As the holiday season fades into fond memories, we are thrilled to kick start the New Year! As we enter the first few days of 2024, we hope that everyone had the opportunity to celebrate over the holiday season with friends and family.
This holiday season we really wanted to give back to our community so our team was a part of a food drive for the Ancaster Community Services (ACS). ACS offers a wide variety of services and programs across our community for families, youth and seniors. Our team supported ACS by collecting food and various personal items for families and young people.
Team News
We are thrilled to announce that Natalia Bastasic has returned from her maternity leave. Natalia and her husband David, welcomed baby Thomas to their family mid December 2022. Natalia is our bonified “numbers” person. As our lead investment manager and market analysis specialist, what she appreciates most about her job is the ability to see her work translate into real-life impact for clients. Natalia works closely with Kieron and Nicky to understand every ambition, priority and concern that makes you unique, so she can apply her market expertise to designing your fully personalized investment portfolio. Working with Sarah Linonge and Mansi Kochar, we are delighted with our investment team, Natalia, Mansi Kochar and Sarah Linonge.
From welcome back Natalia, we are delighted to formally welcome our new team members that joined us in 2023: Francesca (Administrative Assistant), Jesse (Administrative Assistant) and Sarah L (Investment Associate)
Francesca Marchese joined RBC Dominion Securities at the start 2023 and the Hayes Vickers team later the same year. As an administrative assistant Francesca is a first point of contact for clients in helping them with various day-to-day requirements, such as transferring funds and opening accounts, in an organized and timely fashion. In her off hours, she loves to travel.
Following his public servant parents’ example, Jesse Manzin always wanted to help people in some capacity. Upon graduating Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2023, he decided to join RBC Dominion Securities and the Hayes Vickers Private Wealth team. As an administrative assistant, Jesse supports Pia and Francesca in aiding with tasks such as account opening and document processing. In every client interaction, he seeks to find solutions to any problems they may face. He finds problem-solving both rewarding and familiar. Jesse likes to stay active in his down time, be it through rock climbing, skiing, soccer, or hockey.
Lastly but certainly not least, we would like to welcome Sarah Linonge. Born in Belgium, raised in Cameroon, and educated in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (U.K.), Sarah has had more diverse life experiences than most. Sarah obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Nigeria’s University of Calabar and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Coventry University in the U.K. Sarah held multiple roles in finance, particularly in credit and lending, before settling in Canada in 2020. As an investment associate with our team, Sarah supports the investment team with in-depth investment research, strategic portfolio construction, and hands-on trading. Sarah prides herself on her attention to detail and her critical thinking skills in the face of complex investment question. When she’s not working or studying, Sarah likes to spend quality time with her husband or solo in her art corner practicing calligraphy.
Market Update
In this blog Market Update - 2023 a year in review, we provide our thoughts of 2023 from a market perspective and look ahead to what 2024 will bring. For additional reading material, RBC Wealth Management has released the Global Insight - 2024 Outlook this report highlights the firm's outlook for equities and fixed income as well as key themes for the year ahead. Our approach to managing portfolios in 2024 will be consistent with this past year: treading more cautiously than normal given the range of potential outcomes discussed above. We expect to remain patient with the equity allocations in our portfolios, believing that the window of vulnerability that lies ahead will prove to be temporary. On the fixed income front, we continue to take advantage of the higher yields that are available.
Financial Health
The Tax Free Savings Account is a great took to help achieve your financial goals. The contribution room for 2024 has increased to $7,000. If you would like to contribute to your TFSA or confirm completion, please contact us.
The First Home Savings Account is now entering its second year. For additional information about this account, please click here. The limit for the FHSA account remains at $8,000. If you would like discuss opening an FHSA account please contact us
Lastly, as a friendly reminder, the deadline for 2023 RRSP contributions is February 29 2024. Happy Leap Year!
Next month, we will provide some tax tips for filing your 2023 taxes.
Hayes Vickers Private Wealth