Unforeseen liabilities
- Gifts. Although giving assets to a family member reduces the amount of assets you have that are available to cover your personal liabilities, it also increases the assets subject to the family member’s creditors. Furthermore, other than gifts to a spouse, making gifts to family members may potentially trigger a taxable capital gain, which is a tax implication that needs to be considered.
- Trusts. Transferring assets to a trust results in a change of legal ownership of the assets transferred, thus reducing your personal assets subject to creditors. There may also be a loss of some or all of your control over these assets. It is important for you to be confident that the trustee is someone who will protect and manage your assets in the best interests of your beneficiaries. Consider a corporate trustee for this purpose due to their reputation and expertise in managing trust assets. In addition to domestic trusts, offshore trusts may provide protection from creditors, as those trusts are governed by the laws of another country, and it may be difficult for a creditor to pursue a court action in a foreign jurisdiction.
- Life insurance. Based on provincial laws and court precedents, if an insurance policy is structured properly, the investment component of an insurance policy is not subject to creditors.
- Corporation. If you are a business owner and you have accumulated surplus assets in your business that are not needed for operating expenses, then consider transferring these assets to a holding company. This can help protect the assets from the operating company’s creditors. In addition, consider the pros and cons of having your company contribute to an Individual Pension Plan (IPP) in order to boost your retirement assets. As a bonus, the assets in an IPP are creditor protected.
Risk of market downturns
As indicated in “Strategy 2” diversification is one of the golden rules of investing to reduce your risk of losing capital due to market downturns. Traditionally, diversification has meant allocating your assets among the three main asset classes (cash, fixed income and equities) as well as among different geographic areas and sectors of the economy. More and more people with $1 million-plus investment portfolios are considering alternative investments for further diversification to protect assets and boost returns. Speak to us about different alternative investment options.
If you are an incorporated, self-employed business owner or professional looking to boost your retirement savings, or an employer looking to enhance retirement benefits for a key employee, an IPP may be a solution.