistently popular with the readers of this page. Each webinar (online seminar) would be 45 minutes in length, and would involve you phoning a toll-free number to participate in a conference call, with an optional visual component on your computer.

The information you'll hear on the webinar will be applicable across Canada. I'll host the calls live.

This is going to take some organizing on my part, so I'd like to gather a bit of information before going ahead. Obviously I'd like to know most of all whether this idea is of interest to a sufficient number of you. I've put up two polls on the right hand side of the page. One asks about topics you'd like to hear about. The other asks you to name the most convenient time of day. Please feel free to check those, or to leave a comment below in the usual way. Suggestions are always welcome.

Successful business owners' estate planning seminar

Last night I presented a seminar in Edmonton to a group of customers invited  by our Ottewell and Wagner Road branches. All of the customers are owners of their own businesses. What a fun time we had! There were plenty of questions and lots of laughs too. Nobody thinks that estate planning seminars can be fun, but this group proved otherwise.

Thanks go to Morgan Ree of Roynat for giving us some great examples of creative financing for business owners. And I'd particularly like to thank the folks who had read my book called Succession Planning Kit for Canadian Business and told the group how much they liked it. Feels great to get positive feedback from readers.

Upcoming event - estate and business succession planning seminar

On Wednesday, April 27, I'll be speaking to a group of Scotiabank customers about estate planning and business succession planning. Also speaking at the seminar will be a representative of Roynat, who will talk about options for financing in business succession planning. Refreshments and mingling start at 6:00. Presentation starts at 6:30 and goes to 8:15. It's being held at the Ottewell Scotiabank branch at 6304 - 90 Avenue, Edmonton. Care to join us? Call the branch manager, Eman Oliver, at 780-448-7861 to reserve a seat (there is no charge to attend).

Estate planning evening with Avideh Musgrave and Jim Yih

Anyone in the Edmonton area who would like to attend an estate-planning evening with lawyer Avideh Musgrave and and financial expert Jim Yih on April 7, check out this link for more info. I'm not associated with the event, but I know Avideh to be a top notch wills and estates lawyer so I'm confident in recommending her to you.

You're always welcome at my seminars - just let me know you're interested

I recently had an enquiry from a local lawyer who wants to bring someone to hear my client seminar being held tomorrow. I believe she heard of it by seeing it on this blog on my list of upcoming events. Some of the seminars I do are private for a specific group of people, but many others are not. If you want to come to a client seminar and you bank at Scotiabank anywhere (or want to!) then email me to let me know. Also, contact me if you want to attend an event that's not called  "client seminar" or "skillbuild" because they are usually open to the public. Or simply ask me if there's anything coming up in your area. I'm always happy to meet readers in person.

What happens if a beneficiary acts as a witness?

During my seminar on Saturday, the attendees and I had a great discussion about the logistics of wills. Whether wills lawyers like it or not, plenty of people out there are making their own wills, and they want to know how to do it without making mistakes. I frequently get questions about witnessing, and this seminar was no exception.

The general rule for witnessing is that a witness should not be anyone who benefits under the will either directly or indirectly.

A person who is named in the will as a beneficiary should not act as a witness. Neither should the beneficiary's spouse (married or common law) be a witness. If they do act as a witness, the will itself is still valid, but the gift that would have gone to the beneficiary is invalid. In other words, the beneficiary isn't going to get what the will says he or she will get.

This will make things more complicated. The gift that would otherwise have gone to the beneficiary will be divided up according to local intestacy rules.

If you are making a will at home and you don't have witnesses, try asking a neighbour to come in and be a witness. The neighbour doesn't have to read the document; they just have to know that you're making a will. And don't forget to get the affidavit of witness to will done right away, before you lose track of the witness.

Successful road trip completed

I've put close to 1,000 km on my car this week, doing seminars from Drumheller to Athabasca. I'm so glad to meet so many people with an interest in learning about how to protect themselves, their families and their estates.

I notice a huge increase in the number of people who are looking for creative solutions that go beyond simply naming their kids as their representatives. I believe that all of the recent news about elder financial abuse is being heard and is being taken on board by a lot of people. It's no longer strange or embarrassing or even noteworthy for someone to appoint someone other than their children to look after them, or to build in checks and balances. As a society, we have learned the hard way, but it's good that the lesson is causing more and more people to take greater care.

I also notice a lot of questions about costs. Don't be afraid to ask about the cost of making wills before you make an appointment. Nobody minds! In fact I met a lawyer not long ago who posts a "menu" of her services and fees on the front door of her office so that people know what to expect before they even come into the building. And also don't be afraid to call around if price is really important to you.

It has been a tough week in some ways, but very rewarding.

The Institute for Life Course and Aging Winter Workshops

I received the following note today from the National Initiative for Care of the Elderly, telling me about some current and upcoming courses. I thought I'd post it here in case any readers are interested in these, or future, offerings.

Jan 07, 2011

The Institute for Life Course and Aging Winter Workshops
Hello NICE members,
The Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto currently has two winter workshops that you might be interested in participating in.
There is a 5 week online workshop on Aging and Mental Health, and a 6 week webcast workshop on Elder Abuse, so anyone anywhere can join in.
The Aging and Mental Health workshop began yesterday (Jan 6th), and though the deadline is past, it will still be possible to enrol in the next few days, as you work on your own schedule, through 5 weekly topics. Click

here for the flyer and here for the registration form.

The 6 week Elder Abuse workshop will begin in February and will be held at the Institute on Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm. You can participate in the live presentations through the internet, and ask questions during the workshop using your keyboard.
The deadline for registration for the Elder Abuse Workshop is next Friday January 14th. Click

here for the flyer and here for the registration form. The Elder Abuse workshop will only be offered if there is sufficient enrollment by the 14th, so if you are interested, please contact either:

Nina Carlton nina.carlton@utoronto.ca 416 978-0377 or
Susan Murphy susan.murphy@utoronto.ca 416 978-7037
We look forward to your participation in the ILCA's workshops!
　

National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)

Initiative nationale pour le soin des personnes âgées (INSPA)

222 College St., Suite 106

Toronto, Ontario M5T 3J1 Canada

Phone: 416-978-0545 Fax: 416-978-4771

http://www.nicenet.ca

Ontario Gerontology Assn - 30th annual conference coming up

This conference, on the theme of "Partnership and Integration: Working Together to Promote Positive Aging" will be held in Markham, Ontario on May 4 and 5, 2011. At this point they have put out a call for papers, and have listed the following under "topics of interest":

Supportive Housing



Environmental Design



Later Life Learning



Seniors Recreation/Leisure



Long Term Care



Older Adults in the Workplace



Dementia Care



Mental Health



Assessments/Tools



Geriatric Care



Health Care Delivery Models



Senior Friendly Communities/Hospitals



Policy and Decision Making



Care Planning



Local Health Integrated Networks



Communication and Technology



Building Partnerships



Community Integration

The conference aims to present innovative and

best-practice approaches to educate health

care professionals, management and front line

worker involved with the many aspects of

aging.

First-time presenters are especially invited.

OGA will offer limited editorial support in

proposal submissions.
Looks good, doesn't it? Any readers who are interested in learning more or who want to consider presenting a paper, click here. The deadline for submission is November 13, 2010.



Wills Week 2010 a great success!

Thank you, thank you to the 250 or so of you who came out to hear me speak at my two Wills Week seminars this week. Everyone came prepared with questions and kept me busy through the seminars and afterwards. Some of the really determined ones actually kept me talking in the parking lot last night long after the session finished and the library was closed! I never mind when this happens, because I know the questions are really important to you, especially when you have to line up for an hour or more for your turn to ask me something. And I always want to feel that I've at least given you enough information and resources to start on your planning or to make the changes you need. Thanks again!

Upcoming event - Fort Saskatchewan Lifestyles Fair

If anyone will be attending the Fort Saskatchewan Lifestyles Fair on October 5, come by and say hello. I'll be there, with one or two of my colleagues. It's being held at the Pioneer House, 10102 - 100 Avenue. I'll also be giving a seminar there at 11:00 for about 45 minutes. We'll talk about estate planning and incapacity planning, all the usual fun stuff. As usual, I'll be available to answer questions or chat about things with people who stop by. See you there!

Canadian Elder Abuse Training and Information Forum

Those of you who have told me you want more information about Elder Abuse are in for a treat! This upcoming forum might be just what you need. Age and Opportunity Manitoba is holding a two-day forum in Winnipeg in October, 2010.

From their webpage: "The goal of this training forum is to provide education and increase awareness of the abuse of older adults across Canada. Participants will be provided with increased resources and capacity to prevent, intervene and reduce the harm associated with this issue by providing speakers and presentations from across Canada".

If you'd like to know more, click here.

The umbrella graphic is from their webpage at www.ageopportunity.mb.ca.

Upcoming events - seminars around Alberta

Summer is always slower for me in terms of seminars because so many people take their vacations during the summertime. However, September's calendar is already starting to fill. I've just booked September 14 in St. Albert and September 23 in Rocky Mountain House. It's going to be another great fall season and I look forward to meeting many of you readers in person.

Buying "Taxation of the Average Estate"

A few law students and readers have mentioned to me that they clicked on the link that I'd provided for my seminar paper called "Taxation of the Average Estate" and that it only has the first three pages. That is a sample that is put online by the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA), for whom I wrote that paper, to show what the paper is about. It's possible to buy a copy from LESA by clicking here. The paper is in PDF form and you can download it immediately after buying it. Happy reading - I know how exciting everyone finds tax papers!

Upcoming events - Sunlife advisors, and Red Deer Scotiabank

I have two events coming up next week that should be really interesting. On Monday, June 28 I'm off to the Sunlife office to give a talk to about 50 independent financial advisors. We'll be talking specifically about Enduring Powers of Attorney - what to watch out for, which clients need them, etc. My assistant and I are invited to stay for their barbecue as well. Should be a fun day.

On Tuesday, June 29 I'll be travelling to Red Deer to talk about business succession planning with guests of several Scotiabank branches. We still have room at this event, which runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., if you'd like to join us. Let me know if you'd like to attend. The Red Deer folks are always friendly so this should be another good day!

If you'd like me to come out to speak at a seminar or other event you're holding, call or e-mail Sarah Yu, whose contact information is listed on the right hand side of my blog.

Upcoming event - Riverbend Public Library

On Tuesday, May 25 I'll be presenting a seminar at the Riverbend Public Library, Edmonton, with the assistance of the staff of the Heritage Branch of Scotiabank. The session starts at 1:30. We'll talk about Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Personal Directives. As always, I'll be answering all questions - the more the merrier! If you'd like to attend this free session, please call Mike Gee at 780-616-8021 and let him know you read about it on my blog. See you there.