Aviso wealth

Mutual funds and other securities are offered through Aviso Wealth, a division of Aviso Financial Inc. Unless otherwise stated, mutual fund securities and cash balances are not insured nor guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

Portfolio Manager

Island Savings Wealth Management

Island Savings Wealth Management is a division of FW Wealth Management Ltd. which is a wholly owned subsidiary of First West Credit Union. FW Wealth Management Ltd. is a licensed life insurance agency offering financial planning, life insurance and investments.

Senior Wealth Advisor

Edward Jones

Investment Advisor

📈 Growing up in Kamloops, I would watch BNN at the kitchen table.  While at University for Engineering, I started reading “One Up On Wall Street” by Peter Lynch and “Buffett, The Making Of An American Capitalist,” and knew that I was destined to work in the finance field. 

👨‍🎓 20 years ago, I graduated with my Engineering degree and entered the investment world to help clients make better financial decisions and live with fewer regrets. 

📕 With a love of reading and a book always in my face, I have embraced learning and honing my skills to bring the most current and impactful information to small business owners.  Not surprisingly, I have found a niche with Engineers as we all have been through the iron ring ceremony.  

❤️ I have been blessed with a beautiful and supportive wife, Alea, and two energetic kids, Denver and Journey.  Every day is an adventure, and we embrace the wild and crazy moments of raising elementary-aged children.

⚽️ Over the years, I have been fortunate to have great leaders who helped shape who I am. With a duty to pay it forward, you can find me coaching my daughter’s soccer team, leading my son's Cub Scout group, or signing up for whatever other extracurricular activities they are involved with. 

🤝 Our team works with a select group of investors to deliver a high-touch, personal and detailed generational wealth planning experience.  We have long-term and close relationships with our clients to help them navigate the financial world.

🫡 In preparation for Remembrance Day, my son's teacher asked if any of the students had someone in their family who had served in the military.

❤️  We don’t have any blood relatives, but my dad’s best friend and who we only knew as “Uncle Dale” (my middle name is dedicated to him) served and suffered a major injury when a shrapnel bomb exploded near him.

🤫 He never talked about the experience with me or much with my dad. I was told that he would be talking, and a small piece of metal would come out from his skull, as the surgeons were not able to get all the shrapnel from his head.

🤩 He and his wife never had kids of their own, but they spoiled my brother and me with presents and attention (we always looked forward to the Stirling package arriving in December).  A generous man who helped run my grandmother's hobby farm when she became ill, and she was too stubborn to close it down. 

🎞️ In the photo, you can see him holding me as a baby, as well as one of him in active duty.  I am thankful for his service and for who he was to me and our family when he returned.  He passed away on March 8th, 2014, and left a legacy of service, friendship, and kindness.

#Remembranceday #service

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP

Empowering executives and small businesses owners to achieve their financial dreams

🤓 While pursuing my Engineering degree at UVic, we would write our final exams in the massive McKinnon gymnasium.

🏀 The gym is 3 full-sized basketball courts wide, and desks lined row after row as far as the eye could see.    It felt like there were 1,000 people all writing at the same time.

📖 When I started my exam, my strategy was to flip through the booklet until I came to a question I knew how to answer.  Most of the time, I would go through all 10 questions and have no clue how to answer any of them.

🫨This is a situation facing many investors today.  You are in a high-pressure environment and are unsure of where to start or what to do.

📝 Here are my suggestions:
 
🤷‍♂️ I would see people writing away furiously, and I would think that they knew what they were doing.  I would later find out that I had a higher mark than they did.  Just because someone appears to have it all figured out doesn’t mean they do.  Comparing yourself to others or feeling like you are left behind can lead to poor financial choices.  Know what is important to you and don’t try to chase someone else’s dream.

💪 I started the test and would figure out some part of the problem.  I got positive momentum by taking action.   Getting started with investing can involve dollar cost averaging into the market, creating a budget, or consulting with someone about the options available to you.

📚 We were allowed a “cheat sheet” of formulas (little good it did me) to help us on the test.  I would recommend getting educated on money.  My favourite books on the subject are:
👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (and if you’ve read that, you will enjoy Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish)
👉Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
👉Just Keep Buying by Nick Maggiulli
👉How Not to Invest by Barry Ritholtz

🎧 With audiobooks now available, you can learn and drive, walk or do chores.  What are your favourite books?

#reading #financialadvice #university #smartmoney

🏠 Spousal RRSP and First Home Savings Account (FHSA) home buying planning.

👨 Shawn (30) - income of $250k
👩 Sally (25) - income of $42k
🏡 Goal to buy a house next year
💰 Non-registered savings of $200k
👌 Shawn has RRSP room of $120k
🗺️ The plan:
FHSA contributions of
👉 $8k in 2025 for both spouses
👉 $8k in 2026 for both spouses
RRSP contributions of
👉$30k in 2025 & 2026 for Shawn
Spousal RRSP contributions of
👉 $30k in 2025 & 2026 for Sally (Shawn gets tax break)
📅 In 2026, 90 days after making the RRSP contribution, they buy a home
🤩 $32k of FHSA money comes out tax-free
👍 $120k of RRSP money is withdrawn through the Home Buyers Plan.
💰 $48k of non-registered savings is used
💥 2025 tax refund is received of $33.5k (similar to 2026 refund)
🤯 Sally doesn’t repay her $ 4k-per-year homebuyer amount, and it's added to her income.  She is in a low-income bracket.

#buyingahome #homebuyingplanning

🤩 Here is a case of estate planning for someone with a RIF(Registered Income Fund).

📝 Details:
👵 82-year-old mom who is enrolled in the MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) program. 
💰 $200k in RIFs
👧🧒 2 Adult children 
👧 Jane, who qualifies for the disability tax credit
👦 John, who lives independently on his own
✋ No RDSP setup for Jane

🗺️ The plan
🤝RIF beneficiaries set to Jane and John.
☑️ Jane is confirmed to have a mental or physical impairment and is financially dependent on her mom
👉 RDSP is set up for Jane once mom passes away & $100k of the RIF is rolled into the RDSP. No income or tax to the estate
👌 John receives the other $100k directly, and the estate has a $100k income to pay tax on.
👩 At 60, Jane has to start receiving a Lifetime Disability Assistance Payment (LDAP) from the RDSP

#rdsp #estateplanning #incomeplanning #will #disabledchild

☕️ Here is why I don’t believe in the “latte factor” or the theory that cutting small things out of your budget will have a massive impact.  

📈 If you compound anything over a long period of time, its value will be huge. $5 coffee today will be $28 in 30 years (invested at 6%).  Not exactly enough to retire on or buy a house.

🤩 If you deprive yourself of everything, eventually life becomes no fun.  Knowing when and where to get the biggest bang for your buck is one of life’s secret skills.

🚨 Here is where I see people falling short in maximizing their dollars.
🚗 Buying a new car regularly.  Most cars today will easily last 10-12 years.  Cycling through for the latest model is more likely for ego than utility.

👜 Buying for brand.  Billionaire wine enthusiast Bill Koch had a rude awakening when he later discovered that he had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for knockoff wine.  He was buying for brand and was fooled by the fancy label on the bottle.

✈️ Believing that you need to go on an expensive vacation to have a good time.  What makes a vacation great?  Time and memories with the ones you love.  You can have those anywhere.  Think back to when you were a child. What are some of your fondest moments?

🍔 Eating out too much.  I get it, you are tired of cooking. Being creative, trying new recipes, meal-swapping with friends, or taking turns with your partner is a good way to get out of the chef doldrums.  Making your own meals is healthier, and you will enjoy the times you do go out more.

#meme #savings #lattefactor

🤷‍♂️ When selling a business, should you keep the land or building it is on, or sell it with the company?

👉 There are two main options:

🏢 Sell the building with the business: May simplify the sale and offer potential tax advantages, including eligibility for the lifetime capital gains exemption.

🤙 Keep the building: Provides ongoing cash flow and can act as a pension.

💡 Things to consider:

🤑 Buyer’s ability to purchase both the business and property.

🗺️ Your goals and retirement plans.

🧩 Structure of the sale (assets vs. shares) and how it impacts tax implications.

#Sellingbusiness #businessownerretirement #sharesale

Gerry Lalonde, CPA, CGA

Growth and Value Strategist | Exit Planner | Building and implementing strategic exit plans | Developing Leadership Teams | Fractional CFO | Author |Featured on Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC and others.

🧐“I would like to help out my grandkids financially. What is the best way to do this?”

❤️ Clients have told me they love their kids, but they really love their grandkids.  Here are some ways to financially help them out.

👧 If the grandkids are under 17, you can contribute to an RESP for them.  Even if their parents have one and are maxing out the grants (20% per year on $2.5k of contributions), you can add up to an additional $14k to the plan.  The growth (no tax on principal) on those funds is taxed when they withdraw them for university (low/no tax paid).

🏠 If the grandkids are adults, you can give them money to contribute to a First Home Savings Account (FHSA).  Up to $8k a year, to a maximum of $4k, can go into the account. Contributions reduce income (like an RRSP contribution), and when they buy a house, the money comes out tax-free.

📝 Speak to an estate planning lawyer about leaving money to them in your will.  A minor cannot receive funds, so a testamentary trust could be set up to distribute the funds when they turn 18 or at whatever age you decide.

#Estateplanning #grandkids #nextgeneration #leavingmoneytograndkids

🤔 How do you get access to the money in your holding company?

👌 A holding company is set up when a business is doing well and has excess profits. To protect against legal liability or to invest the funds (it’s usually not a good idea to invest in an operating company), a holding company is set up.

📈 Over time, the value of the investments grows, and then the owner retires or sells the business.  At that point, they want to start to draw on the funds.

🤝 You may have a shareholder loan, which means you have lent the company money and you can repay it (take funds out tax-free).

🤩 You may have a credit in your Capital Dividend Account (CDA) that came from the sale of an investment, property or business.  1/2 the value of a gain goes into the CDA, and you can take those funds out tax-free.

😅 You may be doing work for the holding company and will pay yourself a salary.

💰 Or you take funds out as dividends.

👉 Ineligible dividends come from money that received the small business tax deduction and, as such, receives a less favourable tax treatment than eligible dividends.

👉 Eligible dividends come from income that didn’t receive the small business tax deduction. Most people receive eligible dividends from owning shares in Canadian companies that pay dividends.

👌 The best plan is working with your tax professional to get a strategy in place to maximize your after-tax income.

#taxplanning #dividends #smallbusiness #holdingcompany

taplio

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Linkedin Analytics

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP

Performance ScoreTravis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's LinkedIn Performance

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Linkedin Analytics

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's LinkedIn Performance

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreTravis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's LinkedIn Performance

Travis Koivula, CFA, CFP, CIM, FCSI, CSWP's Best Posts (last 30 days)