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2 Home, Lawn & Garden, Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Ask The Professionals Win a coupon for 50% off a Happy Ad with every question submitted For the Professionals by June 30, 2011. features@independentfreepress.com or call 905-877-0301 ext. 237 Be financially prepared when purchasing your first home Searching for a first home is exciting, but can also be overwhelming, both financially and emotionally. According to recent RBC Royal Bank research, 46 per cent of young Canadians between the ages of 18­35 are looking to purchase a home within the next two years. Before purchasing your home, you could benefit by doing your research in advance and setting a budget to help avoid any last minute surprises. "Online tools and calculators along with advice from a mortgage advisor can help you prepare for any unforeseen costs and assess which payment options best fit your financial situation," says Kavita Joshi, director, Client Strategy, RBC. Joshi offers three tips to get you started: · Prepare a budget-- a budget will help you live within your means and avoid unnecessary debt upon purchasing a home. To help alleviate financial stress, set a maximum budget and financial parameters for yourself. An RBC online banking tool, myFinanceTracker (www.rbcroyalbank.com/myfinancetracker) can help track where your money is going. · Know your financial options-- many first time homebuyers do not know the options available when it 83 Mill Street, Suite B, Georgetown, Ontario 905-450-1850 Marta Masley B.Sc.(PT), M.C.P.A. Barbara Byckowski Investment Advisor, BBA, PFP, CFP Tel: (905) 877-8668 Fax: (905) 877-4165 Email: barbara.byckowski@rbc.com I had my third baby 6 months I am looking at investing in ago. All 3 of my labours were bonds but need to understand rather difficult and I was wondering if what "yield to maturity" means. this is contributing to my inability to Bonds provide good diversification for "hold my urine" when I laugh, cough or your portfolio with consistent income sneeze. Can I do anything to help this? and good preservation of capital. The yield to The organs in the lower abdomen area are supported by your pelvic floor muscles. For many reasons child birth being one of them these muscles can become weak. As a result the muscles are not able to keep the urine fully contained with movements that put pressure on the pelvic floor such as laughing, coughing, sneezing and heavy lifting. As with any weak muscles these muscles need to be strengthened in order to prevent the problem. Unfortunately, these muscles are laden and cannot be seen or felt like those in your arms and legs, so training them is not always an easy task. You may be familiar with the term "Kegel Exercises". These are a series of exercises that are specific for pelvic floor muscle strengthening. A visit to your physiotherapy it will greatly benefit you in being educated on how to correct this embarrassing problem. Q: A: Q: A: maturity of a bond is the rate of return earned by investing in the bond. It assumes the bond is held until maturity and assumes that all coupon payments are reinvested at the original yield. Bond yields constantly adjust to changing market conditions and should not be confused with the coupon rate which does not change. The yield to maturity encompasses two factors: 1. The coupon income that is fixed and is paid every six months until maturity. 2. The capital gain or loss, which is the difference between the market price and face value (100). In calculating a yield, this gain or loss is spread out (or amortized) over the years remaining until maturity. I'd be happy to review specific examples of these calculations and provide a complimentary second opinion on your portfolio and whether or not bonds are a good fit for your personal investment objectives. comes to financing a home. By speaking with a mortgage specialist, you can explore a variety of financial avenues and set your financial goals. · Find an affordable mortgage payment-- mortgage payment calculators (www.rbcroyalbank.com/products/mortgages/mortgage_calculators. html) can help determine how much your monthly payments will be, based on the amount borrowed, interest rates, mortgage term and payment schedule. For further advice and tips, visit the RBC Advice Centre at www.rbcadvicecentre.com and join the discussion on purchasing your first home on the RBC Facebook page at Facebook.com/ rbcroyalbank. --www.newscanada.com PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES 905-873-9393 WWW.FORGECOACHINGANDCONSULTING.COM INFO@FORGECOACHINGANDCONSULTING.COM 905-873-7677 ! g a J g a W e DoTh What are the differences between My marriage is in trouble and we different types of stretching, and do not seem to connect any more. when do I use them? Can Relationship Coaching help us? Q: A: Q: A: 318 Guelph St., Georgetown Gerry Ross H.B.Sc. PT, MCPA, res.CAMT With life moving at the speed of light, it seems inevitable for couples to stop prioritizing themselves and their relationship. Many believe that it is normal to neglect their relationship and that in time things will get better. However, the more time passes the greater the gap becomes. These days, much time is spent commuting, working and driving kids to various activities. As a result, the relationship is left unattended and suffering. In my opinion, the relationship between spouses is the corner stone of the family, and can be compared to the foundation of a house. If left unattended for too long, cracks attack the foundation and eventually you find yourself with a seriously compromised and leaky foundation. Coaching for couples offers an opportunity to reevaluate how a couple prioritizes and attends to each other. It is a time to measure the impact of current behaviors on the relationship. Spouses explore how their values and needs may have changed over the years. Coaching assists them in developing a new vision and plan to move forward in a manner that will nurture both individuals and the relationship. As couples commit to a new direction, they become accountable together to revive their love and passion and strengthen their bond. Coaching is a positive and forward thinking approach to strengthen your relationship whether you have been together a few months or several years. Manon Dulude is a certified member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapist and a Certified Professional Coach with the International Coach Federation. You can reach her at 905 873 9393. Static stretching involves reaching as far as you can in one direction and then holding the stretch for 15-60 seconds. Dynamic stretching involves a series of movements that work more than one muscle at a time. These stretches utilize controlled body movements like arm and leg swings to gently take you to the limits of your range of motion. They do not involve any bouncing or any jerky movements. Example: moving your arm and shoulder in big circles. New research has shown that dynamic stretching is much better suited than static stretching when preparing for sports since it increases your core body and muscle temperature, elongates your muscles and stimulates your nervous system to prepare for the responsiveness that your sport demands. Static-type stretches should be part of an effective cool-down routine following your game or training since they help relax muscles, realign muscle fibers, cool your body temperature and increase flexibility. When muscles are injured, static stretching has been shown to be an important and effective part of rehab. In a clinical trial of 80 athletes with hamstring injuries, those who did a more intense static stretching program took significantly less time to regain their full range of motion. It is important to remember, though, that aggressively stretching an injured muscle will only make things worse, so it is important to wait at least 72 hours before starting gentle stretching exercises. Our rehab programs match rest, strength training and stretching to the phase of recovery of the injury, so you can return to activity as quickly and as safely as possible. Have a great summer! www .wagjag.com Buy together and we all win!