5 Things to Help You Survive Your 40s & 50s

Diane Buchanan • July 18, 2018

You know those days where everything goes wrong and you’re so tired you don’t know what direction’s up? They’re a lot more manageable when you know what you’re working towards.  

Here’s 5 things that’ll help you survive—and make the most of!—your 40s and 50s.

1. Do work you enjoy.

Brace yourself for the motivational platitudes… Life’s too short to do work you don’t enjoy. You’re never too old to start something new. It’s not too late!

They’re cliches for a reason.

We spend too many hours working and commuting to be in a career that gives us the Sunday night dreads. Doing work we enjoy gives us the sense of purpose and energy we need to juggle our way through these years. And man, do we need all the energy we can get…

This doesn’t mean you have to storm into your boss’s office yelling, “I QUIT” so you can start a surf school in Hawaii (Although, go for it!). Maybe you do need a whole new career, but perhaps you just need a new position within your company, or to tweak the one your have so you’re working on different projects. 

Bottom line, a more enjoyable career might be easier to get than you think. And it’s so worth it. 

2. Have extra cash on hand for emergencies.

Between your kids, your parents, your home, and even your pets (have you seen vet bills these days?!) someone’s bound to need something. 

Having cash on hand means you’ll be able to cover these surprise expenses stress-free. So the next time Fido needs an emergency run to the vet to get who-knows-what removed from his paw, your won’t have to rely on credit or give up your weekly brunches to cover it. 

The general rule of thumb is to have three to six months worth of cash on hand in an emergency fund. In these years make it closer to six months worth, just to be safe.

3. Take care of your health.

What’s that got to do with money, you ask? Everything.

We all know neglecting your health now can lead to big medical bills down the line, but that’s not really the point. Staying healthy means you can make the most of your time, and time is the most precious thing we have. What good is time off if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy it?

We’re not saying you should stop buying cookies and sign up for a triathlon, just a couple healthy habits can go a long way. Maybe that’s walking your kids to practice instead of driving, having healthier lunches at work, joining a hockey league with your friends… whatever works for your lifestyle. 

4. Know what you’re working towards. 

No, “retirement” doesn’t count. Get specific! How do you want to spend your time? What do you truly value? What makes you happy?

Spend more on that and less on everything else. 

If you’re a homebody or someone who loves to entertain, it makes sense to put money towards renovations or a bigger house. But if you’re a travel junkie who sees wine tastings across Europe in their future, maybe you need to downsize and put those dollars towards your Italy fund.

Let go of what you think you should be spending on and working towards, and get clear on what you actually want. 

5. Make a plan for your money.

Once you know what matters to you and what you’re working towards it’s a whole lot easier to make a plan for your money. 

You can estimate what that new house or wine tour will cost and save for it accordingly. You’ll know how much you’ve got leftover to spend today and you’ll know what spending will make you happy, and what won’t.

The daily grind becomes a lot more manageable once you know you’re investing in the life you want.

 

This article was written by Randy Cass, CEO, Founder, and Portfolio Manager at Nest Wealth.  This article originally appeared on the Nest Wealth blog on May 26th, 2017. 

DIANE BUCHANAN
 Mortgage Broker

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What Is A Spousal Buyout?

By Diane Buchanan • November 5, 2025
If you’re going through or considering a divorce or separation, you might not be aware that there are mortgage products designed to allow you to refinance your property and buy out your ex-spouse. If you’re like most people, your property is your most significant asset and is where most of your equity is tied up. If this is the case, it’s possible to structure a new mortgage that allows you to purchase the property from your ex-spouse for up to 95% of the property’s value. Alternatively, if your ex-spouse wants to keep the property, they can buy you out using the same program. It’s called the spousal buyout program. Here are some of the common questions people have about the program. Is a finalized separation agreement required? Yes. To qualify, you’ll need to provide the lender with a copy of the signed separation agreement, which clearly outlines asset allocation. Can the net proceeds be used for home renovations or pay off loans? No. The net proceeds can only buy out the other owner’s share of equity and/or pay off joint debt as explicitly agreed upon in the finalized separation agreement. What is the maximum amount that you can access through the program? The maximum equity you can withdraw is the amount agreed upon in the separation agreement to buy out the other owner’s share of the property and/or retire joint debts (if any), not exceeding 95% loan to value. What is the maximum permitted loan to value? The maximum loan to value is the lesser of 95% or the remaining mortgage + the equity required to buy out other owner and/or pay off joint debt (which, in some cases, can total < 95% LTV. The property must be the primary owner-occupied residence. Do all parties have to be on title? Yes. All parties to the transaction have to be current registered owners on title. Your solicitor will be required to confirm this with a title search. Do the parties have to be a married or common-law couple? No. Not only will the spousal buyout program support married and common-law couples who are divorcing or separating, but it’s also designed for friends or siblings who need an exit from a mortgage. The lender can consider this on an exception basis with insurer approval. In this case, as there won’t be a separation agreement, a standard clause will need to be included in the purchase contract to outline the buyout. Is a full appraisal required? Yes. When considering this type of mortgage, a physical appraisal of the property is required as part of the necessary documents to finalize the transaction. While this is a good start to answering some of the questions you might have about getting a mortgage to help you through a marital breakdown, it’s certainly not comprehensive. When you work with an independent mortgage professional, not only do you get a choice between lenders and considerably more mortgage options, but you get the unbiased mortgage advice to ensure you understand all your options and get the right mortgage for you. Please connect anytime; it would be a pleasure to discuss your needs directly and provide you with options to help you secure the best mortgage financing available. Also, please be assured that all communication will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Oct 29th, 2025

By Diane Buchanan • October 29, 2025
Bank of Canada lowers policy rate to 2¼%. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario October 29, 2025 The Bank of Canada today reduced its target for the overnight rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%, with the Bank Rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%. With the effects of US trade actions on economic growth and inflation somewhat clearer, the Bank has returned to its usual practice of providing a projection for the global and Canadian economies in this Monetary Policy Report (MPR). Because US trade policy remains unpredictable and uncertainty is still higher than normal, this projection is subject to a wider-than-usual range of risks. While the global economy has been resilient to the historic rise in US tariffs, the impact is becoming more evident. Trade relationships are being reconfigured and ongoing trade tensions are dampening investment in many countries. In the MPR projection, the global economy slows from about 3¼% in 2025 to about 3% in 2026 and 2027. In the United States, economic activity has been strong, supported by the boom in AI investment. At the same time, employment growth has slowed and tariffs have started to push up consumer prices. Growth in the euro area is decelerating due to weaker exports and slowing domestic demand. In China, lower exports to the United States have been offset by higher exports to other countries, but business investment has weakened. Global financial conditions have eased further since July and oil prices have been fairly stable. The Canadian dollar has depreciated slightly against the US dollar. Canada’s economy contracted by 1.6% in the second quarter, reflecting a drop in exports and weak business investment amid heightened uncertainty. Meanwhile, household spending grew at a healthy pace. US trade actions and related uncertainty are having severe effects on targeted sectors including autos, steel, aluminum, and lumber. As a result, GDP growth is expected to be weak in the second half of the year. Growth will get some support from rising consumer and government spending and residential investment, and then pick up gradually as exports and business investment begin to recover. Canada’s labour market remains soft. Employment gains in September followed two months of sizeable losses. Job losses continue to build in trade-sensitive sectors and hiring has been weak across the economy. The unemployment rate remained at 7.1% in September and wage growth has slowed. Slower population growth means fewer new jobs are needed to keep the employment rate steady. The Bank projects GDP will grow by 1.2% in 2025, 1.1% in 2026 and 1.6% in 2027. On a quarterly basis, growth strengthens in 2026 after a weak second half of this year. Excess capacity in the economy is expected to persist and be taken up gradually. CPI inflation was 2.4% in September, slightly higher than the Bank had anticipated. Inflation excluding taxes was 2.9%. The Bank’s preferred measures of core inflation have been sticky around 3%. Expanding the range of indicators to include alternative measures of core inflation and the distribution of price changes among CPI components suggests underlying inflation remains around 2½%. The Bank expects inflationary pressures to ease in the months ahead and CPI inflation to remain near 2% over the projection horizon. With ongoing weakness in the economy and inflation expected to remain close to the 2% target, Governing Council decided to cut the policy rate by 25 basis points. If inflation and economic activity evolve broadly in line with the October projection, Governing Council sees the current policy rate at about the right level to keep inflation close to 2% while helping the economy through this period of structural adjustment. If the outlook changes, we are prepared to respond. Governing Council will be assessing incoming data carefully relative to the Bank’s forecast. The Canadian economy faces a difficult transition. The structural damage caused by the trade conflict reduces the capacity of the economy and adds costs. This limits the role that monetary policy can play to boost demand while maintaining low inflation. The Bank is focused on ensuring that Canadians continue to have confidence in price stability through this period of global upheaval. Information note The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is December 10, 2025. The Bank’s next MPR will be released on January 28, 2026. Read the October 29th, 2025 Monetary Report