THE PROSPEROUS AND HAPPY LIFE with Mary Hagerman
Money doesn’t guarantee happiness, but it sure can help. In this podcast, I bring you expert advice on how to achieve not only wealth… but happiness too!
I share tips and experiences from my quest to help my clients be prosperous and happy. Over more than 30 years I have worked with thousands of clients and countless experts, all looking to live a rich and fulfilling life. In my podcast interviews, I share my stories and wisdom, along with advice from the many experts I have encountered along the way.
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify.
Episode 28: Celebrating the End of Life. Tips on Making Funeral Arrangements.
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How we celebrate the end of our lives is a decision too often left to loved ones. Today, almost anything is possible when it comes to funeral arrangements, from serious to celebratory. In this podcast episode with Mathieu Baker, we discuss how you can plan ahead and even pre-pay the way you leave this world.
Mathieu Baker is president of the Brome-Missisquoi Funeral Complex and the Haut Richelieu funeral complex, a family business with over 100 years of history. Mathieu is also President of the Canadian Cremation Centre.
In this 22-minute episode, we discuss:
- When people should start discussing funeral arrangements. [01:08]
- Which generations are more likely to discuss death. [03:30]
- The services a funeral complex can provide to people who lost a loved one. [04:42]
- The various costs that are associated with a funeral, and what decisions need to be made for pre-arranging a service. [06:29]
- Points to consider if people want to be cremated. [11:40]
- Support services that are offer to help people through the grieving process. [12:59]
Episode 27: "Too Young to Be Old" Lessons From a Pro-aging Advocate
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Prosperous and happy as we age, that sounds like a great plan!
Getting older can certainly come with its challenges, but it can also bring greater wisdom, empathy and overall happiness.
You can hear for yourself in my conversation with this episode's podcast guest, Diane Gilman. Over the course of her very long and storied career, Diane has become a pro-aging advocate. She is a self-professed "too young to be old" cat mom and a breast cancer survivor.
Diane has bounced back from incredible business and life challenges to make her senior years some of the best years of her life.
In this 32-minute discussion, we talk about:
- How midlife brought Diane her greatest success. [01:00]
- Her lightbulb moment as it pertains to her midlife experience. [04:16]
- Diane’s plan for navigating her midlife successfully and for aging agelessly. [06:42]
- How her breast cancer diagnosis shaped her life and how it lead her to rebrand herself in her mid-70s. [15:40]
- How Diane continues to deliver her message through her podcast and books, and how she coined the phrase “too young to be old”. [20:20]
You can listen to Diane Gilman’s podcast here: https://thedianegilman.com/podcast/
You can also read more about Diane’s book: Too Young to be Old
Episode 26: How ETF Investing Started and What the Next Decade Will Bring
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The last 10 years has seen a lot of innovation in the investment world and exchange-traded funds have been at the forefront of that change.
In this 2-year anniversary episode of my podcast “The Prosperous and Happy Life” I share my personal story of how I began using ETFs after the great recession and what I think the next 10 years will bring us.
My producer and editor of the podcast: Nicholas Saranczuk joins me in a discussion of:
- How the prosperous and happy theme came about.
- Why I began using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in my investment portfolios.
- What it was like trying to educate clients on the benefits of ETF investing.
- Innovations in the ETF landscape.
- Where I see ETF investing in the next 10 years.
Make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Captivate.
You can also sign up for our free monthly newsletter on our website: www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, make sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Episode 25: Tips For Digital Organization and Computer Clean-Up
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Do you ever wish you could just talk to your computer and tell it what to do? Say things like, fix this error message or clean up my picture file?
Well, good news, I’ve found someone who can speak the language of computers and talk to the humans behind the machine. Audrey Shink is the founder of Blue Eden computer and technology services and she shares some great information in this chat.
- First priority when data storage is out of control. [00:58]
- Software for cleaning up computer files. [03:50]
- Using cloud services to manage. [05:55]
- Help for retrieving lost files.[09:39]
- What happens to computer storage after death? [12:57]
- Audrey’s final tips for data storage. [18:10]
Make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Captivate.
You can also sign up for our free monthly newsletter on our website: www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, make sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Episode 24: Tips For De-cluttering
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This episode of my podcast is all about de-cluttering, to have more energy, better productivity and even more prosperity.
I’m delighted to be chatting with Sachiko Kiyooka, a feng shui consultant and master-level KonMari™ professional organizer. She is the owner of Soulful Simplicity.
You will soon find out that Sachiko has lots of great suggestions for organizing our physical space and creating home and workspaces where we feel happy and productive.
We discuss:
- Has the trend of de-cluttering that began during the pandemic continued? [01:05]
- How Sachiko developed an interest in Feng Shui and applied the concept to de-cluttering. [03:30]
- What people are looking for when they reach out to Sachiko for her services. [05:17]
- What clients are looking for when they reach out to Sachiko. [08:25]
- The steps involved in de-cluttering a living space. [10:20]
- Relating the de-cluttering process to Mary’s financial dojo that she discusses in her book. [20:37]
- The use of plants to improve one’s living space. [26:24]
- The elements of Feng Shui. [29:45]
- The importance of maintaining an ongoing discipline with keeping the home de-cluttered. [30:18]
To our listeners, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Sachiko, please share it with friends. And if you are looking for expert guidance on your path to prosperity and happiness, then reach out to our team.
Make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Captivate. We will be releasing new episodes the last Friday of every month.
You can also sign up for our free monthly newsletter on our website: www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, make sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. The links are in the show notes.
Wishing you all prosperity and happiness, see you next time!
Episode 23: The Power of Meditation
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In this podcast episode, I explore a subject very dear to my heart: meditation.
Meditation and money intersect in a lot of different ways. Repetitive thoughts about money and stressing over finances are just some of the things meditation can help with.
To go deeper into the benefits of having a meditative or consciousness practice, I reached out to Coral Short.
Coral is a non-binary Somatic Experience Practitioner and Community Dharma Teacher at True North Insight in Montréal. Coral also co-facilitates the Queer Sangha in both Montréal and sometimes in Berlin. Just recently, Coral became the meditation teacher of our Raymond James cross-Canada sangha, which I set up with the help of our “Life Well Lived programme” in early 2024.
We discuss:
- Coral's background and what originally drew her towards meditation. [01:27]
- Benefits of having a regular meditation practice. [03:28]
- Misconceptions about meditation. [05:28]
- Some of the different ways people can practice meditation. [10:48]
- Suggestions on the structure of practicing, such as for scheduling and frequency. [12:16]
- What is somatic awareness? [13:49]
- The benefits of doing meditation in a group setting. [16:40]
- What Coral would suggest to someone who has never meditated before and would like to begin. [19:01]
To our listeners, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Coral, please share it with friends. And if you are looking for expert guidance on your path to prosperity and happiness, then reach out to our team. Everything you need to find us is in the show notes and on our website.
Make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Captivate. We will be releasing new episodes the last Friday of every month.
You can also sign up for our free monthly newsletter on our website: www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, make sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. The links are in the show notes.
Wishing you all prosperity and happiness, see you next time!
Episode 22: Conversations About Money With Young Adults
Episode 21: Women's Health and the Challenges of Midlife. Prosperous, Happy and Healthy at All Ages.
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March is known as “Women’s month” and this episode of the Prosperous and Happy Life podcast is devoted to women and their health. It’s a great follow-up to our last podcast on women and their wealth, I hope you’ll listen to both.
In my book, The Black Belt Investor, chapter 6 (or the Blue Belt chapter) is dedicated to a healthy mind in a healthy body. In this podcast, I chat with Marie-Josée Bourassa. She has dedicated her professional life as nurse clinician to helping women, especially women in mid-life, lead a vibrant healthy life.
For the last 25 years she has worked with female healthcare providers and has led many projects affecting patient access and optimization of healthcare services.
She is also the 2021 recipient of the Healthcare Leadership Award, the Jeanne Mance Award of the Regional Order of Nurses (ORIIML).
In 2023, Marie-Josée decided to fulfill a dream and opened the Meno-Joie clinic in Montreal, to help women suffering through the transitions of their menopause.
- How Marie Josée made the decision to open up a private clinic geared towards women’s health in mid-life. [02:50]
- What is considered optimal health for women past 40. [04:22]
- An overview on when perimenopause begins and when it ends with the onset of menopause. [06:25]
- Whether women generally visit the clinic knowing what’s not quite right or if they usually have to undergo an analysis to find out what the problem is. [09:25]
- How Marie Josée overcomes the hurdle of finding the right professionals to help herr female clientele? [12:45]
- The importance to view the money needed for these kind of services as an investment in women’s health. [16:46]
- An explanation on how women can go about accessing the services the Meno-Joie clinic offers. [19:50]
To our listeners, if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends, both female and male. If you are looking for expert guidance on your path to prosperity and happiness then reach out to our team, everything you need to find us is in the show notes and on our website.
Please make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Captivate. We will be releasing new episodes the last Friday of every month.
You can also sign up for our free monthly newsletter on my website: www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, make sure to follow-me on LinkedIn Facebook and Instagram. The links are in the show notes.
Wishing you all prosperity and happiness, see you next time!
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 20: Women and Wealth. 4 Things to Think About
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The financial world is waking up to the reality that women all over the world are building serious wealth.
In the US alone, it is calculated that women control a third of US financial household assets, more than 10 trillion dollars.
As we gain more seats on boards and more offices in the C-Suite, women are flexing their financial muscles.
It’s a good news story, but there’s still lots more to do.
Today, I’m speaking with Erika Toth, Erika is Director of Institutional & Advisory ETF Distribution in Eastern Canada with BMO.
Erika is a CFA charter holder and a graduate of the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal.
Erika works with clients ranging from investment advisors, portfolio managers, family offices and pension funds. In providing support and education to people, like me, who manage money for their clients, Erika has learned quite a lot about women and their money.
We cover the following topics:
- Women in the financial industry and how it will affect wealth transition. [02:30]
- How women suffered setbacks as a result of the pandemic. [04:26]
- The need for women to gain financial guidance. [07:13]
- Planning for the financial consequences of women living longer. [09:37]
- Insurance needs for women, and the need to stay healthy. [13:12]
Click here to listen to our podcast episode that talk more about money and marriage.
Money and Marriage – Discussions you need to have with your partner.
Thinking of Getting a Divorce? Here is some preliminary information you should know.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 19: Mary's Top 5 Tips for Achieving Prosperity and Happiness
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The path to prosperity and happiness isn’t a day trip, it’s a life’s journey. Everyday, we should remind ourselves why this journey is so important and how we can be successful in our quest.
I want to give you my 5 top-tips for achieving prosperity and happiness. They can all be found in my book: the Black Belt Investor… In fact, I give you more than 5 tips in my book and lots of stories that help illustrate my points.
For this first “bilingual” episode of my podcast, I wanted to keep my message short, sweet and powerful… with a dash of humour.
Here are my top 5 tips:
- Don't get divorced! [01:52]
- Get and stay organized. [03:05]
- Make a financial plan [04:09]
- Have a mindfulness (stress-reduction) practice. [05:15]
- Follow the basic tenets of investing [07:11]
- Bonus Tip. [09:24]
Click here to listen to our podcast episode that talk more about money and marriage.
Money and Marriage – Discussions you need to have with your partner.
Thinking of Getting a Divorce? Here is some preliminary information you should know.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 18: The benefits of volunteering. You get back more than you give.
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The holiday season is a time of year when our hearts are especially open to those in need.
There's a myriad of ways that we can help this world be a better place and help others live happier lives. In fact, all year round, opportunities exist to volunteer. For a few hours, a few days, or maybe more.
In the spirit of prosperity and happiness, I wanted to devote this podcast to the benefits of volunteering to everyone.
We reached out to the Montreal Volunteer Bureau to speak with consultant Caroline Tom, who has a lot of great information for people who are looking to get involved in volunteering.
- The benefits of volunteering for people who wish to volunteer. [02:01]
- The types of volunteering that exist and how it can fit into a lifetime activity. [03:49]
- How Caroline decided she wanted to work with the Volunteer Bureau. [05:54]
- What steps people will need to take if they want to start volunteering. [07:31]
- Some of the organizations and people who contact the bureau when they want to volunteer for a cause. [08:58]
- Which organizations people can reach out to if they want to consider volunteering. [13:06]
You can visit the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal here for more information.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 17: Year-end tax tips. How to find free money.
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It’s the countdown to the New Year and you never want to leave any stones unturned ….Especially if you’re looking for “Free Money”.
Yes, “free money” does exist and in this podcast episode I talk with our financial planner Yannick Rivest who takes us on a treasure hunt of places to look and boxes to check, to help make sure you don’t pay more taxes than you need to.
I work closely with Yannick to help guide all of our clients on the path to prosperity and happiness. His 15 years of experience in the finance industry and his engaging personality make him a valuable addition to our team.
We cover a lot of ground in this chat but you can reach out to us for our tax planning checklist in the show notes if you want to make sure you remember the highlights of our discussion.
- Generating tax loss sells for investors. [02:32]
- Avoiding incurring a superficial loss when selling for a tax loss. [04:31]
- TFSA contributions and withdrawals. [05:30]
- Converting an RRSP to a RRIF and making a final RRSP contribution. [07:00]
- Reminder of the deadline to make an RRSP contribution for 2023. [08:27]
- Ways that investors can save for the purchase of their first home, as previously discussed during episode 13.[09:20]
- Explaining the difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction. [10:51]
- The home renovation tax credit for multi-generational families. [12:07]
- An overview on the RESP and how you can get free money to save for your children's education. [13:14]
- Claiming medical expenses on your tax return. [16:28]
- How charitable giving, as referenced in our episode with Diana Mao, can lead to tax benefits for investors. [18:16]
- Key tips for business owners. [19:17]
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 16: What does prosperous and happy mean to you? Our podcast guests answer the question.
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At the end of every podcast, I ask all my guests the same question, “what does prosperous and happy mean to you” ?
As we head into the end of the year, I wanted to share the answers of many of the guests who I’ve chatted with since we launched the podcast in July of 2022.
You can hear for yourself that Prosperous and Happy means different things to different people, but almost always revolves around a feeling of gratitude for something that brings joy to our life.
Regardless of whether we were talking about financial planning, the markets or a potential divorce, guests always had a great answer to my final question on THEIR definition of prosperous and happy.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 15: Give and feel good! How to give more for less.
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It seems like every day we wake up to reminders in the news that the world needs our help. I am always looking for ways to help people reap the benefits of charitable giving.
In this past year, we have supported many worthy causes, through my personal foundation, with the assistance of clients and also in collaboration with Raymond James colleagues, both locally and across Canada.
I’ve published an article on how you can incorporate tax-efficient charitable giving into your personal and estate planning and in todays podcast, I’m delighted to speak with Diana Mao, Associate Vice President, Charitable Giving Program at Solus Trust Company. She works directly with me and my clients to provide planned giving expertise with a focus on strategic charitable giving. Diana is also responsible for leading Raymond James’ client philanthropy program, a donor advised fund program in partnership with Raymond James Canada Foundation.
Diana helps our clients develop their charitable intentions while incorporating tax effective donation strategies as part of an overall wealth plan.
- How and where people are presently donating their money. [02:45]
- The giving gap between generations.[04:06]
- Tax incentives provided to encourage people to make a charitable donation. [07:15]
- Setting up a personal charitable giving foundation. [10:10]
- The process and benefits of a personal foundation.[14:02]
- The feel good side of giving and educational benefits of a family foundation. [17:28]
- The rules of dispersing funds from the foundation. [20:43]
You can visit Mary's charitable giving foundation page here.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 14: Healthspan vs. Lifespan
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It’s no secret that as we age, health issues become more frequent. As the name of this podcast suggests, “Prosperous and Happy” also includes the notion of quality of life, in addition to having a healthy relationship with money.
More and more people are talking about “health span” as opposed to “lifespan” and the impact that healthcare expenses have on financial and estate planning.
So, let’s define exactly what the two terms mean.
Health span is the average number of healthy years between birth and death, also known as quality of life or health-adjusted life expectancy.
Lifespan is the average expected number of years between birth and death, or life expectancy (LE).
In this episode of The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast, I chat with a key member of our team: our insurance expert, Annie Bélanger.
Annie has over 30 years of experience working with insurance companies and large financial institutions, providing clients with innovative, tax efficient insurance.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Administration from the University of Ottawa, and a Master’s degree in Taxation from Université de Sherbrooke. Annie and I work closely together, studying the unique needs of each client to identify the best insurance strategies for their specific situation.
- What will affect people's budgets in their retirement years. [02:24]
- At what stage during retirement will healthcare expenses become an issue. [03:35]
- The differences in health between men and women. [05:14]
- Health expenses as people age. [09:08]
- The financial tools that are available to help people plan for these expenses, such as long-term care insurance. [12:40]
- A comparison between life insurance and long-term care insurance and how they impact estate value. [16:36]
Thank you for listening.
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify.
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group.
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 13: How to Finance Your First Home
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Buying a house is the biggest purchase most people will ever make.
When I started out as a financial advisor and financial planner, I was helping many of my clients invest and save for their first home.
Now, I’m helping their children do the same thing and it is still as exciting for me now as it was then to hear them say, “Mary, I have an accepted offer on a house.”
Of course, the landscape has changed, real estate is very expensive and, for now, interest rates are quite high. But there are programs to help people save and reach their dreams.
In this podcast, I’ll be talking about what’s available right now to help first-time home buyers and I couldn’t think of a better person to help me out on this subject than my podcast director and formidable assistant: Nick Saranczuk.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Nick bought his first home and using the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP). [02:25]
- How saving in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) differs from the HBP. [05:56]
- An overview on the new First Home Savings Account (FHSA) for investors who want to buy their first house. [09:57]
- How to maximize the tax advantages of all programs. [11:35]
- Choosing the right investment profile. [14:09]
- What happens if investors over-contribute to the FHSA. [16:21]
For more information on the FHSA, you can contact Mary.
Thank you for listening.
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify.
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group.
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook.
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 12: Inflation... ... Disinflation????
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Since the beginning of 2022 headline business news has been all about inflation. In the aftermath of COVID and especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, global inflation and rising interest rates have played havoc with the markets, both stock and bond.
Of course, this too shall pass and we’re already seeing an improvement in inflation numbers that have come down from their peak of 9% last June to around 4% at the time of recording of this podcast on June 27th, 2023.
So where are we headed from here? No one know for sure, but Simona Mocuta, Chief Economist of State Street Global Advisors, has some very interesting thoughts on the subject.
She recently dropped by our Montreal office and I had such an engaging conversation with her, that I asked her to be a guest on my podcast, so clients and friends could hear her insightful views on inflation.
Here’s what we discuss:
- Defining inflation, hyperinflation, deflation and disinflation. [03:24]
- How the disinflation period will affect the markets. [10:25]
- What factors does the Fed look for when they are evaluating inflation? [13:03]
- What this could mean for people who have debts? [18:19]
- How easy is it to obtain good data in order to evaluate inflation? [21:00]
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up-to-date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 11: Every year millions of consumers fall victim to cybercrime.
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The internet has become one of the most popular tools used to commit fraud, and criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated with their hacking techniques.
Having good cyber hygiene is a must, if you want to stay safe.
In this podcast, I’ll be chatting with Raymond James senior manager of IT, Dave Iverson.
Dave has been working in IT security for over 25 years and when it comes to technology, governance, risk and compliance, he has seen a lot!
It was hard, but I asked him to come up with a list of five or six items that we should really focus on to protect ourselves from online fraud.
- Password best practices [02:33]
- The importance of multi-factor authentication. [05:43]
- Avoiding phishing scams by text message, phone calls and email [07:08]
- Protecting your personal information over social media [12:48]
- Having a secure internet connection using a virtual private network (VPN). [18:18]
- How to ensure your information is protected while making online purchases. [24:27]
- Steps to follow in the event your data has been compromised [27:49]
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up-to-date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 10: Thinking of Getting a Divorce? – Here is Some Preliminary Information You Should Know.
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If life was a fairytale, we’d all live “happily ever after” with the partner of our dreams. But reality is a different thing. In fact, about half of marriages fail and the statistics are even worse for second marriages.
When couples choose to end their marriage or partnership, the financial consequences can be worse than the nastiest bear market. It’s imperative to proceed with caution and get good advice. That’s why I reached out to two experienced lawyers to ask them how they work with clients who are looking to get divorced.
Ashley Trainor, an associate at Devine Schachter Polak, is a trial lawyer specializing in family law and successions
Tamar Ajamian is a partner also at Devine Schachter Polak; her areas of expertise are family law and estate matters.
- The initial contact that comes from someone who is looking to get divorced.
- What to expect the conversation to be once you are in the lawyer’s office.
- Family patrimony – assets and liabilities.
- Spousal support and alimony.
- Child support and special expenses.
- Separations vs. divorce.
- An overview of the impact on your estate documents if you are seeking a divorce.
- Possibility of reconciliation? Offer the option of mediation?
We cover the following topics :
- 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 – 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. [07:40]
- 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲. [13:30]
- 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬. [15:15]
- 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐬. 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. [22:25]
- 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. [23:41]
- 𝐀𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞. [24:12]
To reach out to Devine Schachter Polak for a confidential chat, please visit https://familylaw.ca/.
Thank you for listening
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca
Episode 9: Money and Marriage – Discussions You Need to Have With Your Partner
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The markets might go up and down, but if you’re patient and don’t sell your investments, you probably won’t lose money. On the other hand, a divorce is almost always forever. When couples break up, the financial consequences can be far worse than the nastiest bear market.
That’s why my guest today, Andrew Sofin has such an important job. Andrew is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Couples & Family Therapist. He attended Queen's University for undergraduate studies and then completed graduate studies at Antioch University (USA) specializing in couple and family therapy.
Andrew is the founder of Couples Retreat at Ocean Coral and is in private practice in Montreal, Canada.
Whether you’re married, in a couple or just recovering from a relationship, I encourage you to listen to our 34 minute chat.
We discuss:
- How Andrew sees money problems manifesting in the relationship. [03:15]
- If it’s a man versus woman situation where often it’s the man who controls the money. [04:45]
- How people learn about money from their families and how they carry those values through their lives. [07:15]
- Where issues may start to appear with couples who may move in different directions. [09:36]
- When couples should engage in conversations about their finances. [14:27]
- Recommendation to couples who are in the early stages of their relationship. [16:53]
- What makes a healthy couple in terms of finances.[19:48]
- The mature couple and “Grey Divorce” and how it relates to financial issues. [21:59]
- How conversations and financial plans need to be updated over time as things change. [24:48]
- What keeps a solid relationship. [26:20]
- How Andrew sees the younger generation address relationships, power and control. [29:10]
Thank you so much for tuning in and please make sure to subscribe to “the Prosperous and Happy Life” on Spotify, Captivate or Google Podcasts, we will be releasing new episodes the last Friday of every month.
You can also sign up there for our free monthly newsletter on my website; www.maryhagerman.ca
And in the meantime, you can follow-me on LinkedIn and Facebook; @maryhagerman. The link is in the description box below.
Episode 8: Building Mental Resilience – Working for the Red Cross in Ukraine.
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One year ago from the taping of this episode, our worlds were rocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The markets dropped and inflation spiked. Yes, it has hurt our wallets and portfolios, but what it has done to the lives of the people on the ground of this senseless war is heart-wrenching.
In this episode, I talk with a great humanitarian. Violaine Des Rosiers has been working to make this world a better place, all of her adult life. The list is long, but she has worked with various humanitarian organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as with the International Bureau for Children's Rights. She has also been the head of one of Canada's largest private foundations.
In 2018, Violaine received the Marcel Côté Award from the Public Policy Forum of Canada, which recognizes the contribution of Quebec leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the field of public policy and civic discourse.
Now, Violaine is head of the Red Cross operations in Ukraine and that’s where I reached her today.
I’m joined in this interview by my podcast producer, Nicholas Saranczuk, who is of Ukrainian descent.
- A look at how Violaine ended up in Ukraine. [03:04]
- What a day looks like, while working for the Red Cross. [05:36]
- How Violaine became interested in humanitarian work. [13:04]
- How she preserves her mental resilience while on the job. [16:22]
- What brings her a sense of fulfillment in her work. [20:12]
- Once the war is over, what will her work look like going forward. [26:24]
- How listeners can help the people of Ukraine. [29:07]
Thank you so much for tuning in. Please make sure to subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life on Spotify, Captivate or Google Podcasts. We will be releasing new episodes on the last Friday of every month.
Thank you for listening.
You can help support the Red Cross operations in Ukraine by donating to our special “Love not War” initiative, organized through my private foundation, which will be matching all donations throughout the month of March. Details are on my website: www.maryhagerman.ca
Subscribe to The Prosperous and Happy Life podcast on Spotify.
Keep up to date with Mary by subscribing to her newsletter on The Mary Hagerman Group.
Follow Mary Hagerman on LinkedIn and on Facebook.
Do not hesitate to contact us at mary.hagerman@raymondjames.ca.
Episode 7: Making your last wishes - Four things to take care of before you die (or become incapacitated).
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Benjamin Franklin famously said, “it’s impossible to be sure of anything except death and taxes.” Or maybe you have heard this profound statement, “from the moment we are born, we begin to die”. Yes I know, sounds pretty gloomy, but there’s no getting around the fact that the subject of death elicits a lot of emotion. If you’ve heard me speak or read my book; The Black Belt Investor, you know that emotions and money do not make for a great combination; well emotions, money and death can be a toxic cocktail.
Todays podcast will help you prepare for the inevitable and make life a lot easier for you and your heirs.
I’ve enlisted the expert advice of Marissa Lydynia. She provides estate, trust and incapacity planning services to Quebec-based clients of Raymond James. She also manages several accounts for which Raymond James is appointed as liquidator, trustee, mandatary and power of attorney. Additionally, she offers support services to individuals appointed in such capacities.
Marissa uses a practical but sensitive approach to handling all trust- and estate-related matters, as she understands the emotional toll these topics can have on clients and their loved ones. She uses her in-depth knowledge of trust, estate and tax law to provide financial advisors and their clients with services tailored to their specific needs.
Prior to joining Raymond James, Marissa worked for almost 10 years in private practice at a well-known Montreal law firm where she specialized in wills and estate law. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Montreal.
For many years, Marissa was the co-chair of the Lord Reading Law Society’s Young Bar Committee, and she continues to sit on its board. She is also involved with various charitable organizations in Montreal.
Marissa enjoys volunteering in the community where she works and lives. She sits on the governing board of her sons’ school, and serves on several committees that offer opportunities to parents of young children to engage with each other and the community.
Marissa's key points on preparing your estate include:
- Making sure your documents are up to date. [04:02]
- Choosing the right person to act as your mandatary and/or liquidator. [13:12]
- Ensuring your medical wishes are known to your family. [21:09]
- Keeping a central location for all your documents. [25:46]
Episode 6: Ho Ho Ho – 2023 Forecast – Find out who will be naughty and who will be nice!
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This podcast allows me to speak to experts in a variety of fields, but today’s guest is an internationally recognized, might I say "iconic" figure, the one and only Saint Nicholas. He has just finished his 2022 world tour and reached out to me to discuss the state of the world.
Following a very troubling world tour, Santa wants to know what 2023 has in store.
Mary Christmas shares her views on:
- Inflation [02:23]
- Interest rates [03:48]
- Recession fears [05:20]
- The war in Ukraine [06:10]
- ESG Investing [07:08]
- Investment styles [07:38]
- The 60-40 portfolio [09:45]
Episode 5: The Four Pillars of Happiness - Tips for cultivating happiness at work and in life.
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I have been a firm believer in the benefits of mindfulness for over 40 years now and in my book, “The Black Belt Investor”, I talk about how the 2008 – 2009 financial crisis was a turning point in my meditation practice….I finally became a regular meditator, to help deal with all my stress.
Since that time, I have cultivated many friendships in the consciousness space. A few years ago, I had the good fortune of meeting todays podcast guest Carl Lemieux, the founder of the leadership and well-being consultancy “Mindsmatter”.
Carl Lemieux is an author, workplace psychologist, management consultant (EMBA), executive coach, psychotherapist (OPQ), and mindfulness teacher (MBSR).
Over his 35-year career, Carl has supported the design of corporate strategy and complex transformation initiatives, as well as coached and developed thousands of leaders and professionals. He is also co-author of a new book: “Vertical Growth”.
- Carl tells his story of how he quit the corporate life. [03:13]
- Authenticity and intention as a means of finding happiness. [05:57]
- How self-awareness and self-regulation is the starting point of Vertical Growth.[10:42]
- Algorithms of the mind and mental programming. [13:44]
- How to develop mindfulness in a realistic accessible way. [17:38]
- The importance of the quality of our relationships to our overall well-being. [25:44]
Listeners can reach Carl Lemieux on his website: https://www.mindsmatter.com. Carl's book, "Vertical Growth", can be purchased on Amazon.
Episode 4: Tips for surviving a bear market - Experienced guidance for prosperity and happiness!
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I am fortunate to have some really good people to help me do my job. If you listened to podcast number two entitled “Where are we now?” you heard from Nadeem Kassam, Chief Investment Officer with Raymond James Canada, he’s part of my investment committee and then there was Sami Nathoo our financial planner, from our first podcast on rising interest rates and how that affects your financial plan.
In this episode, you will meet my podcast producer and top-notch assistant; Nicholas Saranczuk, as we chat about surviving a bear market and lessons from my book; The Black Belt Investor.
- What were the worst bear markets for Mary over her more than 30 years managing money? [02:34]
- Gilbert’s story and the dot-com bubble. [03:45]
- Lessons learned after the bubble burst. [06:09]
- The Great Recession of 2008-2009 and how it compares to the pandemic and present bear market. [07:09]
- Mary's tips for helping clients survive and thrive during bear markets. [10:22]
Episode 3: Why ETFs? Answering a Young Investor's Questions About Investing with Exchange Traded Funds.
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As young people embark on a lifetime of saving and investing, they need to understand the role of ETFs in the investment landscape. I had the opportunity over the summer to employ Meghan McCarthy, a third-year finance student at Bishop’s University, as an intern. She told me she was curious about ETFs and didn’t really understand how they differed from mutual funds.
I thought it would be a great opportunity to interview Meghan on my podcast and have her ask me her questions about ETFs and investing.
- What is the difference between an ETF and mutual funds? (2:25)
- If mutual funds don’t outperform, why not use ETFs instead? (8:00)
- Is it possible for a mutual fund to compare itself to an index or does that make it an ETF? (9:55)
- Why would you suggest for someone to use an advisor to build an ETF portfolio if it is already a managed fund?” (13:36)
Episode 2: Where are we now? Market cycles, depressions, recessions, corrections and more.
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Over the course of my over thirty years of managing money, I have seen numerous market cycles, upturns and downturns.
Each one has its own unique story.
In this episode of my podcast: The Prosperous and Happy Life, I deconstruct the story of the pandemic bull and bear market rollercoaster with my guest Nadeem Kassam; MBA, CFA.
This is definitely a unique story worth telling and we review the sequence of events in simple language, from the beginning of 2020 to August 2022.
In this episode, we dive into:
- How do we define a bear market, correction and recession? (04:47)
- The pandemic shock to markets (05:53)
- How did interest rates decrease even lower during the pandemic? (07:35)
- The shortest bear market in history (08:59)
- Unprecedented market stimulus (10:20)
- The shortest bull market in history (11:45)
- What was your take on the markets before the war started in Ukraine? (14:50)
- Inflation raises it’s ugly head (18:06)
- What everyone wants to know now: are we in a recession? (25:20)
- What does prosperity and happiness mean to you? (31:00)
Episode 1: Change of Plans? How Interest Rates Affect Your Financial Plan.
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I am very excited to announce the launch of our monthly podcast; The Prosperous and Happy Life, which goes live the last Friday of every month.
This first episode is entitled “Change of plans? How rising interest rates affect your financial planning.” In this conversation with our financial planner Sami Nathoo, we discuss:
- How does an increase in interest rates affect our financial plan?
- How can we reduce the impact of higher interest rates?
- What are some strategies that people can implement now to be proactive?