Getting a kid off to school is stressful. But the prospect of taking care of a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) can be as daunting -- setting it up, picking investments, and thinking about the tax implications. Will the money be enough? What if you don't end up using it? When should you get it going -- is it too late to start saving now?
The Globe and Mail's tax columnist and managing director of the WaterStreet Group, Tim Cestnick, held a live, online discussion at noon (ET) on Thursday, September 10th.
Mr. Cestnick enjoys a reputation as one of Canada's most respected experts on tax and personal finance. After obtaining his Chartered Accountant designation with the national accounting firm, Deloitte, he became a tax partner with a local accounting firm in Burlington, Ontario. In 1997 he founded a firm specializing in tax education and consulting, which merged with investment counsel firm AIC Limited in 2000. In 2005, Mr. Cestnick left AIC to create The WaterStreet Group Inc.
Mr. Cestnick has completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountant's In-Depth Tax Course, the Canadian Securities Course, and is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation. He is a member of the teaching faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. In addition to his CA designation, he is a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).
He has written many books, such as 101 Tax Secrets for Canadians, Winning The Tax Game, Winning The Estate Planning Game, and The Tax Freedom Zone. He has also authored Winning The Education Savings Game, co-authored Death and Taxes and Your Family's Money, and is past editor of Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies.
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