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5 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,January 2,2020 insidehalton.com 49% of Canadians give themselvesa grade of C or lower on howthey view their personalfinancial skills. Does that include you? Let'sTalk. 905-842-2100 Finance Study Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. Peter Watson MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI Jennifer Watson MBA, CFP®, CIM® 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 www.watsoninvestments.com 62% of Canadians rarely ornever maximize RRSPcontributions.* Does that include you? Let's Talk. Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. *Source: 2018 Financial Planning Standard Council FPSC Cross Country Checkup Furnace, Plumbing or HotWater Emergency? EmErgEncy SErvicE - 24/7, 365 DayS a yEar WiShing OakvillE a happy & hEalthy nEW yEar Call 289-205-3443 I'm sure we all know people who believe in set- ting New Year's resolutions and others who scoff at the idea. Either way, I believe we all share the common goal of wanting to be more responsible with our mon- ey. With that in mind, today I'm going to focus on a few personal financial resolu- tions you may want to im- plement in 2020. 1. Save more without de- priving yourself. When you look at your ongoing spending habits, you may notice a lot of money being spent on things that aren't very important. Spending is fine, but make sure it's on the important things. Sav- ing more now allows you to grow your investments so you can afford things in the future. 2. If you are like most Canadians, you will find gaping holes in your family finances. Be proactive and plug the leaks that are steering you in the wrong direction. 3. Commit to weekly fi- nancial meetings with your spouse. Achieving fi- nancial goals is much easi- er when both of you share a common vision. 4. Protect yourself and your family against identi- ty theft. Identity theft is an extremely profitable way for crooks to get your mon- ey. Learn how identity theft works and how you can protect yourself. 5. Make a charitable do- nation to a cause you be- lieve in. Be respectful of the needs of others less fortu- nate. Donating is a way to honour your values. Choose a charity that reso- nates with those values and donate accordingly. 6. Review your will and powers of attorney for both personal care and proper- ty, and update them to re- flect any changes in your personal situation. 7. For those who are tech-savvy, consider an app that allows you to track your daily expenses, with- out using your banking in- formation. You will be sur- prised how money can quickly evaporate by pur- chasing things that are not needed. 8. Plan for retirement. When will you retire? How much capital will you have saved? How long will your money last? The New Year belongs to you. Get the most out of 2020 by determining how you can better your finan- cial position. Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI offers a weekly financial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsonin- vestments.com FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS FOR 2020 OPINION BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH YOUR MONEY, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM LETTER TO THE EDITOR My husband and I were having brunch with friends at the Brontefriends at the Brontef Sports Kitchen in Oakville on Nov. 10. Just after our meals arrived, my hus- band suffered a seizure brought on by low blood sugar. After an ambulance had taken him to OTMH (Oakville Trafalgar Me- morial Hospital), I ap- proached our waitress to pay for our meals. That's when she told me that an- other couple in the restau- rant had paid the bill for us! This kind gesture as- sured me that, in spite of the headlines, there are good people around us wherever we go, folks who "get it" about someone else's predicament, who'll step up to soothe frayed nerves, lighten the burden and assure us that so much is right with this old world. Many, many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Brown of Mil- ton, whose kindness and generosity made such a difference to our situation that day. God bless you both. FAY COPLANDFAY COPLANDF OAKVILLE MAKING A BAD DAY BETTER FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS AT INSIDEHALTON.COM