Author: kiara

Bestselling author and travel personality Robin Esrock has reported from over 100 countries on 7 continents.  We’ve invited him to share some travel inspiration.

International Dream of the Season:

Sail a Tall Ship in the Caribbean

Unless you personally know someone with a luxury 16-sail, 62m-high, 15m-wide and 110m-long tall ship, chances are you’d never get to sail one.  Fortunately, Swedish-owned Star Clippers has a fleet of them, pampering guests with spectacular sailings around the world. Spring is an ideal time to board their Star Flyer for a week-long sail around the British Virgin Islands. Among sailing enthusiasts and first-timers, you’ll get to explore stunning coves, beaches and island communities where big cruise ships simply cannot go.  Star Flyer accommodates up to 160 passengers and 74 crew, combining luxury (think polished mahogany and brass interiors) with adventure (climb the mast and feel that wind!) Best spot on the yacht is the bowsprit, a thick, hammock like netting at the front of the ship where I felt the spray of the ocean, and spotted curious dolphins beneath the waves.  On board were seasoned cruise veterans who told me the Star Flyer had been their favourite cruise ship of all.  Sailing is just a different way to do it, and burning just 15% of the fuel of a similar sized ship, it’s an eco-friendly way to cruise as well.

Canadian Dream of the Season:

Blossoms, sugar shacks, wildflowers and whale watching are just some of the attractions that come alive each spring. It’s also a great time to hit the ski slopes as the crowds thin, the snow softens, and the days stretch longer.  An estimated 40,000 cherry blossom trees brighten up Vancouver (my favourite spot is Queen Elizabeth Park) for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, while over a million tulips bloom in Ottawa at the Canadian Tulip Festival in May.  Returning after the pandemic hiatus, Elmira, Ontario once again hosts the world’s largest maple syrup festival, kicking off April 1^st, and sugar shacks kick into high gear across Quebec too. On April 2^nd, Stratford, Ontario releases swans onto the Avon River with a lively parade, and on the Manitoban prairies, the world’s largest concentration of snakes (all totally harmless!) slither from the Narcisse Snakes Dens creating a rather unique wildlife spectacle.  Less snakes, more chocolate?  Check out my inspiring story about a family of Syrian refugees in Nova Scotia producing the best chocolates in the country, and how a community rallied to support them.

Leaving the Pandemic Behind:

In December I attended a World Travel and Tourism Council conference in Saudi Arabia. Fifty-two Ministers of Tourism were attendance along with thousands of attendees to debate the future of sustainable tourism, ironically gathered in the world’s largest oil producer. Saudi Arabia is investing a staggering US$1 trillion into tourism as a strategy to wean GDP off fossil fuels.  Check out this jaw-dropping video for The Line, one of several Saudi ‘giga-projects’ that feel like they belong in a sci-fi movie.  You can read my full report on the kingdom’s wild and problematic transformation.

Pro Tips:

I used to always drink tomato juice on flights.  It must help in some way, I figured, otherwise why would they serve it?  A friendly flight attendant set me straight.  “Do your feet swell up on planes?” she asked me.  They do!  “Then stay off the salty tomato juice!”  Incredibly high in sodium, tomato juice is the worst liquid to put into your body in a pressurized cabin, and coffee, pop or alcohol are not much better.  Stay hydrated with water. A pro trip for long-haul flights is to wear a pair of compression socks (nowadays marketed as fashionable energy socks).   You’ll notice an immediate difference on arrival, with your legs and feet feeling fresh and ready to take on any new adventure.

Don’t Quote Me:

“Travel. Because money returns, and time doesn’t.” – Anonymous

If you have any travel-related questions or inquiries, we invite you to reach out directly to Robin at robin@robinesrock.com

This year, we asked the amazing women at Rothenberg to reflect on the women who inspire them as a way to celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8th.

The result is a list of incredible female role models from different backgrounds, professions, and life experiences who have dismantled stereotypes, broken through the glass ceiling and paved the way for future generations of women to enjoy a brighter future.

At the end of the list, we have a special tribute to a woman who has been involved, and to some degree, responsible for the growth and incredible success of our firm over the past few decades. Keep reading to discover who she is!

Without further ado, here are our picks:

Oprah Winfrey

I often watched her shows when she had people on that she helped achieve their dreams when these women thought they had no life. Oprah came from a very poor background. She was mistreated as a child, yet this courageous soul never gave up on her dreams of someday helping others. She gave others the courage to never give up and not let others put you down. With all that this lady went through in her life, it made her stronger to push forward and survive and do good for others!

– Susan Pilon, Westmount Office Administrator

Jacinda Ardern – Former Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-2023)

She has shown that a leader can be strong, decisive, and compassionate at the same time. Her approach to governance has been people-centered, putting the needs of citizens at the forefront of her policies. Her leadership style has shown me that empathy and kindness can be powerful tools in any profession, including finance, and that we can make a positive impact on people’s lives while still being successful in our careers.

– Mylene Jeremie, Wealth Management Advisor

Jodie Comer – Actress

She is an incredibly talented actress who allows her talent to speak for itself. She is witty and authentic and is thriving in a male-dominated industry whilst being true to herself. She exuberates kindness and self-assuredness that inspires me whenever I see her pop up!

– Claire Churchill-Smith, Wealth Management Associate

Lee Jieun – IU – South Korean Idol and Actress

She persisted through poverty and setbacks to pursue a career in entertainment, attending numerous auditions and facing scams before debuting at just 15 years old. Despite facing insults, she became a successful artist who paid off her parents’ debts and donated $4.3 billion to charity. She is now known as “The Nation’s Little Sister.”

I am inspired by Lee as even though she has faced a lot of difficulties in her life, she did not give up. After being successful, she remained humble and kind. Working hard, no giving up attitude and being down to earth is the key to success.

– Tanuja Neenooth, Client Services Representative

Ruth Bader Ginsberg – Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1993-2020)

She faced multiple levels of discrimination because of her Jewish heritage, her gender, and her obligations as a mother but she broke the glass ceiling for women in so many ways despite enormous odds. I vividly remember watching the RGB documentary on Netflix and feeling so inspired by her courage, perseverance, and passion for championing gender equality, advancing equity and making the world a better and more equal place for all.

– Kiara Bernard, Marketing Manager

Malala Yousafzai – Pakistani Education Activist

Malala is amazing! She is strong and brave; she stands for what she believes in even when she faced life-threatening opposition from the Taliban and was attacked. Her focus is not only on Pakistan; she is fighting for gender equality and education rights worldwide.

– Christine Yu, Marketing Associate & Banking Administrator

Mel Robbins – American Podcast host, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and former lawyer

She is a great example of how to turn your struggles into success and become your best self every day. Her own struggle with overcoming self-doubt and anxiety shows that anyone can achieve success with the right mindset and habits. She is sincere, unfiltered, and direct. Her podcast is among my top 3 favorites to listen to!

– Antonella Perrotta, Senior Human Resources Manager

Michelle Obama

She uses her powerful platform and voice to empower and express her values as a leader, through her messages of strength, support, and empathy. Her leadership and grace continue to inspire me to lead with purpose in all areas of life.

– Silvana Rizzo, Wealth Management Advisor

Mother Teresa

I am inspired by Mother Teresa’s deep empathy for others, she expressed love and compassion through her actions and words. She fosters equality for all human beings and she continued to push forward with her mission to help others no matter what obstacle she faced. Her deep sense of purpose and responsibility to create a positive change. Her simplicity, emotionally healthy & healed personality.

– Tina Patel, GIC Department Coordinator at Rothenberg & Rothenberg Annuities Ltd.

Who: Helen Corrigan, Former President of The Rothenberg Group of Companies (1988-2020)

Why she inspires me: The woman who has inspired me is our previous President here at the Rothenberg Group of Companies: Helen Corrigan. Helen was President from early in the 1990s, when women were not presidents of independent firms. She paved the way for women like me to be able to hold executive positions and be great leaders. By watching her over the last 20 years before her retirement, I learned how to be strong, resilient, and compassionate; all qualities of a great leader.

– Maria Ioannou, President & CFO of The Rothenberg Group of Companies

This article was originally published on Banking CIO Outlook.

Navigating the complex world of financial investments can be a tricky prospect. The choice to take a do-it-yourself approach may not be feasible, as the right decisions usually depend on specialized knowledge about financial variables, hidden costs, and suitable investment strategies. As a result, finding one’s way around wealth management demands a great deal of information and guidance. This is where the wealth management experts at Rothenberg Wealth Management take center stage.

Rothenberg Wealth Management is an independent and employee-owned wealth advisory firm that offers custom portfolio recommendations and retirement and estate planning solutions with full transparency to clients at all stages of their lives. What began in 1979 as a family office focusing on life insurance products is today a network of elite wealth management advisors servicing $1 billion in assets for over 3000 Canadian individuals, families, and businesses. Rothenberg Wealth Management has sought-after expertise in investments, portfolio management, wealth accumulation, retirement planning, tax planning, estate and legacy planning, and wealth transfer. “We firmly believe in providing quality services, solutions, and insights while nurturing a small neighborly, family-like feeling with clients,” says Robert Rothenberg, CEO of Rothenberg Wealth Management.

Building on the simple idea of putting the client first and above all else, Rothenberg Wealth Management has made it a top priority to create a culture where clients feel recognized, heard, and valued. While robo advisor solutions have become more and more common, they are often inadequate when it comes to addressing unique client needs. With that in mind, the company has shifted focus even more towards face-to-face conversations and personalized service. The benefits are easy to see with their long-term clientele. In one instance, the company has been working with a family of clients, assisting them in implementing and managing their financial strategies across four generations. With Rothenberg Wealth Management’s advice, guidance, and support, the family was able to achieve the total peace of mind and financial security that they were looking for.

Parallel to its focus on maintaining long-term client relationships, Rothenberg Wealth Management also focuses on strengthening its core capabilities. The company keeps a close eye on up-and-coming technologies and solutions that can be of interest to their clients. Being an independent company, Rothenberg Wealth Management collaborates with the best market players, including exchange-traded fund providers, mutual fund managers, and FinTech providers, offering its clients privileged access to comprehensive financial solutions. The company also has access to individual stocks, bonds, and a wide variety of alternative investment products to help smooth returns for clients even when the markets become volatile. This commitment to client success has helped the company secure its position as one of the most reputed wealth management firms in Canada.

The experienced wealth management advisors and portfolio managers at Rothenberg Wealth Management deserve the credit for driving such a powerful vehicle. They fully understand each client’s needs, priorities, and objectives and develop and implement the best-suited investment strategies accordingly. The process begins with a meeting between the client and a Rothenberg wealth management advisor to discuss financial concerns and wealth objectives. Following this initial conversation, the advisor develops and shares a thorough financial assessment with the client, which includes an overview of their financial situation, income needs, taxes, insurance, and estate requirements. The expert then helps the client in establishing an asset allocation plan within various investments, which undergoes regular monitoring to ensure everything is headed down the right path. Rothenberg Wealth Management also offers access to fiscal specialists to help clients who are looking for assistance with matters such as incorporation or drafting their wills.

Rothenberg Wealth Management has developed an unmatched reputation for both its strong ethos of client-care and high-quality services. It’s approach to managing, growing and protecting wealth differs considerably from other market players as it looks at everything from the client’s current assets, expected income needs, and other factors, to effectively calculate the asset allocation that offers the greatest chance at securing a successful financial future. Even if a client doesn’t have all their assets under the company’s wing, it will offer valuable insights on all the assets that the client holds. It is Rothenberg Wealth Management’s experience that strengthens its place as a leading wealth management service and solutions provider in the Canadian market.

Learn the signs to look out for in email phishing scams so you can safeguard your confidential financial and personal information.

Phishing emails are a regular tactic used by cyber criminals to steal your personal information, such as your online banking login credentials.

Some red flags are easy to spot and will quickly alert you to the fact that you are the victim of a phishing attempt. In other cases, phishing is harder to discern.

As cyber criminals become more and more creative in their attempts to steal users’ personal information via email, awareness and understanding what to watch out for become the best defense against cybercriminals and their schemes.

But first, what is Email Phishing?

In this form of online scam, cyber criminals impersonate someone you know or a legitimate organization, like the CRA or your banking institution.

Typically, phishing emails contain an urgent call to action and link that, once clicked, will direct you to a website to confirm your personal data, account information, etc. These links which lead to fake websites are designed to steal your personal information or infect your device with malware.

Phishing emails can also contain unexpected or suspicious email attachments, that when downloaded, may cause your computer to become infected with a virus, which compromises the security of your computer.

How do I know an email is a phishing scam?

Many phishing email attempts end up in your spam folder, but spam filters aren’t enough to keep out phishing scams from your inbox.

Some telltale signs of email phishing include:

• Unknown sender or email recipients that you don’t recognize
• Misspelled or incorrect sender name and/or email address
• Mismatched sender name and email address (e.g. – The email comes from “Microsoft” but the sender’s email address uses a Google domain like example@gmail.com)
• Generalized or missing salutation (e.g. – “Dear Canadian Taxpayer”)
• Typos and other spelling and grammatical errors in the subject and body of the email
• The tone is not consistent with that of the sender
• The language used is urgent or menacing and there is an impending deadline mentioned (e.g. – “this attachment will expire in 24 hours,” “you have an unpaid invoice,” you need to “verify” personal information”)
• Strange, unusual, or unsolicited request or the content just doesn’t make sense and asserts something ridiculous
• You did not subscribe or consent to receiving the email communication from the sender
• Odd layout and bad quality images
• The link in the email doesn’t match the URL when you hover on it with your mouse
• The included attachment has a strange name or file extension
• The email went directly to your junk or spam folder

It’s important to note that the above isn’t an exhaustive list of all the warning signs of phishing emails. Phishing emails can be so sophisticated that only contain one or a few signs listed above.

Be proactive, not reactive!

Cybercriminals are always looking to innovative and more sophisticated ways of impersonation and duping unsuspecting victims to give up their financial information.

When you’re evaluating whether an email is a phishing attempt, some questions you can ask yourself include:

• Do I recognize the sender’s name and “From” email address?
• Does the email’s subject line or body include typos or grammar mistakes?
• Does the sender’s email address match the name in the “From” field?
• Do I recognize the recipients included on this email?
• Does the email have a call-to-action such as clicking a link or downloading an attachment?
• Is the email asking me for personal information, such as my SIN number or bank account login?
• Did I sign up to receive this communication from this sender?
• Is the layout or image quality odd?

As a general rule of thumb, be suspicious of all links and attachments and think first before clicking.

If you ever get a suspicious email from someone claiming to be a reputable company, friend, or acquaintance, it’s always best to contact the organization or individual in question immediately to confirm whether the email is legitimate before proceeding.

One thing to keep in mind is that just because you receive a phishing email doesn’t mean your personal information has been compromised. Email phishing scams are only successful when their targets click on malicious links or download harmful attachments.

Rothenberg Capital Management will never ask you to provide confidential or sensitive information through regular e-mail. If you receive an email from us requesting that you provide information such as your account numbers, PIN, or password, please do not respond and notify us by sending an email to: inforequest@rothenberg.ca.

Between tuition and other-related expenses, post-secondary education, especially during these times of high inflation, can be a significant financial burden on families with multiple children. What are some smart strategies to manage these costs? Our experts suggest some options.

The rising expense of post-secondary education, at a time when inflation is skyrocketing and other areas of life are becoming more expensive, may prompt you to worry about how you will be able to provide this opportunity for your children. The cost of tuition, coupled with other university-related expenses like textbooks, electronics, and living accommodations can be a significant financial burden on families, especially those with multiple children.

You may deem the costs of your child’s post-secondary education as necessary, but also consider them to be quite expensive. The good news is that you don’t have to foot the bill all at once and there are a few things you can do as parent to manage and ultimately reduce these expenses when you have several children. There are even a few things you can encourage your child to do as they pursue their university education in order to manage their school-related expenses.

1. Consider opening a family RESP plan.

Many families opt to open one RESP account per child but managing multiple accounts can be difficult. That’s why a family RESP is a great option for families with multiple children. While you may be investing in a single account, RESP contributions are tied to your child’s SIN, so your financial institution knows which child receives the contribution. In turn, investment earnings can be shared among your children. You also have the flexibility to allocate funds to other qualifying beneficiaries if one beneficiary does not pursue higher education or if education costs differ among them.

2. Take advantage of the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG).

The CESG program, which is available to everyone, provides an excellent incentive for families to begin saving for their child’s education as soon as they can. This RESP grant matches 20% of the first $2,500 contributed each year to a RESP of an eligible child under 18 up to a yearly maximum of $500 and a lifetime maximum of $7,200. If you contribute annually from when your child is born, the grant will max out in 14 years. Quebec residents can receive an added incentive in the form of an additional 10% grant called the Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI). While many believe the age-old adage “There’s no such thing as free money,” the Canadian government is essentially giving you “free money” to put towards your child’s education. You can find out more about the CESG grant here and the QESI here.

3. Co-sign your child’s student line of credit application.

A student line of credit is a flexible financing option for students that helps them pay for post-secondary education expenses such as tuition or books and can also be used to fund day-to-day expenses such as food and transportation. Much like a credit card, the money borrowed must be repaid with interest. However, a student line of credit tends to have more favorable interest rates than your standard credit card and the interest charged is only on the money borrowed. Oftentimes, a financial institution will require a co-signer who will be responsible for the debt should the student be unable to pay. This is where you as the parent can step in. Co-signing your child’s student line of credit may be a good way to help them establish credit, for instance. You can find more information about student lines of credit on the Government of Canada website here.

4. Explore additional ways to pay for your child’s post-secondary education.

Savings plans like a RESP may not be enough to cover the costs of your child’s university education so you may consider financial assistance. Financial assistance can be anything from the CESG mentioned above to student loans to scholarships, grants, and bursaries, which provide tuition assistance that does not need to be repaid. One misconception is that you need to be low income to benefit from any of these options, but that is simply not the case. Scholarships, for example, can reward academic achievement regardless of income level.

5. Give your children a primer on good money habits.

Along with the above strategies, financial education and being money-savvy goes a long way in helping to manage any large expenses like post-secondary education. You may have instilled good money habits in your children as they grew up, but it’s never a bad idea to go over the bases as a reminder. While tuition costs tend to be foreseeable, many other university-related expenses are variable costs and there are usually ways to reduce those costs. For example, for food, you may encourage your child to take a college meal plan or cook at home rather than order out as ordering out can be quite expensive. Of course, there are many other ways to reduce costs and save money that you should educate your children about, such as keeping an eye out for student discounts, avoiding out-of-network ATMs, and using a credit card in the most efficient manner. These money habits can add up over time and can make a noticeable difference.

Advisors like us help clients all the time work towards their financial goals and over the years, we’ve helped countless families with choosing the right investments to build savings for their children’s education. For more information on how we can help, email us at inforequest@rothenberg.ca.