The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

in si de ha lt on .c om O ak vi lle B ea ve r | Th ur sd ay , Fe br ua ry 8 , 2 01 8 |10 OPINION. J S K . "KSM Kerr Street M ission Oakville's Mission of Hope L iv e s T r a n s fo r m e d . We all have a story to tell, and we hear many of them at KSM. Some of them make us smile, some of them make us cry, and others make frustrate us and leave us wishing we could do more. All of them are our inspiration; they keep us striving to do more, to do 'good' better and to love our neighbours! Recently, a mother who didn't speak English came to KSM looking for help. She was struggling to get her family settled within the community. Through KSM's connection with the Halton Multicultural Council we were able to arrange for a translator so that we could meet with her, talk with her and understand her needs. After only a short discussion we were able to connect her with the services she needed and even register her daughter for own after school program. Knowing that we helped this mom and her family feel loved and more settled is wonderful. It reminds us that we need to be ready with open arms and practical support when families come in search of help. We need your support. Please give generously, so that together we can continue to provide help and hope for individuals and families in need in Oakville. To learn more about Kerr Street Mission call us at our phone below or go to www.kerrstreet.com. K e rr S tre e t M is s io n 485 Kerr Street, Oakville P: 905.845.7485 Charitable Reg. No. 897106845RR0001 Federal government not practising what it preaches Peter Watson wants to see the federal government change spending habits When it comes to fiscal management, the federal gov­ ernment's message to Canadi­ ans is inconsistent with its ac­ tions. Statistics Canada released third-quarter results show­ ing Canadians' debt-to-house- hold-income is at a record PETER WATSON Column high, and according to a re­ port from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), when it comes to debt, Cana­ dians top the global list. The governor of the Bank of Canada has often said that household debt is one of our THANK YOU F O R F I V E Y E A R S I N A R O W ! R A N K E D " H ig h e s t in I n v e s t o r S a t is f a c t io n w i t h F u l l S e r v ic e B r o k e r a g e Edward Jones received the highest numerical score among full service brokerage firms in the proprietary J.D. Power 2013-2017 Canadian Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudiesSM 2017 study based on 4,903 total responses, includes 15 full service brokerage firms, and measures opinions of investors who use full-service investment institutions. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed May-June 2017. Your experiences may vary. Visitjdpower.com Marc Nutford Financial Advisor marc.nutford@edwardjones.com 2387 Trafalgar Road Unit E2 Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 905-844-4043 www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutford www.edwardjones.ca Edwardjones Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING M K T -1 9 2 4 F -C -A D country's largest prob­ lems. Since the world fi­ nancial crisis back in 2008 and 2009, the feder­ al government and the Bank of Canada have cautioned Canadians that low interest rates were enticing Canadi­ ans to overspend. The government over the last decade, Conservatives or Liber­ als, have provided good advice on how to man­ age debt. Ottawa preaches fis­ cal prudence however their own spending habits are anything but. During the last three years the federal government has in­ creased spending by 20 per cent. Canada needs to be­ come more financially responsible before our mounting debt becomes too enormous and over­ whelms our economy. You would think if each and every one of us was able to earn an in­ come, spend within our means, and reduce per­ sonal debt, then finan­ cially all would be good. In theory, yes. But how good can it be if our fed­ eral government gets to the point where it can't pay its bills? Last week's column discussed the new stress test being im­ posed on mortgage bor­ rowers, designed to cool down an overheated re­ al estate market. To the government's credit, this is the seventh time adjustments have been made to help consum­ ers avoid overspending on housing. Having too much debt, whether for a gov­ ernment or a house­ hold, can become finan­ cial quicksand. Regard­ less of how hard you try to get out of your pre­ dicament, at some point it does not end well. We can give the gov­ ernment full marks for how they have recom­ mended individuals manage their finances. Unfortunately, they get a failing grade when it comes to managing the country's finances. Spending is easy. What we need is the fed­ eral government to have the courage and foresight to better man­ age Canada's finances. - Peter Watson, of Peter Watson Invest­ ments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI of­ fers a weekly financial planning column, Dol­ lars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.peter watsonin- vestments.com. All Styles, Technique & Theory Daytime & Evening Times Available G IV E T H E G IF T O F M U S IC R e fe r a F r ie n d , G e t O n e M o n th FREE! 1312 Speers Rd, Oakville (905)334-5092 www.mglessons.com : STEPHEN MACNEIL ALL LEVELS HONS.B.A. Private and Music 20 Years Beginners - Advanced j Teaching in Oakville http://www.kerrstreet.com mailto:marc.nutford@edwardjones.com http://www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutford http://www.edwardjones.ca http://www.peter http://www.mglessons.com Lives Transformed. Kerr Street Mission Federal government not practising what it preaches PETER WATSON