Plan To Prosper
This article describes tax-friendly strategies used by business owners and incorporated professionals to accumulate and preserve wealth.
Past News & Events
WEALTHinsurance.com was the lead presenting sponsor of the annual “On the Slopes for Candy” Ski Day Event in support of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, at the beautiful and private Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood.
Mark presented a webinar to members of the GTA Accountants' Network
His presentation “Tax Minimalization Through Philanthropy” explained how we create “Accidental Philanthropists™” when people are given the opportunity to make generous charitable donations using money that would otherwise go to the tax department.
He shared several innovative tax-advantaged strategies and explained how taxpayers can leave a greater legacy using current RRSP and RIF savings, Life Insurance, CPP benefits, gifting private company shares, flow-through shares, and setting up a private foundation or donor advised funds (DAF).
Mishpacha Magazine profiled Mark in a feature column called "9-5" profiling Jewish business and communal leaders around the world.
Mishpacha Magazine is the premier weekly magazine of the Orthodox Jewish world, with a global readership of more than 250,000. (FYI “Mishpacha” is a Hebrew word that means “Family”).
The article is titled “A Bad Fall Catapulted Mark Halpern to New Heights”.
It talks personally about dealing with adversity in life and using that adversity to discover great things about yourself and doing something with that new knowledge.
Read the article here
Mark was a guest speaker at a special event sponsored by WEALTHinsurance.com titled Women's Leadership Power In Philanthropy.
He explained several unique gifting strategies that preserve hard-earned money while supporting cherished causes.
Mark was the guest presenter at a webinar for members of the Lakefield College School Foundation Fundraising committee and special guests .
https://www.lcs.on.ca/
His presentation titled "Your Philanthropy. Maximize Impact. Minimize Taxes" explained many powerful ways for alumni to support their alma mater in a cost-effective manner, often by converting taxes to charitable gifts.
Lakefield College School is a private, coeducational boarding and day school for students in Grades 9 through 12, located in Lakefield, Ontario,
Students from over 45 countries are welcomed to its beautiful 315 acres of lakeside campuses.
Investors Digest of Canada published "Living In The Age Of COVID-19", Mark's latest article that explains the importance of Life Insurance as a foundation of proper planning, both personal and corporate, in a new age of uncertainty.
Mark was a co-presenter at a webinar event for the Burlington Community Foundation.
He presented “Brilliant Philanthropy: Maximize Impact, Minimize Tax” with his friend and colleague Tim Cestnick, a long time board member at Burlington Community Foundation.
They shared unique strategies to give brilliantly to cherished causes while preserving hard-earned family wealth.
The event was open to public and there was no fee to attend.
The Estate Planning Council of Toronto (EPCT) invited me to present a webinar for professional advisors about Philanthropy, my favourite topic.
The title of my presentation is “Strategic Philanthropy -- Helping Clients Maximize Giving And Minimize Tax.”
The EPCT consists of leading estate planning professionals from interrelated disciplines such as legal, tax, financial planning, insurance, trust and charitable gift planning.
I will share many great ways for us to engage with clients to help create family legacies in the most cost-effective and tax-friendly ways.
The event is free and open to estate planning professionals.
Hope to ‘see’ you there.
Consider becoming a member of the EPCT.
Looking forward to the Post-Covid era, when we can be meeting in person again for monthly dinners, with great speakers and wonderful networking at the Albany Club in downtown Toronto.
My latest article published in Foundation magazine describes Will Power, a wonderful national initiative launched in September by Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP).
You don’t have to be rich and famous to make a meaningful difference to the causes you care about.
It’s great to have more estate planners and financial professionals thinking about Philanthropy & Tax Minimization, topics that deserve far more attention.
Many thanks to Laurie Fox, MBA for spearheading the Will Power program.
Read “What it Means to Have Will Power”
St. Joseph’s Hospital, now celebrating its 100th anniversary, is a city treasure.
Mark is a proud member of St. Joe's Promise Legacy Council, helping to raise more than $100 million to help the hospital meet the health care needs of Toronto’s west-end community.
At a safe, socially-distanced zoom event on September 10th, Mark will present “Create YOUR Family Legacy - Maximize Giving, Minimize Taxes” and share many great strategies for generous people to make charitable gifts cost-effectively, using money that would otherwise go to the tax department.
Investors Digest of Canada published "Exercising Accidental Philanthropy™", Mark's latest article that explains how and why people become philanthropists when given the opportunity to leave money to charity and family instead of the tax department.
Foundation Magazine published Mark's second article under the column banner "The Accidental Philanthropist™"
The new article “Creative Charitable Giving Strategies” describes several effective and often-overlooked ways for generous people to support the causes they care about.
Mark was interviewed by Jamie Bussin, publisher of Tonic Magazine and host of the Tonic Talk Show.
It’s a weekly show with an expansive approach to health and wellness that airs on Zoomer Radio FM 96.7 and AM740, and The Tonic Talk podcast.
They discussed financial stress and how it impacts mental and physical health for everyone.
Mark shared his recommendations: Start with "planning" first versus "investing" with a focus on preserving what you have, maximize income and optimize tax efficiency.
Having a financial coach, a financial plan and getting proper life insurance in place has never been more important and can provide the peace of mind we all deserve in the age of COVID.
Mark was interviewed by Jeff McArthur on Global News Radio AM640 Toronto.
They discussed the findings of a just-released RBC survey that indicates retirement levels are expected to surge after the pandemic.
A recent FP Canada survey says 40% of Canadians aged 55+ cite saving for retirement as their top source of financial stress.
Jeff sought Mark's suggestions on how ‘about-to-retire’ people should be preparing now.
Mark explained the importance of a changing mindset from investing to planning and shared his 3 top recommendations: preserve what you have, maximize income and optimize tax efficiency.
If you speak to a professional planner to help navigate, you will likely find out you actually CAN retire and not run out of money.
And you might want to consider using some of the 'never spend money' you now share with the tax department to preserve wealth for family and/or the causes you care about using tax-exempt insurance strategies.
Listen here
Mark hosted a socially distant zoom event for supporters of St. Joseph's Health Centre Foundation.
His presentation “Create YOUR Family Legacy: Maximize Giving, Minimize Taxes” explained how we create ‘Accidental Philanthropists'™ and included many ways to be remembered for leaving more to charity and family instead of a large sum to the tax department.
Mark is a member of St. Joe’s Promise Legacy Council,
If you are involved in Philanthropy, Mark is available to speak to your colleagues and community. Please contact us to help arrange your event.
Investor’s Digest of Canada published Mark's article “Use the prescribed rate loan strategy."
The article explains a tax minimization strategy for high-income earners to take advantage of the lower tax rates of other family members with less or no income.
Steve Lloyd, Publisher of Foundation Magazine, invited Mark to write a regular column called "The Accidental Philanthropist”.
Read Mark's inaugural article “Fundraising In Challenging Times”
https://foundationmag.ca/ Foundation Magazine | The Business & Spirit of Philanthropy
These activities bring us closer to achieving our corporate goal of creating $100 million of new charitable gifts each year working with clients, charities and allied professionals.
Investor’s Digest of Canada published Mark's article “Swerve to avoid tax hikes ahead"
The article recognizes significant tax increases ahead and presents several current opportunities to preserve wealth and lessen the tax bite.
The new issue of Zoomer Magazine features Mark in a Charitable Giving Guide that focuses on Philanthropy and explains how to convert taxes into charitable donations.
Jeffrey Andreas of CHNL radio in Kamloops B.C. interviewed Mark on his NL Newsday show.
Their conversation focused on Philanthropy and how people want to be remembered.
Their talk was an upbeat discussion about leaving a legacy and how strategic philanthropy can help.
Mark explained that people don’t have to be rich to be philanthropists and shared several planning strategies that allow generous people to support cherished causes and leave more of their hard-earned money for family, instead of the tax department.
Investor’s Digest of Canada published Mark's article “Check your finances just as you’d visit the doctor”.
The article explains the importance of understanding the details of insurance policies you currently own, and presents several important planning opportunities to consider now.
Mark was interviewed by radio host Brian Crombie of CKNT “Sauga 960” on the subject of Philanthropy.
A lot of ground was covered, including a discussion of tax efficient strategies for people to be generous cost-effectively (and a lot of personal anecdotes).
Mark was invited to join the newly formed Professional Advisor Task Force at St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation.
His dear friend and fellow MFA-P Mike Flux of Connor, Clark & Lunn Private Capital Ltd., a dedicated, long-time St. Michael’s donor and volunteer, is spearheading this important initiative.
The Professional Advisor Task Force will consist of leading lawyers, accountants, financial planners, insurance advisors and other estate professionals who are committed to providing strategic advice and supporting the hospital’s important work by promoting philanthropy through their professional practice.
Looking forward to helping Sandra F. Smith, Philanthropy Officer, Gift Planning, and her entire team at St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation raise much-needed funds.
Proud and honoured to announce that TVO, Ontario’s own beloved public television and learning organization invited Mark to join their newly-formed Planned Giving Advisory Committee.
Mark said "I grew up watching TVO, and my late mother never missed Saturday Night at The Movies, back in pre-Netflix times. Does anyone remember Elwy Yost?"
Looking forward to helping Philip Chown and his team to grow TVO’s gift and estate planning program, a high priority to support growth and ensure future long term financial stability."
Investor’s Digest of Canada published Mark's article "A Private Company Share Donation Strategy". It explains how to donate private company shares, reduce estate taxes, create a substantial charitable legacy, and get money out of the company on a tax-free basis without depleting inheritances for children and grandchildren.
Be Philanthropic, Improve Your Own Finances
This article describes several giving strategies and explains the accompanying financial benefits available to generous people.
Passive Income Strategies – Get Proactive
This article presents 4 ways an incorporated business can mitigate new tax rules, preserve the small business deduction and save hard-earned money.
Avoidable Problems – Get Organized Now
This article describes essential “must-do’s” to preserve your estate and protect your family from the financial fallout that occurs upon the death of a spouse.
Getting Married - Romance Meets Reality
Issues to address when contemplating marriage that require the help and experience of knowledgeable tax, legal and estate planning professionals.
CharityMATTERS™ Newsletter
CharityMATTERS™ is our new Philanthropy Newsletter.
The first edition launched on March 12, 2018
Subscribe now to receive future issues directly in your inbox.
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