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Christine Ibbotson

Christine Ibbotson

St. Catharines Standard

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ASK THE MONEY LADY: Retiring with debt

Dear Money Lady: I’m planning on retiring at the end of this year. I will be receiving a company pension and also plan to start collecting CPP. I...

15.05.2024 10

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Dealing with your ‘wall of resistance’

Dear Money Lady Readers: Sometimes people hit their “wall of resistance” and want to quit, especially now in a downturned economy. Is your dog...

07.05.2024 40

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Prenuptial and cohabitation agreements

Dear Money Lady: H ow do I get a prenup agreement without paying high lawyer fees? This is a second marriage, and I am very close to retirement...

30.04.2024 20

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Paying taxes as a U.S. citizen living in Canada

Dear Money Lady: My wife is one of those U.S. residents who has lived in Canada as a permanent resident since 1968 and never filed a U.S. tax...

22.04.2024 20

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Which money personality are you?

I often get asked about how to help people deal with money issues, and many Canadians want to know how to change their partners, especially if...

15.04.2024 20

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: An adult lesson from a children’s book

Dear Money Lady Readers: I have been asked many times to reprint this column – so for those who missed it the first time around (three years ago)...

10.04.2024 10

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Is an electric vehicle right for you?

Dear Money Lady: I need to purchase a new car this year and I am not sure if I should invest in an EV, hybrid or regular vehicle. What do you...

02.04.2024 10

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Shedding years off an amortization

Today’s column came from a conversation with one of my Ask the Money Lady partners, Ana Cruz, in Burlington, Ont.   Ana is a mortgage agent in...

26.03.2024 60

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Why some businesses prosper, and some don’t

Dear Money Lady: I am a small business owner and took the CEBA loan (Canada Emergency Business Account Loan) because I couldn’t make the repayment...

20.03.2024 4

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Maintaining good workplace etiquette

Dear Money Lady: I don’t have a question but rather a comment. I know you write about millennials a lot and I just wanted to add to that. We...

13.03.2024 1

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Inflation buster ideas

Dear Money Lady Readers: Most Canadians would define independence as being debt free, but how is that possible in a rising interest rate market? If...

08.03.2024 3

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: How first-time buyers get approved

Dear Money Lady Readers, I recently had a chat with my daughter and her friends who are all in university, (aged 23-26), working on their second and...

28.02.2024 7

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Online gambling not the way to build retirement fund

Dear Money Lady Readers: Online gambling in Canada is way up in popularity among the Gen-Zs and Millennials.   Originally thought of to be...

21.02.2024 5

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Dealing with finances in 2024

Dear Money Lady Readers: The Canadian Prime rate as we move into the second month of the year still sits at 7.20 per cent and the American Prime rate...

08.02.2024 4

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Three ways Canadians invest in the market

Dear Money Lady Readers: There are three major ways that Canadians invest in the market: fixed income investing, guided stock portfolios (which would...

24.01.2024 20

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Building a financial team for your diversified portfolio

Dear Money Lady Readers: With everything that’s going on in the markets today it’s hard to know if you have the right investment plan for your...

17.01.2024 5

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Retirement planning in 2024

Dear Money Lady Readers: A s we move into a New Year, I have had so many emails from people across the country asking about retirement.   Most...

11.01.2024 7

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: How to handle debt

December is the “eat and spend too much” month and January is the “go on a diet and pay your bills” month.   So, have you decided to...

05.01.2024 20

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Is 2024 the year to retire early?

Dear Money Lady Readers, I wanted to do something a little different this time as we all wrap up the end of the year.   I always get questions...

20.12.2023 10

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Protecting your pets

Dear Money Lady Readers: I recently volunteered at the SPCA in Toronto this month with a friend who goes regularly. And I was so very surprised at all...

13.12.2023 2

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Avoiding affluenza

Will your children get affluenza this year at Christmas?   Don’t worry, it is not the flu or a virus. Affluenza is a term that was first...

05.12.2023 3

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Stocks and bonds and interest rates

Dear Money Lady, I am stumped on the stock and bond movements when interest rates move up or down. I always thought, when interest rates...

29.11.2023 70

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Why TFSAs are important

Most people know that they should include a TFSA or tax-free saving account in their investment portfolio. But why is it so important? Do you really...

22.11.2023 2

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Converting to a locked in retirement account

Dear Money Lady, my investment advisor wants me to convert my pension into a LIRA/LIF and don’t know if that’s a good idea. Will I have to pay a...

15.11.2023 10

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Renting in retirement

Dear Money Lady, I’ve owned a home throughout my whole adult life, and now that I’m in retirement I’m wondering if it’s worth keeping it. I...

08.11.2023 3

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Promoting social justice through investments

Dear Money Lady, We are just starting to invest and wondered if there were any good investments you could recommend. We want something that makes...

01.11.2023 5

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Power of attorney and estate plans

Dear Money Lady, I would like to know your take on getting a power of attorney on health and property. My wife and I are in our late 60s. At...

25.10.2023 2

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Facing a life loss

What do you feel when you say these words out loud: Career failure, cancer, amputation, early retirement, bankruptcy, dementia, divorce or death? ...

18.10.2023 4

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Using a weighted average investment strategy

I have received so many emails about what to invest in, how to invest, and what to ask advisors – so I wanted to give you a low-risk investment...

04.10.2023 2

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Downsizing in retirement

Dear Money Lady: Should I sell my home and move into a retirement home? I’m 76 and I really don’t want to move but my kids say I should. What...

27.09.2023 2

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Are you a ‘money copter’ parent?

Were you a helicopter parent when your children were small and now you’re a “money copter” parent with your adult children?   Helicopter...

20.09.2023 5

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

ASK THE MONEY LADY: Making retirement choices

Dear Money Lady: I’m really worried about whether my savings will last. I retired last year, but I’m nervous about whether I’ve made the right...

12.09.2023 5

Sarnia Observer

Christine Ibbotson

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