A Saskatchewan couple hand-picks their successors, ensuring the operation is farmed the way they would prefer
While all succession plans are unique, one playing out on the farm of Al Boyko and Hélène Tremblay-Boyko near Canora, Sask., could be described as more than a little outside the box. Readers met the couple in The Western Producer two years ago. At that time they were looking for a young couple who would […] Read moreAuthor Archives
Bucket lists can make retirement interesting
The term bucket list, which is a list of things you want to do in your lifetime, was probably first used in Justin Zackham’s screenplay for the 2007 movie of the same name. According to Wiktionary, before he had even thought of writing this screenplay, Zackham had created his own bucket list and the first […] Read more
Longer lifespans have produced the third age
The emergence of an extended middle life, the “third age” if you like, can be compared to adolescence. One hundred years ago it didn’t exist. There were no teenagers. You were a child and then you were an adult. Economic, political, educational and social factors created the teenager. Now, longer lifespans have created the third-ager. […] Read more
Before you go, be sure they know
What is apparent to you might not be real for your family members when it comes to your estate intentions
The thought of your grown children and their step-parent, your spouse, wrangling over your will and its interpretation after your death is something that nobody wants to become a reality. A recent case in Western Canada illustrates how seeking legal advice early on might prevent that scenario from playing out in your family. A man […] Read moreFive steps to healthy farm succession
Farm succession planning can represent a challenge for most producers. Advice from accountants and business consultants will provide a process, but ultimately the hard work of filling in the blanks will come from the prospective retirees themselves. In a user friendly format, The family farm business succession checklist … approaching the porcupine from British Columbia’s […] Read more
Snowbirds should check medical twice before flying away
Joe and Suzanne Lefebvre of Ontario bought a travel health policy in October 2010 specifically for an Alaskan cruise they would take the following May. On the fourth day of the cruise, Joe, who was 80 at the time, had to be hospitalized in Fairbanks with pneumonia. Complications set in and he spent 15 days […] Read more
Divorce can finance spouse’s long-term care
Greg contacted the following agencies:
“As close to hell as I ever want to get,” is how Greg (not his real name) describes the events leading to his 2015 divorce from his wife of more than 30 years. Greg’s wife, Connie (not her real name), now deceased, suffered from dementia and required full-time care in a nursing home. Greg learned […] Read moreSeniors report that ageism is alive and well in our culture
Sixty-three percent of respondents 66 and older said in a recent survey that they had been treated unfairly or differently because of their age
Discrimination based on race or gender is acknowledged in our culture to be plain wrong, yet discrimination against older adults has not yet reached the same level of impropriety. Ageism is alive and well in our country. The term ageism was coined in 1969 by Robert Butler, then a 42-year-old psychiatrist who headed the District […] Read more
Gone glamping: roughing it with luxury in mind
The word glamping, or glamorous camping, found its way into the Oxford English dictionary in 2016, but the concept of glamping has been around since the 16th century when the Scottish Earl of Atholl orchestrated an ultra-luxurious glamping experience in the Highlands for his guests, King James and his mother. The earl, or more likely […] Read more
Farming, taxes and retirement
Taxation often makes up the largest expense and accounts for the largest loss of wealth in the lives of many farm families, particularly during retirement years, says Donavon Tofin, a tax specialist with Retiring Farmers in Saskatoon. Over a farming career that spans two, three or more decades, farmers defer income into the latter years. […] Read more
