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hat an opportunity: to take an election result and use it to propel your personal nances. Back in the lazy days of summer, when this historicallylong 11-week election began, the Liberals were in third place in the polls. The ads the governing Conservative Party ran said Justin Trudeau was "Just Not Ready." To the contrary. A two-decade-high voter turnout decided he was and rewarded him with a majority government. The Liberal Party that faced extinction in 2011 has regained power and now Justin Trudeau is moving back into his old family home at 24 Sussex Dr. where he lived when his father, former prime minister and the late Pierre Trudeau, led the Liberal Party. So what happened? Did Prime Minister Harper suddenly not know how to govern? No. Stephen Harper has won three elections and last time around earned a majority. He did not change. Nearly a decade in power, he was the most experienced person to lead us. Canadians wanted change and it was change that won this election. We voted strategically and traditional Conservative and NDP voters hopped on the Liberal bandwagon to ensure Prime Minister Harper would be defeated. Justin Trudeau ran an energized and positive campaign that captured the country with his enthusiasm. He participated in thousands of sel es across our nation, including one with my daughter Kelly Watson while making one of his many university campus visits. Our question now is what can be learned from one of the longest and most interesting elections in our country's history? What changes, based on your own personal strategy, should be made to help you improve your personal nances? There are many options, including items as diverse as updating your personal power of attorney for both health and nance, and adjusting your will to re ect your current wishes. Maybe it's to develop a savings program to help your child continue with their education after high school. Are your investment fees too high and even worse, are they hidden to the point you have no idea what you are paying? How have your investments performed? Have you articulated your nancial planning goals? When will you be debt-free? When will you be able to retire and what kind of cash ow and lifestyle can you expect during retirement? Common wisdom says when we set a goal, we need to set a deadline. Procrastination can be our worst enemy. The election was Monday and 36 million Canadians used that day to change government. There was a deadline. Perhaps your strategy for change starts with a To-Do List. Write it out and set a deadline beside each item on the list. Holding yourself responsible to meet these deadlines is going to be a challenge, so you might want to break down the larger goals into manageable chunks, and share the deadlines with someone you trust in the hope that doing so will make you more accountable. On Monday, Canadians voted for change. Canadians voted strategically. It was a bold move. If you have issues that need a change, now is a good time to make your own bold move. Be proactive and make those changes. If you've been saying that you're `just not ready' to W Investors can learn a lesson from Canada's federal election Dollars & Sense Guest Contributor 21 | Thursday, October 22, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Peter Watson tackle your nancial goals, think again. Don't underestimate yourself. We recommend you harness the energy and emotion of Monday's strategic vote for change and use it to advance your own personal nances. -- Submitted by Peter Watson, MBA, CFP , R.F .P ., CIM, FCSI., Certi ed Financial Planner Kelly Watson, daughter of guest columnist Peter Watson, takes a "sel e" with Justin Trudeau during one of the federal Liberal leader's campaign visits to university campuses across Canada. | submitted photo Want to see your money doing better? Talk to us Watch your money grow with great rates from FirstOntario. Open a Be FREE & More Plan for $10 a month which includes: · · · · Five FREE Interac® transactions per month No fee overdraft protection FREE personalized cheques And more st. PLUS Open a Mastercard® CHOICE REWARDS® product and a TFSA account You will RECEIVE: 1 A $100 Keg Steakhouse Gift Card and a TFSA Rate of: 2.10 %* 6 month Original artwork by Michael Byers Conditions apply. *Base rate is 1.60% plus a 0.50% bonus. Base rate is subject to change. 1 Gift cards available while supplies last. Call us at 1-800-616-8878 or visit FirstOntario.com