Minding Money: Lara's Insights

A financial newsletter and blog in the Comox Valley

I'm glad you're here - being on this page means you want to learn more about how your financial choices can impact your quality of life.

I have been passionate about the importance of financial literacy since I started in this industry 20 years ago.  Minding Money is a quarterly newsletter I started for my friends and clients to address common questions when it comes to wealth and retirement planning and talk about the latest news in the investment industry.

If you would like each issue of Minding Money emailed or mailed to you, please send me an email.  On this blog I'll post a link to the PDF versions, as well as links to financial market and strategy opinion pieces by RBC Wealth Management professionals.

If you have any questions about anything you read here, please get in touch!

 

Latest Newsletter

 Fall 2025

In this edition:

  • Dr. Tom Deans "Every Family's Business" Thursday November 6th
  • Are you overlooking the tax-free opportunity?
  • A tax-efficient withdrawal strategy
  • Year-end checklist
Europe in the age of trade uncertainty

Europe in the age of trade uncertainty

 November 28, 2025 |Frédérique Carrier

The longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Europe is changing, with deep consequences for the euro area and its economy. We look into the impact of this metamorphosis on the corporate sector and discuss the related investment opportunities.

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Building on a narrow base

 November 21, 2025 |Atul Bhatia, CFA

Long-term economic trends have left the U.S. economy increasingly reliant on spending by upper-income households. We unpack the potential implications for economic stability and Federal Reserve policymaking.

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Power tools

 November 17, 2025 |Atul Bhatia, CFA

The White House has made broad interpretations of existing legislative authority to make unilateral policy moves. We examine how this centralized ad hoc decision-making raises structural concerns and how the economic policy framework may evolve.

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The U.S. dollar in transition: Cyclical volatility meets structural shifts

 November 07, 2025 |Joseph Wu, CFA

The greenback’s volatile year underscores the interplay between cyclical drivers and longer-term valuation challenges—factors that could have implications for global equity leadership.

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Five disruptors to the U.S. economic cycle

 November 06, 2025 |Frances Donald, Mike Reid, and Carrie Freestone

We’re increasingly of the view that a series of disruptions are masking a very real cyclical U.S. economic slowdown underneath the surface.

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Federal budget 2025: A summary of key measures that may impact you

 November 05, 2025 |RBC Family Office Services

We outline some of the proposed federal budget measures, and the effect they may have on Canadians and their families.

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