Canadians Don't Have the Will

Over the last few years, I have often referenced a 2012 survey by LawPRO reflecting that 56% of Canadians do not have a Will. I have used this startling statistic to urge you to have a Will drafted (or updated) and to suggest you also put in place powers of attorney for property (financial decisions) and personal care (health decisions). The fact that Prince did not leave a will (which I find incomprehensible, given the number of advisors he would have had) has brought further attention to this issue.

Shockingly, in a new Google Consumer Survey conducted by Legalwills.ca, the number of Canadians without Wills has increased to 62%. The survey also notes that 12% of Canadians have an outdated Will (most never updated their Wills once they married and/or had children), which means that 74% of Canadians do not have an up-to-date Last Will and Testament.

In general, I consider this behaviour selfish and I cannot understand how anyone that is part of a functional family unit would ever want to leave their family the chaotic mess that follows when there is no Will in place.

Here are some facts from the Legalwills.ca survey, which can be found here.

Some Startling Numbers

The survey showed a correlation between age group and the probability of having a Will:

Age 18-24: 87% do not have a Will, 5% have an out-of-date Will, and 8% have an up-to-date Will.
Age 25-34: 77% do not have a Will, 10.5% have an out-of-date Will, and 12.5% have an up-to-date Will.
Age 35-44: 68% do not have a Will, 8% have an out-of-date Will, and 24% have an up-to-date Will.
Age 45-54: 53% do not have a Will, 13% have an out-of-date Will, and 34% have an up-to-date Will.
Age 55-64: 32% do not have a Will, 19% have an out-of-date Will, and 49% have an up-to-date Will.
Age 65+: 28% do not have a Will, 21% have an out-of-date Will, and 51% have an up-to-date Will.

As the survey notes, even when discounting younger adults, 48.5% of Canadians aged 35 and older responded to not having a Will and 13.5% responded to having a Will that is out-of-date, leaving only 38% with a Will that reflects their current financial and personal situation.

Unexpected Income Correlation

The survey found a surprising inverse relationship between income levels and the probability of having an up-to-date will.

“The group least likely to have up-to-date Wills was in the $100,000+ annual income range; respondents in this group were also three times more likely to have an out-of-date Will than those with lower incomes. The group most likely to have up-to-date Wills was in the lowest annual income range of $0-$24,999. As annual income increased, the proportion of respondents with an up-to-date Will decreased”.

Legalwills.ca suggests “The cause of this is likely because those with higher incomes can more easily afford to use a lawyer to write their Will; making modifications to a Will with a lawyer requires setting a meeting, and costs hundreds of dollars. To the contrary, those with lower incomes are usually inclined to use more affordable alternatives, such as online services, where the testator can make modifications to his or her Will at any time without extra costs”. (It should be noted that Legalwills.ca provides online services to custom-make Wills, Power of Attorney and Living Wills for Canadians and thus, they have a bias to online services).

Observations from the Survey

Legalwills.ca make some interesting observations from the data, a few of these include:

1. The system for creating and updating Wills is broken – their opinion is the current system is not working for most people.

2. People wait for the perfect time to have their Wills prepared – I agree with this comment. The issue here is; our life circumstances are constantly changing. Consequently, our Will is really a living document that requires various updates throughout our life.

3. Legalwills.ca references a quote from Forbes Magazine by the rapper Snoop Dogg, saying essentially: who cares about his Will, he will be dead. This is not an unusual comment. Legalwills.ca says “unfortunately, what Mr. Dogg doesn’t realize is that writing a Will was never about you. It’s about taking care of your loved ones – the people that you care for through your life, I’m not sure that many people would deliberately inflict trauma on their own family at a time when they can least handle it, but not writing a Will is setting your family up for heartache and emotional turmoil. It all too often leads to acrimonious fallouts between family members who seemed to get along just fine until they

had to work together to administer an estate without a Will”.

4. Legalwills.ca suggests that not having a Will is a huge missed opportunity. They suggest you can do wonderful things in a Will, for example:

• Leave a few thousand dollars to a charity

• Give your favourite niece some funds to travel the World

• Set up an event in your memory

• Create a scholarship fund

• Organize and pay for some social events for your best friends

• Leave a cherished item to somebody who will really appreciate it

• Make sure your digital accounts are all taken care of appropriately

• Make sure that your pets are taken care of

Whether you have a complex estate and need a lawyer to draft or update your Will, or have a simple estate for which you can use an online service, as Nike says “Just Do It” and get your Will and powers of attorney in place. You will have peace of mind and your family will be appreciative that you made their financial lives simpler at a time of grieving.

This site provides general information on various tax issues and other matters. The information is not intended to constitute professional advice and may not be appropriate for a specific individual or fact situation. It is written by the author solely in their personal capacity and cannot be attributed to the accounting firm with which they are affiliated. It is not intended to constitute professional advice, and neither the author nor the firm with which the author is associated shall accept any liability in respect of any reliance on the information contained herein. Readers should always consult with their professional advisors in respect of their particular situation.

The Taboo Of Money - I Will Not Talk About It -Part 1

As discussed in my blog post last week, I am going to post small excerpts of a book I was writing on money taboos which I have abandoned. Today and next week, I write on the taboo of discussing your will with your children, either individually or in a family meeting, while you are alive.

The Taboo

One of the biggest money taboos people have is discussing their will openly with family members.

People hate talking about their own death. People hate talking about their own money. People hate conflict within their families. Combine all of these hang-ups and a perfect storm of neurosis results, creating a virtual tsunami of taboos involving openly discussing one's wealth, one's death and disclosing one's personal opinion about family members. Many people view the thought of this discussion with horror, but my advice is simply - "get over it and do it!"

Reasons for the Taboo

In a 2016 Google Consumer Survey conducted by Legalwills.ca, the survey found 62% of Canadians do not have wills. The survey also noted that 12% of Canadians have an outdated Will (most never updated their Wills once they married and/or had children), which means that 74% of Canadians do not have an up-to-date Last Will and Testament.

I suppose the most common, although rarely admitted, reason for this is, that people are in denial that their lives will eventually end and that their lives will probably end at a time that they cannot control. Understandable, but foolish. None of us get out of this world alive, so get a move on and arrange your affairs so that all of the money, jewelry, collectibles and personal items you have worked for will ultimately be distributed in the most beneficial and tax-efficient way possible.

Once someone has faced up to the necessity of drafting the will, why then the fear of discussing its contents with family members - those who are actually going to benefit from the will? I have heard both rational and irrational reasons for avoiding the discussion. Here's a sampling of some reasons/excuses I have heard over the years for people not discussing their wills/estate planning with their beneficiaries:

1. It is none of their business.
2. My parents did not discuss their will with me, so why should I discuss it with my children.
3. It is bad luck.
4. If my children know what is in my will, they will be hovering over me like the Angel of death waiting for me to kick the bucket.
5. Discussing our intentions will just cause tensions amongst my children.
6. My will does not split my wealth equally among my children.
7. My children are not equally responsible and I have a trust for one child; I don’t want them upset at me while I am alive that I don’t trust their judgement.
8. I am leaving a substantial sum to charity, my kids will “freak” when they find out.
9. I have no idea how long I will live, my assets may be depleted by the time I pass away and the kids will be expecting certain assets that may not be in existence.
10. I have not drafted a will (see above).

Consequences of adhering to the Taboo

If you do not discuss your will with your children while alive, the following are possible

consequences:

1. Perceived or actual inequalities in your will that can be explained rationally while you are alive will never be explained. 
2. You may create unintended conflict amongst your children.
3. You may not have an accurate understanding of which assets your children truly want.
4. Income taxes may not be minimized.
5. Estate litigation may result.

There is no doubt that money brings out the worst in some people and a full disclosure of your family assets and planned distribution may cause problems in your relationship with your children and in their relationships with each other. But it is my belief that it is better to know the problems, confront the problems and solve the problems before you die and this can only be done by a full and frank discussion with your beneficiaries.

Next week I will discuss the benefits of having a family meeting to discuss your will and estate planning.

This site provides general information on various tax issues and other matters. The information is not intended to constitute professional advice and may not be appropriate for a specific individual or fact situation. It is written by the author solely in their personal capacity and cannot be attributed to the accounting firm with which they are affiliated. It is not intended to constitute professional advice, and neither the author nor the firm with which the author is associated shall accept any liability in respect of any reliance on the information contained herein. Readers should always consult with their professional advisors in respect of their particular situation.

No Will? You’re in Famous Company!

Readers of my blog are aware of my inclination to harp on the fact that you should have a will, and where you have a will in place, that it should be updated for significant life events. As discussed last week, in my post Power of Attorney for Personal Care – Mental Capacity and Medical Assistance When Dying. I also think it is important to have up-to-date powers of attorney for financial and personal care. But today, we are talking wills and the lack of such for some famous people and the lessons you may learn from their estate planning miscues.

In my blog post “Canadians Don’t Have the Will”, I highlighted a 2016 survey conducted by Legalwills.ca, that found 62% of Canadians do not have wills.

The 62% number is astronomical and in my not so humble opinion, just irresponsible. I thought of this survey, when I was recently told by a colleague that they were working on an estate where the first spouse passed away without a will, and then the surviving spouse died a couple years later without ever having a will drafted. I can maybe understand that some couples don’t have wills based on the premise “everything will just automatically flow to the surviving spouse”, although this thinking may be flawed depending upon your province of residence as noted in this link for the laws of Ontario when you die intestate (without a will). But for a surviving spouse to not have a will drafted is just beyond my comprehension.

Since the advice of accountants, lawyers, finance columnists and bloggers is obviously being ignored, I thought instead of lecturing that you should have a will, I would reflect on the folly of not having a will by looking at famous people who have died intestate and the messes they left behind.

Please note: I have no ability to confirm that these people did not have wills and I am relying on articles and other internet sources for this list, so I cannot guarantee its accuracy. Some of the stories in respect of these people’s deaths and estates are fascinating. You may wish to read in detail the links and source documents I provide below.

Famous People Who Supposedly Died Without a Will

The Musicians

There seems to be a correlation between being artistic and financially irresponsible as noted by the extremely famous musicians I note below. This does not surprise me, as I have suggested in prior posts on naming executors, that at the risk of generalizing you will want someone more anal than artistic to carry out this task.

Prince

In this article by People Magazine it was reported “A Minnesota judge has made it official – despite Prince’s estate being worth an approximated $250 million, the singer did not have a will in place to declare the distribution of his assets. A hearing was held Wednesday morning, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, and the judge has approved Bremer Bank, the institution Prince trusted with his finances over the years, to move forward with handling his estate – both personal and financial business”.

Prince's former manager, Owen Husney, in this USA today article said “he was too smart to have overlooked something that crucial and he had teams of lawyers, business managers and accountants over the years who would have advised him it was crucial”. Assuming that no will ever surfaces, it is mind numbing that with so many advisors, Prince did not have a will in place and it could have fallen through the cracks (unless he just refused to have one drafted).

"It's astonishing, absolutely astonishing that he did not have a will," says Jerry Reisman, an estate lawyer on Long Island who's been following the case. He predicted trouble ahead. You're going to have 'siblings' coming out of the woodwork alleging they are siblings. Everyone is going to be fighting over this estate.”

Will Lesson #1: Run Out and Write Your Will 

Hendrix, Marley and a Cast of Thousands

In this LegalZoom,com article the writer notes that both Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley died without wills and that their estates were subject to legal battles for years. Musicians such as Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley have complicated estates due to the publishing rights they hold on their music, the typically massive demand for their music once they pass away and the value in unreleased material that is often released posthumously.

Other musicians that have purportedly died without wills include Kurt Cobain, Barry White, Tupac Shakur, James Brown, Sonny Bono and Amy Winehouse.

Athletes

Many athletes are known for blowing fortunes, but you would again think that their advisors would have ensured they had wills in place, but that apparently is not the case, or the athletes ignore their advice.

Steve McNair

Mr. McNair who played in Super Bowl XXXIV as the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans and was the NFL’s Co-MVP in 2003, did not have a will. He also had, in addition to his wife and children, a girlfriend - who murdered him in a murder-suicide. The sad details of this case can be read in this Probate Lawyer blog. 

If this story is not tragic enough, this Family Archival Solutions Inc. article discusses how McNair’s mother subsequently lost her home because Mr. McNair had not put his mother’s name on the house or made provision in a will for her to inherit the property as he had intended for her.

Will Lesson #2: Unintended Consequences Transpire when a Will is Not Drafted

Lamar Odom

This is a story about almost dying without a will. In 2015, former NBA star and ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian was hospitalized after being discovered unconscious

at the Love Ranch, a brothel in Crystal, Nevada. Mr. Odom’s heart supposedly stopped several times and was touch and go to live. Luckily for him, he survived the ordeal. As Mr. Odom supposedly did not have a will, it was reported that if he died, his estate would have all gone 1/3 to Khloé and 2/3 to his children. It is my understanding that Odom and Khloe had a good relationship despite their divorce and she was there at his side while he recovered and she did not want his money. So this is not a story about an ex-spouse trying to get something that was not hers, but clearly reflects that an ex-spouse may be entitled to your estate or part of it, if you are not careful.

Will Lesson #3: When You Do Not Have a Will, Your Ex-Spouse May Inherit Part of Your Estate

Other Famous People Who Died Without a Will (or Updating Their Will)

Martin Luther King

Mr. King who was assassinated on April 4, 1968 was one of the best known civil rights activists in the World. His “I Have A Dream” speech made in 1963 during the march on Washington is known as one of the finest speeches ever given. Unfortunately, when assassinated Mr. King was only 37 years old and did not have a will per this Forbes article.

This LA Times article discusses how the children are threatening his legacy as the estate battles on 47 years after his death in respect of his tomb, sermons and memorabilia.

Will Lesson #4: When You Die Intestate You Create Possible Conflict amongst Your Family

Pablo Picasso

As detailed in this 2016 article by Vanity Fair on the estate of Pablo Picasso,  Picasso did not have a will and left over “45,000 works, all complicated by countless authentications, rights and licencing deals”. The legal fees on this estate have were supposedly over $30 million.

Will Lesson #5: When You Die Intestate, Your Estate Can Be Withered Away in Legal Fees

Heath Ledger

As I noted in the introduction, I not only stress the importance of a will, but that it must be updated to reflect significant life events. Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose in 2008 during the editing of the Dark Knight Batman movie in which he played the Joker and posthumously won the Academy Award for best supporting actor.

Mr. Ledger had a will drafted a few years earlier in which his parents and sisters were beneficiaries. He however, had neglected to update his will upon his marriage to actress Michelle Williams and on the birth of their daughter Matilda. However, unlike many messy and nasty estate fights highlighted in this blog post, Heath’s family as detailed in this People article altruistically handed over the entire estate to Matilda. It is nice to see some kindness amongst the greed and fighting of the other estates.

Will Lesson #6: Update Your Will for Life Events, or You May Negate the Benefits of Having a Will

Howard Hughes

As per Wikipedia, Howard Hughes “was an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, film director, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world. He first made a name for himself as a film producer, and then became an influential figure in the aviation industry. Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle—oddities that were caused in part by a worsening obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain from several plane crashes, and increasing deafness”.

As discussed in this New York Times article it took over 20 years to sort out the estate of the reclusive Howard Hughes. Mr. Hughes did not leave a will and his estate was subject to various forgeries.

Will Lesson #7: If You Have Not Decided to Draft or Update Your Will After Reading These Stories, I Give Up!

While most of these famous people had substantial estates, the lesson is still the same for the average person. Have a will drafted (and powers of attorney) so that you ensure your estate goes to whom you wish and it is not frittered away on legal battles that not only cost significant sums, but destroy the lives and relationships of your loved ones.

This site provides general information on various tax issues and other matters. The information is not intended to constitute professional advice and may not be appropriate for a specific individual or fact situation. It is written by the author solely in their personal capacity and cannot be attributed to the accounting firm with which they are affiliated. It is not intended to constitute professional advice, and neither the author nor the firm with which the author is associated shall accept any liability in respect of any reliance on the information contained herein. Readers should always consult with their professional advisors in respect of their particular situation. Please note the blog post is time sensitive and subject to changes in legislation or law.

The Best of The Blunt Bean Counter - No Will? You're in Famous Company

This summer I am posting the best of The Blunt Bean Counter blog while I work on my golf game. Today, I am re-posting a February, 2018 post on famous people who did not leave a will and in many cases, caused havoc for their loved ones and/or their estate? If you do not have a will or it is outdated, please get it drafted or updated.

________

Readers of my blog are aware of my inclination to harp on the fact that you should have a will, and where you have a will in place, that it should be updated for significant life events. I also think it is important to have up-to-date powers of attorney for financial and personal care. But today, we are talking wills and the lack of such for some famous people and the lessons you may learn from their estate planning miscues.

In my blog post “Canadians Don’t Have the Will”, I highlighted a 2016 survey conducted by Legalwills.ca, that found 62% of Canadians do not have wills.

The 62% number is astronomical and in my not so humble opinion, just irresponsible. I thought of this survey, when I was recently told by a colleague that they were working on an estate where the first spouse passed away without a will, and then the surviving spouse died a couple years later without ever having a will drafted. I can maybe understand that some couples don’t have wills based on the premise “everything will just automatically flow to the surviving spouse”, although this thinking may be flawed depending upon your province of residence as noted in this link for the laws of Ontario when you die intestate (without a will). But for a surviving spouse to not have a will drafted is just beyond my comprehension.

Since the advice of accountants, lawyers, finance columnists and bloggers is obviously being ignored, I thought instead of lecturing that you should have a will, I would reflect on the folly of not having a will by looking at famous people who have died intestate and the messes they left behind.

Please note: I have no ability to confirm that these people did not have wills and I am relying on articles and other internet sources for this list, so I cannot guarantee its accuracy. Some of the stories in respect of these people’s deaths and estates are fascinating. You may wish to read in detail the links and source documents I provide below.

Famous People Who Supposedly Died Without a Will

The Musicians

There seems to be a correlation between being artistic and financially irresponsible as noted by the extremely famous musicians I note below. This does not surprise me, as I have suggested in prior posts on naming executors, that at the risk of generalizing you will want someone more anal than artistic to carry out this task.

Prince

In this article by People Magazine it was reported: “A Minnesota judge has made it official – despite Prince’s estate being worth an approximated $250 million, the singer did not have a will in place to declare the distribution of his assets. A hearing was held Wednesday morning, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, and the judge has approved Bremer Bank, the institution Prince trusted with his finances over the years, to move forward with handling his estate – both personal and financial business”.

Prince's former manager, Owen Husney, in this USA today article said “he was too smart to have overlooked something that crucial and he had teams of lawyers, business managers and accountants over the years who would have advised him it was crucial”. Assuming that no will ever surfaces, it is mind numbing that with so many advisors, Prince did not have a will in place and it could have fallen through the cracks (unless he just refused to have one drafted).

"It's astonishing, absolutely astonishing that he did not have a will," says Jerry Reisman, an estate lawyer on Long Island who's been following the case. He predicted trouble ahead. You're going to have 'siblings' coming out of the woodwork alleging they are siblings. Everyone is going to be fighting over this estate.”

Will Lesson #1: Run Out and Write Your Will 

Hendrix, Marley and a Cast of Thousands

In this LegalZoom,com article the writer notes that both Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley died without wills and that their estates were subject to legal battles for years. Musicians such as Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley have complicated estates due to the publishing rights they hold on their music, the typically massive demand for their music once they pass away and the value in unreleased material that is often released posthumously.

Other musicians that have purportedly died without wills include Kurt Cobain, Barry White, Tupac Shakur, James Brown, Sonny Bono and Amy Winehouse.

Athletes

Many athletes are known for blowing fortunes, but you would again think that their advisors would have ensured they had wills in place, but that apparently is not the case, or the athletes ignore their advice.

Steve McNair

Mr. McNair who played in Super Bowl XXXIV as the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans and was the NFL’s Co-MVP in 2003, did not have a will. He also had, in addition to his wife and children, a girlfriend - who murdered him in a murder-suicide. The sad details of this case can be read in this Probate Lawyer blog. 

If this story is not tragic enough, this Family Archival Solutions Inc. article discusses how McNair’s mother subsequently lost her home because Mr. McNair had not put his mother’s name on the house or made provision in a will for her to inherit the property as he had intended for her.

Will Lesson #2: Unintended Consequences Transpire when a Will is Not Drafted

Lamar Odom

This is a story about almost dying without a will. In 2015, former NBA star and ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian was hospitalized after being discovered unconscious at the Love Ranch, a brothel in Crystal, Nevada. Mr. Odom’s heart supposedly stopped several times and was touch and go to live. Luckily for him, he survived the ordeal.

As Mr. Odom supposedly did not have a will, it was reported that if he died, his estate would have all gone 1/3 to Khloé and 2/3 to his children. It is my understanding that Odom and Khloé had a good relationship despite their divorce and she was there at his side while he recovered and she did not want his money. So this is not a story about an ex-spouse trying to get something that was not hers, but clearly reflects that an ex-spouse may be entitled to your estate or part of it, if you are not careful.

Will Lesson #3: When You Do Not Have a Will, Your Ex-Spouse May Inherit Part of Your Estate

Other Famous People Who Died Without a Will (or Updating Their Will)

Martin Luther King

Mr. King who was assassinated on April 4, 1968 was one of the best known civil rights activists in the World. His “I Have A Dream” speech made in 1963 during the march on Washington is known as one of the finest speeches ever given. Unfortunately, when assassinated Mr. King was only 37 years old and did not have a will per this Forbes article.

This LA Times article discusses how the children are threatening his legacy as the estate battles on 47 years after his death in respect of his tomb, sermons and memorabilia.

Will Lesson #4: When You Die Intestate You Create Possible Conflict amongst Your Family

Pablo Picasso

As detailed in this 2016 article by Vanity Fair on the estate of Pablo Picasso,  Picasso did not have a will and left over “45,000 works, all complicated by countless authentications, rights and licencing deals”. The legal fees on this estate have were supposedly over $30 million.

Will Lesson #5: When You Die Intestate, Your Estate Can Be Withered Away in Legal Fees

Heath Ledger

As I noted in the introduction, I not only stress the importance of a will, but that it must be updated to reflect significant life events. Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose in 2008 during the editing of the Dark Knight Batman movie in which he played the Joker and posthumously won the Academy Award for best supporting actor.

Mr. Ledger had a will drafted a few years earlier in which his parents and sisters were beneficiaries. He however, had neglected to update his will upon his marriage to actress Michelle Williams and on the birth of their daughter Matilda. However, unlike many messy and nasty estate fights highlighted in this blog post, Heath’s family as detailed in this People article altruistically handed over the entire estate to Matilda. It is nice to see some kindness amongst the greed and fighting of the other estates.

Will Lesson #6: Update Your Will for Life Events, or You May Negate the Benefits of Having a Will

Howard Hughes

As per Wikipedia, Howard Hughes “was an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, film director, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world. He first made a name for himself as a film producer, and then became an influential figure in the aviation industry. Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle—oddities that were caused in part by a worsening obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain from several plane crashes, and increasing deafness”.

As discussed in this New York Times article it took over 20 years to sort out the estate of the reclusive Howard Hughes. Mr. Hughes did not leave a will and his estate was subject to various forgeries.

Will Lesson #7: If You Have Not Decided to Draft or Update Your Will After Reading These Stories, I Give Up!

While most of these famous people had substantial estates, the lesson is still the same for the average person. Have a will drafted (and powers of attorney) so that you ensure your estate goes to whom you wish and it is not frittered away on legal battles that not only cost significant sums, but destroy the lives and relationships of your loved ones.

The content on this blog has been carefully prepared, but it has been written in general terms and should be seen as broad guidance only. The blog cannot be relied upon to cover specific situations and you should not act, or refrain from acting, upon the information contained therein without obtaining specific professional advice. Please contact BDO Canada LLP to discuss these matters in the context of your particular circumstances. BDO Canada LLP, its partners, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability or duty of care for any loss arising from any action taken or not taken by anyone in reliance on the information on this blog or for any decision based on it.

Please note the blog posts are time sensitive and subject to changes in legislation.

BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms.

TFSAs - Ease of Access, Discipline and Retirement

Last week’s budget confirmed the badly kept secret that the Tax Free Savings Account (“TFSA”) contribution limit would increase. The Conservative government proposes to increase the limit from $5,500 to $10,000 (although, TFSAs will no longer be indexed) effective January 1, 2015. Although I can’t say I fully understand this from a public policy perspective, I think the increased limit is great from a purely financial perspective.

As there have already been numerous articles discussing the advantages of the increased limit and who will benefit the most (here are links to two very good articles by Rob Carrick of The Globe and Mail  and Adam Mayers of the Toronto Star), today I thought I would take a different tact and discuss how the increased TFSA limit will test our human behavioural traits.

Ease of Access, Discipline and Retirement

Ease of Access - A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

TFSAs allow you to withdraw your money at any time for any reason. The reason could be financial, for example to help purchase a house, or purely for personal indulgence, such as to go on your dream vacation or buy that sports car you always wanted.

One of the great things about a TFSA is that you have the option to re-contribute any money you withdraw from your TFSA beginning January 1st of the following year. However, my concern is once that money is withdrawn, many people will not re-contribute, especially in respect of discretionary withdrawals where the money provided personal gratification.

I have written a couple times that one of the indefinable benefits of a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (“RRSP”) is that it acts as an invisible barrier to protect you from yourself, as some (not all) people treat their RRSP as sacrosanct and only consider withdrawing money for emergencies, or income smoothing purposes. In contrast, TFSAs are inviting with limited barriers to protect you from yourself.

Discipline - Do You Have It?

The easy accessibility of TFSAs will require us to be disciplined if we are not to squander the funds we sock away. It has been my observation that many of us do not have that financial discipline. I have said this before and will say it again; with respect to accessible monies, the path of least resistance generally ends at the cash register.

Retirement - Are TFSAs the New RRSPs?

Over the last few years, more and more Canadians have decided to fund their TFSAs in lieu of their RRSPs. Many people seem to prefer the flexibility and tax-free status of TFSAs and are willing to forsake today’s tax refund (generated by RRSP contributions), for tax-free withdrawals in retirement (to avoid taxable withdrawals from their RRSPs/RRIFs in the future). While this change in retirement funding makes sense where your marginal tax rate today is lower than it will be in retirement, it does not make income tax sense where your marginal rate is higher today than you anticipate at retirement.

Whether the trend of moving to TFSAs and away from RRSPs makes financial sense or not, assuming the budget proposal becomes law, I can foresee the day where TFSAs will become the dominant retirement vehicle in Canada. 

This brings us back to discipline. Much has been written about how poorly many Canadians have saved for retirement and how we need government pension plans (see Ontario) to save us from ourselves. Yet now, it can be argued, the government has in a way incentivized us to not use our RRSPs and is expecting us to be disciplined and use the money in our TFSAs to fund our retirements.

As the expression goes, I am from Missouri on this issue; you will need to show me that Canadians will be disciplined enough to always choose their retirement over the trip to Tuscany.

This site provides general information on various tax issues and other matters. The information is not intended to constitute professional advice and may not be appropriate for a specific individual or fact situation. It is written by the author solely in their personal capacity and cannot be attributed to the accounting firm with which they are affiliated. It is not intended to constitute professional advice, and neither the author nor the firm with which the author is associated shall accept any liability in respect of any reliance on the information contained herein. Readers should always consult with their professional advisors in respect of their particular situation.

The Best of The Blunt Bean Counter - How to use the BDO Estate Organizer

This summer I am posting the best of The Blunt Bean Counter blog while I work on my golf game. Today, I am re-posting a January 2019 blog I wrote on how to use the BDO estate organizer. I have written numerous times over the years urging you, my readers, to get your financial affairs in order, by stress-testing your finances in case you pass away suddenly. While clearly a morbid topic, the rationale for the discussion is this: if you do not get your affairs in order and you pass away suddenly, you leave your family a financial mess at a time of emotional distress, anxiety and confusion.

The organizer can assist you in writing your financial story and ensuring your financial information and wishes are documented for your family and trustees. I would suggest COVID-19 has caused many people to consider their mortality, and the pandemic may provide you some free time to undertake this task.

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How to use the BDO Estate Organizer

Not to be morbid, but since Roma Luciw of The Globe and Mail has called me “morbid Mark,” I reiterate once again: if you do not communicate and document your financial affairs for your family or executors, you at best leave your family a messy estate at a time of distress and at worst cost your estate and family thousands of dollars.

Today I will walk you through completing the Organizer and some of the important issues that arise in completing the document.

Key Tips in Using the Organizer

Family Information (p.2)

The most important item in this section is citizenship. Many Canadian don’t realize this, but parts of your estate can trigger tax consequences if you are a citizen of another country. This typically applies to U.S. citizens, since the U.S. taxes based on citizenship; while most other countries tax based on residency. Although it should be noted, Canadians who are non-residents of the U.S., can be subject to U.S. Estate tax.

Perhaps the biggest issue for U.S. citizens is home ownership. As discussed in this blog post, the U.S. has a $250,000 or $500,000 principal residence exemption, depending upon your marital and citizenship status. The fact that a tax-free home sale in Canada can result in taxes in the U.S. is often very shocking to Canadians filing U.S. tax returns.

Your U.S. citizenship can trigger many other tax consequences — such as U.S. estate tax —based on differing laws south of the border. And of course, U.S. tax compliance should begin well before estate planning makes an appearance in your life. If you are a U.S. citizen or green card holder, you should be filing U.S. tax returns. If you are not filing, you should seek U.S. tax advice.

If you are a citizen of another country, you may want to determine if citizenship in that country would have any income tax consequences upon your passing.

In addition, depending upon the politics of your home country and your children’s familiarity with that country, you may wish to sell your foreign assets as you age to simplify your estate.

Important Documents (p.5)

My Will 

If you do not have a will, it's time to have one drafted. As discussed in this blog post, 65% of Canadians do not even have a will and 12% of wills are outdated. Yes, your read that correctly: only 3 of 10 Canadians have an up-to-date will. 

If you already have a will, you should review it to determine if there have been any significant life events since you last updated it. In addition, you will want to ensure all your beneficiary designations (RRSP and TFSA, for example) agree to your will and are up to date. Many people have inadvertently left significant assets to ex-spouses by not updating their designations.

There have been substantial changes to the tax laws in the last few years, which can affect the tax treatment of trusts created by will and provisions for disabled children. If you have created trusts in your will or have a disabled child, you may want to contact your accountant or lawyer to see if these changes necessitate any change to your will.

Some provinces allow for dual wills, one for assets subject to probate and one for assets not subject to probate.

Powers of Attorney

You should have two powers of attorney (POAs), one for your financial affairs and one for your health care.

POA’s for health care have evolved over the last few years for such matters as heroic measures and even assisted-death provisions. You may want to consider updating this document depending upon your personal and religious views on these issues.

Financial Information (p.6)

As noted earlier, you will want to ensure that the beneficiary designations for pension plans and registered plans are in line with your will and your intentions. Often these designations are out of date.

After completing the Financial Information: Liabilities section of the organizer, review and ensure you have enough insurance (see discussion below) or liquid assets to pay off any of these liabilities should you pass away. You may also wish to assess whether this is a good time to have a financial or retirement plan prepared or updated.

Insurance Information (p.11)

After completing this section, sit back and consider these three things: 

1. Do you have any unnecessary insurance policies you purchased long ago and never cancelled?

2. Do you have enough insurance based on how much you spend annually, the debt you hold and significant funding expenses you still need to incur, such as tuition for your children? 

3. If you have significant funds in your corporation (especially if you will have excess funds in your corporation you will not need in retirement), have you considered purchasing a corporate-funded insurance policy?

Employment Information(p.13)

Some issues to consider is this section are:

Ensure that you detail any stock options, deferred stock units, deferred profit-sharing plans or any other of these more complex plans. Heirs often face confusion with these plans when someone passes away, so the more clarity you can provide (e.g., dates, units, tax cost basis, purchase price), the easier it will be for your family to deal with these plans.

Most employers are very good at assisting the family after the death of a loved one, but you will put your family in the best position possible by providing as many details as you can.

Income Details (p.14)

Some issues to consider in this section are: 

1. Are you taking advantage of all income splitting opportunities? You should review this with your accountant, especially given the implementation of the Tax on Split Income (TOSI) rules.

2. Consider if your investment returns are in line with your expectations and whether you even know what your returns are. See this blog post for a discussion of this topic and some useful links.

Real Estate (p.15)

Prepare a free-form schedule that should include the following at a minimum: 

1. A notation of the year you last claimed the principal residence exemption (PRE) on the sale of your home. This will allow your executor and estate to tax plan upon death or going forward in respect of future PRE claims if you have, say, a house and cottage. See this blog post for the new reporting rules on PRE claims.

2. If you elected in 1994 to crystalize $100,000 of capital gains on property you still hold, attach a copy of your 1994 form T664 to this document. The government allowed one final election to utilize your capital gains exemption before phasing out the exemption on real estate and marketable securities in 1994.

Note: Qualified small business corporations (QSBCs) continue to be eligible for the capital gains exemption — see this blog post for details.

Financial Advisors (p.16)

Ensure you have introduced your spouse or significant other to all your financial advisors. It is much easier for a surviving spouse to deal with the aftermath of a passing when they already have a level of comfort with the advisors they will have to deal with. 

Executors (p.17)

You should review your executor appointments to ensure they are the correct people for the job.

If you have not informed your executors they have been named, you should inform them. You may want to inform the executor that you have completed the organizer so that they will know it exists and where they can find it.

If you do not have someone you can name as an executor or there is possible family conflict, consider naming an institution as an executor. 

Digital Information (p.18)

If you have digital assets of value (e.g., cryptocurrency, websites), ensure you have obtained tax and legal advice and have considered them in your will. See this blog post on the topic from estate lawyer Katy Basi.

Katy also guest posted this excellent piece on a 21st century issue: how to deal with reproductive assets in your will.

Funeral Arrangements (p.19)

This is truly a morbid topic, but ensure someone is aware of any pre-paid or funeral wishes.

Final Comments

This estate organizer is one heck of a homework assignment. But it is one of the most selfless things you can do for your family, especially if you have significant assets or complex financial affairs.

The content on this blog has been carefully prepared, but it has been written in general terms and should be seen as broad guidance only. The blog cannot be relied upon to cover specific situations and you should not act, or refrain from acting, upon the information contained therein without obtaining specific professional advice. Please contact BDO Canada LLP to discuss these matters in the context of your particular circumstances. BDO Canada LLP, its partners, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability or duty of care for any loss arising from any action taken or not taken by anyone in reliance on the information on this blog or for any decision based on it.

Please note the blog posts are time sensitive and subject to changes in legislation.

BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms.