Arnason Investor Education
Our expertise. Your money. Get educated.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
- Benjamin Franklin
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We teach practical, hands-on investing skills you need to make informed investment decisions.
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We offer unbiased investment education to new and long term investors.
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We are not affiliated with, nor do we receive financial gain from, any financial institution.
Complete our short questionnaire to help you assess your investment knowledge.
Debbie Arnason
Principal
How to Navigate the Investment World from Ground Zero
You may wonder why I feel this is so important and why I would choose to coach investors instead of joining an investment firm. It began because I was intimidated by the thought of investing and retirement planning. I thought it was going to be too involved for me to learn. It was humbling to hear others talk about investments and not understand what they were talking about. About 25 years ago I decided I was going to learn how to do this. The encouragement of the amazing women in the professional women's investment club I joined, as well as education and constant research have brought me to the point where I can now coach others. My experience can make your learning process much simpler than mine was. I overcame the fear of taking the first step. My goal is to help you take your first step. With a little guidance, anyone really can invest successfully.
Statistics on women, men and millennials Retirement Planning:
Women and Men
In the following article Pattie Lovett-Reid discusses statistics from a CIBC poll on retirement savings.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/32-of-canadians-are-nearing-retirement-without-any-savings-poll-1.991680
"A majority (53 per cent) aren’t sure whether they’re saving enough, but 37 per cent haven’t even thought about retirement, or if they have say they just can’t save. And it’s worse for women: only 22 per cent have a formal retirement plan or even a good idea of how much income they need, versus 32 percent of men. Even on the cusp of retirement, by age 55, 43 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men lack a plan." O- Pattie Lovett-Reid
Millennials
This article by Devlyn Lalonde discusses millennials views on saving and investing.
http://canadianmillennials.ca/millennials-save-but-why-dont-they-invest/
"So why aren’t millennials investing? Well, we know it’s not debt, despite popular belief they don’t have much of that. Rather, they are under educated in how different investment vehicles work and while they have savings they have little faith in the financial markets."
Defined Contribution Pension versus Defined Benefit Pensions as companies move to Defined Contribution Plans:
If you have a Defined Contribution Plan at work, you are in control of making the investments and taking on the risks of your retirement funding.
Learn some basic information on how to make wise decisions regarding your retirement fund.
Benefits of a Defined Benefit Plan:
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Professionally managed. The employee has no responsibility for choosing investments
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A predetermined pension after the required years of work. (frequently 70% of salary after 35 years of service)
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The employer takes on the risks of the plan. In the event the value of the investment decreases, the employee pension is generally not affected
Risks of a Defined Contribution Plan even though it is a wonderful plan to encourage saving:
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Employee chooses investments from a selection provided by the plan provider
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As there is no set retirement income, retirement planning is difficult
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The employee takes on the risk of losses in their portfolio
Our Services for your investing education needs:
We offer:
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Courses for Individuals, Investment Clubs and Investment Groups
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Individual one-on-one sessions
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Ongoing support for long term investors, new investors, and for those with or without an Advisor
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Guidance in understanding investing terminology which will help you to develop confidence in investment decisions made by you and/or your Advisor
Workplace Education:
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Learning sessions tailored to provide an introduction to the world of investing
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Longer more engaging sessions with staff to develop an understanding of investing with ones Advisor and/or on ones own
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Individual sessions for staff members who are interested in more comprehensive information regarding their personal investing
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Sessions can be tailored to available time, needs and group size
The following short survey can help you determine your needs and how they can be best served.
Investing Survey: Your Needs and How we can Meet Them
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Z9Cp5K6buhN8NwFpdl7QcIS7koa_GXC7tqhAvJ1h8EY/edit
Our services, targeted to specific individuals and groups:
What we teach to assist you on your journey to financial freedom:
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Attributes to look for when choosing an Investment Advisor
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How to understand your investment portfolio, holdings and risk factors
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How fees to your Financial Advisor or bank are deducted for managing your money
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How understanding what your money is invested in, will give you the confidence that your Advisor has made the best choices for you
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Understanding of financial terminology
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How to review and analyse your portfolio
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Lean why various financial fees matter: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/retirement/etc/tyranny.html
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Assistance in understanding the various types of accounts and and how to use them to your best advantage - e.g.: TFSA, RRSP, non registered account
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Questions you should ask about your portfolio e.g.: fees, risk, investment strategy, etc.
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A basic understanding of: Mutual funds; Stocks; GIC's; Bonds; ETF's; etc. and their importance in your portfolio
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Fundamentals of trading - Who? Why? Where? When? and How?
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Tax implications on capital gains, timing your sales, etc.
Why you need to know about investing and your retirement plans:
According to Stats Canada, the average female lifespan is now 84, and 80 years for males. These forecasts can help you to plan for your future.
This Globe and Mail link shows your anticipated lifespan based on your year of birth.
As retirement age gets closer, fear of not being able to reach retirement goals increases. This is a justified fear. The Ontario Securities Commission offers interesting insights into how and when people view preparing for retirement.
https://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Investors/inv_research_20181128_retirement-preparedness.pdf
The earlier you determine your retirement goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.
No security recommendations will be made by Arnason Investor Education. Our objective is to provide participants with a basic knowledge of investing with an Advisor or in Self-Directed accounts.
CONTACT US
Debbie Arnason, Principal
Arnason Investor Education
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Canada
debbie@arnasoninvestoreducation.info