10
Jan
2022

A Letter from John: Happy New Year!

by John Lawson January 10th, 2022 in Money Tips
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Welcome to 2022!

2021 certainly had challenges locally and globally, but being a pragmatic optimist, I do think there was so much good that happened through out the year as well and I expect that to only get better in coming years!

Talking to clients, friends, and colleagues we are lucky enough to hear the success and growth stories. Business that enjoyed record years, personal growth, weddings, new additions to families, and even a few that managed to squeeze in some travel. Hopefully you have had a few in the win column this past year as well!

Markets

Market’s registered 18 positive months in the last 20. That is not to say there was no volatility, it was definitely there, it was just short in duration.

From April 2020 until August 2021 we had drops that lasted a few days, but always recovered and were higher come month end. Then in September 2021 the drop lasted a few weeks, ran through month end to give us that 1st negative month in a long time. October rebounded nicely, then we had a similar scenario in November as we did in September and ended up negative.

I mention this because I find people get lulled into thinking always up is normal… reality check, nope! Again, a common statement from me is “volatility is good!” Markets can be very emotional short term, yet long term they are an amazingly accurate measurement of value. So, when the emotions turn down with fear, we are in a position to pick up great deals, when they turn up with greed, we are in a position to sell.

We take care of this behind the scenes for you. We don’t bother you with transaction decisions, we simply report our results on a quarterly basis and meet as needed to walk through, propose any changes in high level allocation and answer any questions.  Our goal is that you don’t worry or even have to think about this part of your life, we’ve got you.

Important Notes

RSPs – If you need to still top up for 2021, deadline is March 1st, 2022 (please don’t wait until that last week ðŸ˜Š) You can contribute 18% of your 2020 taxable income to a maximum of $27,830. – If you have any question just reach out.

TFSA – This is still THE BEST tool Canada has for planning and deferring tax. Make sure you utilize it! The 2022 annual contribution amount is once again $6,000 which means if you 18 or older and a Canadian Citizen in 2009 and through out you have a cumulative allowed contribution room of $81,500.

Tax Filing – Deadline for personal returns is May 2nd, 2022. If you require tax preparation service, we do that for a base rate of $75 per return and then cost goes up depending on complexity (this service is for clients only). If you would like a referral to a CPA, we are happy to do so, we happen to know a lot of great ones!

Family Matters

It goes without saying that my immediate family means the world to me, but the Sana Family Office team is also part of my family. They are all incredibly important as well.

Josh – He, his wife Megan and two kids Lyndon and Hannah were so excited to move into their new townhouse in Tsawwassen right before the holidays. What an amazing Christmas present for them. Josh also becomes a full partner in Sana Advisory Group in January. I am grateful and lucky to have him as my partner!

Katie – She is moving into more of a CFO role with us. She will help me on the business side of things as well as assisting clients utilizing our Family Office Services. Katie will continue to oversee the administration side of our business including our tax preparation service. Katie and her long-time boyfriend Clayton, like all of us, are really hoping for a serious holiday in 2022!

Trevor – He has now passed all his requirements to be a licensed advisor and will be getting licensed for 2022. Congratulations Trevor! The plan is he will work closely with and be mentored by Josh (I may have a word or two of wisdom for him as well). Trevor will also continue to lead our communications. He and his wife Hannah have really enjoyed their last year plus as new parents to little Everlee.

Mariana – We are so happy to announce the newest addition to our team, Mariana Brun! She and her husband Jorge and 3-year-old daughter Olivia live in Cloverdale. Mariana will be taking over the day-to-day administration from Katie to free he up for her new role. Please take a moment to make her feel welcome next time you call or email.

And then there is me – I do get the question about my own retirement. My answer is the always the same. I plan to work until I’m 70. Next question is almost always… why?! Again, the answer is the same. I love what I do, and I happen to think that I’m pretty darn good at it ðŸ˜Š. So as long as I don’t lose my marbles, I will be around for some time to come. Eventually, when we can travel again Cara and I will do more, but for those of you who follow her, the trick will be getting her away. Her Interior Design business has absolutely taken off, she is winning awards, has had Government ask her to take on projects and her team is also growing. I keep saying she is a way better business person than I. I can’t leave this part without saying our oldest son, Rhys is now 25 working on his own company and for someone else. My younger son, Graydon is 22 and working on the last year + of University while continuing his business endeavours.

I’m so incredibly proud of my entire extended family.

Both of our offices in Surrey and Abbotsford are growing and we really enjoy being able to offer which ever is more convenient for our clients. Add this to the incredible adoption of Zoom meetings over the last 20 months and there is something for everyone!

I have slowed down on writing these types of letters in the last couple of years, really just down to a letter at the start of the year now. But where I have been adding a lot more content is in podcastsYouTube videosarticles and the occasional quick update. Visit our website to find them, or let Trevor know you would like to have them sent to you if you are not already receiving.

As we continue to grow, we have developed a specialization in Business Owner and Affluent Families with complexities. This is where we add the most value and being my modest self… absolutely aim to over deliver in every way! We have lots of clients not in this area of specialization too, and we hope you agree we continue to do the same for you too.

Thank you for entrusting your financial well-being to our team of professionals. We are dedicated to being your most trusted advisors and are always striving to improve our depth of service to you and your family. If there is anything we can do better, please be sure to let us know.

Cheers to 2022 being a great year of experiences with friends, family and to health and prosperity!

Sincerely,

John

 

 

P.S. I just want to thank you all for thinking of us when your friends, family and colleagues at work say they need help. Your referrals are the greatest compliment we could ever receive.


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