If you haven't done it yet, you still have a few days to put some cash into your RRSP account. But, when it comes to investing for retirement, there are several intimidating questions that can slow us down: Should I pay down my mortgage or put money in an RRSP? How much will I need when I retire? What kind of assets should I be investing in at my stage of life?
Warren MacKenzie, CEO of Weigh House Investor Services, and Ken Hawkins, the firm's chief investment strategist, took your questions at noon (ET) on Monday the 22nd. You can view the discussion by clicking on the live blog box below.
Mr. MacKenzie has been providing investment advice to Canadian families since 1987. Prior to forming his own company, he was a senior vice president and financial advisor with two of the country's largest securities firms. He has written The Unbiased Advisor and co-authored New Rules of Retirement.
He holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After earning his Chartered Accountant (CA) designation, he joined a national firm of chartered accountants. During his 12 years in public practice, Warren managed his own accountancy firm and worked as a trustee in bankruptcy. His professional accreditations include Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and Certified Hedge Fund Specialist (CHFS).
Mr. Hawkins is an investment professional with over 25 years' experience in both private client and institutional investments. Prior to joining Weigh House, Ken was responsible for a $500-million portfolio with the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. He was also a top-ranked quantitative analyst with Scotia Capital and Deutsche Morgan Grenfell.
Originally from Winnipeg, he graduated with Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the University of Manitoba. He has completed the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) level 1 and 2 curriculum, and the Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) program. He co-authored New Rules of Retirement with Mr. MacKenzie.