Scantlebury Wealth Management

Most Canadians tend to be reassured by Canada’s universal healthcare system. We are so reassured that we hold a simple belief: if we get sick, all we need to do is go to the hospital. The system will take care of the rest. To be fair, our public health care system does excel at immediate emergency care, basic hospital stays, and standard physician visits. However, increasingly, many of us are finding that it has critical vulnerabilities. This is especially true when it comes to surgical wait times and the approval of new medications, treatments and therapies. Accordingly, if someone’s provincial health care coverage falls short, patients face a grim ultimatum: wait while their health deteriorates, or pay out-of-pocket for private or out-of-country treatment. Increasingly, an unimaginable situation is becoming increasingly common: spending $200,000 now for out-of-country treatment, so that you could appeal a decision by your provincial government later. For most families, absorbing such...

  It is one of the ultimate ironies of modern adulthood: we willingly insure our cars, our homes, and even our smartphones against accidental drops, yet we routinely ignore the protection of our most valuable asset—our life. For the vast majority of people, purchasing a life insurance policy sits firmly at the absolute bottom of the to-do list. It is the classic "tomorrow problem." But why does something so fundamentally critical to financial security consistently rank as the very last thing on our minds? The explanation lies at the intersection of human psychology, uncomfortable realities, and a few common misconceptions. The most obvious reason life insurance gets pushed aside is that buying it requires us to do something human beings are hardwired to avoid: confronting our own mortality. No one wakes up on a sunny Saturday morning wanting to calculate the financial value of their absence. Planning for life insurance forces us to imagine a world where we aren’t around to se...

For many business owners, their company is more than just a source of income; it’s their primary asset: a legacy and a symbol of their diligence and industriousness; a hard-earned result of years of dedication. However, the very factor that makes a business thrive—the owner’s leadership and vision—is also its greatest vulnerability. If a sudden health crisis or injury prevents a business owner from working, the stability of the entire organization is at risk. Integrating critical illness and disability insurance into a corporate strategy is not merely about personal protection; it is a fundamental pillar of business continuity planning.  A diagnosis ranging from cancer to stroke, from a disability to a heart attack, can cause immense personal and professional disruption. While healthcare systems address immediate medical needs, they often do not account for the ongoing operational expenses of a corporation. This is where corporately owned critical illness or disability insurance co...

Whenever I am asked, "Does a single person really need life insurance?" my mind immediately goes to two children. Both were under the age of ten, and both were eventually declared uninsurable. I’ll focus on one child—let's call him "Bob"—who was born with a genetic kidney disease. Bob’s parents had considered buying him a life insurance policy early on. They were aware of the disease because it ran in the family, but they were concerned about affordability and decided to take a chance. When Bob began developing at a slower pace than his peers, his parents took him to a doctor. Tests confirmed their fears: Bob had inherited the condition. In that moment, he became uninsurable. This story illustrates a critical, and often overlooked reality: your true health can be worse than you expect. While a doctor looks for current symptoms, insurance companies look deeper into your long-term risk. That deeper look can have devastating consequences for your future ability to ...

Buying a house in Canada will likely be one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. Home ownership can help secure your financial future; and that is why you need to make wise decisions for today, and for the long term. In this article we point out some common and costly mistakes first-time home buyers make. We also offer some home buying tips and show you why signing a mortgage can be the best time to look at term life insurance. Thinking ahead is the key. The dream of moving into your very own home, a place where you will raise your family and make memories, is an appealing plan.  Buying a new home can be emotional and when you find a place with ‘curb appeal’ that ‘shows well’ it is completely natural to want to jump in with both feet. But quick decisions can often lead to mistakes. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by first-time Canadian home buyers: Not having a financial plan for what you want, need, and can afford in a new home. Taking a full and honest ...

A cancer diagnosis is often overwhelming, not just emotionally and physically, but also financially. Treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can make it difficult for patients to maintain their employment, leading to a significant decline in household income. This issue, often referred to as "financial toxicity," is particularly prevalent in Canada, where the healthcare system provides universal coverage yet still leaves patients facing substantial out-of-pocket expenses.  x The Canadian Cancer Society indicates that the average financial burden for a Canadian cancer patient over their lifetime is estimated to be nearly $33,000. Given that only about 50% of Canadians have disability insurance, either on their lives or through group benefits, the potential for debt accumulation or depletion of savings is high and the additional strain that this situation adds to individuals already battling a life-threatening illness is real. One of the financial challenges ari...

Step 1: Press “Pause” and Rebuild Take a moment to breathe. You will feel many emotions including shock or anger. They will wear off; but it will take time - a few days, or a few months. It is important to let these emotions wash over you and let them dissipate so that you can make smart decisions about your next few moves. You can try to do simple things like eat well, exercise and have good sleep habits. Taking these steps, taking the time, will ensure that you don’t burn any bridges with your previous employers, supervisors or other stakeholders.  You can also talk to your family and friends. They can be great sounding boards if you need to vent a little or if you need some guidance. Moral support can count as much as financial support. Step 2: Stay positive and make getting another job your new job Firstly, please remember to take care of yourself. The shock of being laid off is real. While, it is important to take comfort from the knowledge that other people, most people, have...

Some might ask why a financial professional would talk about shredding. Shredding after all has nothing to do with Life or Accident & Sickness Insurance. Shredding has nothing to do with exempt market investments, mutual funds, segregated funds or GICs. Reducing the level of “paper” - either the digital or physical version - has nothing to do with reducing debt or taking out a credit card. So why is a financial professional talking about shredding? Well, that is all true. There is not a direct link between shredding and the numbers that come along with a financial plan. Or put differently, while putting more money into an RRSP will bring someone closer to retirement, there is no corollary which says that putting more documents into shredder will do the same.  With that being said, if one shreds their financial documents properly, it does mean that that same person will increase their level of privacy. Shredding more reduces the ability of hackers, thieves, criminals and/or othe...

Every few years, CBC Marketplace looks at Canada’s big banks and their practices of providing balance-protection insurance. CBC Marketplace says that notes that “high risk for consumers” are often provided with a product "without appropriate explanation.” CBC Marketplace says: "It's expensive, doesn’t cover a lot of situations, and it pays out a very small amount most of the time." Please take the time to watch it: 

I was recently asked a question that bothered me: Why should a married couple who have no children acquire a life insurance policy? The question shook me because I have more than a decade in the financial industry, and more than thirty years of personal experience; so a number of sad stories came to mind. One particular story was stronger than the rest though.  The couple were acquaintances of mine and they had just gotten married. They were in their twenties and in reasonably good shape. The husband was on a business trip and died due to natural causes.  Now I am the first to admit that this is an unusual circumstance. When the gentlemen passed, more than a decade ago, most of us would say that he could be expected to see his 80th birthday. Today, a similar Canadian who is male and twenty years of age could be expected to live to his 82nd year. So why would he need a policy? Well because all of us are different and we are not just averages. Whether, we think we are going to l...

Getting married is a large life commitment and there are so many things to think about. Many people think about the invitations and the flowers. The Groom thinks about his tuxedo, while the Bride thinks about her dress. There is food and venues and honeymoons that come to mind and need to be planned. Before getting married, however, I have learned that finances should be put alongside the cake and confetti. For, just as marriage is a time to celebrate the coming of two people, it is just as important to remember that two different ledgers are being merged. So, financial goals are important. Just think about it. If your spouse and you buy a house and they pass away, one question is left: is there enough money to allow for continued ownership of the house? Building a strong financial foundation can answer that question; and, often times that means reviewing the life insurance portfolio. Or, in a few cases, creating one. After over a decade in the industry, I have three reasons for this o...