Scotiatrust

Total 217 Posts

Website

For over 100 years, Scotiatrust® has helped Canadians preserve and transfer their wealth. Together with your team of specialists, we work to understand your achievements and help you connect them, so your wealth makes the meaningful impact you want. We also help you make important decisions sooner and ensure they’re followed when you’re unable to do so yourself. We are a team of highly experienced, hands-on professionals and we view it as our responsibility to ensure our clients have addressed all relevant issues and that their wishes are followed throughout and beyond their lifetime, helping them to live well and leave well.

Transferring the Family Home to the Next Generation

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Rebecca Tong, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Tax Services, Vancouver Ever thought about gifting a property to your children? As most parents would think – yes why not and what is the big deal?  I recently had this very discussion with my own aging parents,  and this resulted in some important discussions about our family home, their goals and consideration for the tax outcomes of any….

Transferring the Family Home to the Next Generation Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Real Estate, Tax Issues

The Neverending Story – Joint Accounts

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London Although almost 18 years have passed since the release of the decision in Pecore, questions about joint ownership of assets in estate planning continue to be the number one items raised by estate planning clients for this author.   In 2025, the saga of estate litigation following joint ownership continues.   In Ontario, the most common….

The Neverending Story – Joint Accounts Continue Reading »

Estate Litigation, Investments, Joint Tenancy, Resulting Trust

Valuing Digital Assets: Lessons from the Counter Strike Market Crash

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Digital assets have become an increasingly common topic in estate planning. What once seemed like a niche hobby has turned into a meaningful part of some clients’ financial picture. From cryptocurrency to NFTs and even online gaming inventories, these assets can hold real world value, sometimes in the millions. Yet recent events in the gaming world have shown just….

Valuing Digital Assets: Lessons from the Counter Strike Market Crash Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, valuation

RRSPs Aren’t the Villain – But Misunderstanding Them Is

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Melissa Plunkett, Director, Scotiatrust On Friday, September 26, 2025, when CTV news published their story “Daughter hit with $660,000 tax bill when both parents died in the same year”, I was inundated with texts and DMs from friends and family asking me if this could really happen to a middle-class family.   Did the CRA assess too much tax?  Was an RRSP really all taxable at….

RRSPs Aren’t the Villain – But Misunderstanding Them Is Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Tax Issues

Picking The Right Power of Attorney: The Cautionary Tale of Jack Johnson

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Taylor Sergeant, Associate Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Ottawa When it comes to estate planning, few decisions carry as much weight as selecting your Power of Attorney (POA). This person will have the legal authority to make financial or personal decisions on your behalf. Unfortunately, NHL defenseman Jack Johnson learned this lesson the hard way. The Jack Johnson Case: A Cautionary Tale Jack Johnson,….

Picking The Right Power of Attorney: The Cautionary Tale of Jack Johnson Continue Reading »

Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes

When One Clause or Designation Derails an Estate Plan

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Recent decisions from the British Columbia Court of Appeal have underscored how fragile an estate plan can become when a Will is ambiguous, or when life insurance and beneficiary designations conflict with the testator’s broader intentions. These cases remind us that estate planning isn’t just about having a Will, it’s about making sure the pieces are consistent, coherent, and….

When One Clause or Designation Derails an Estate Plan Continue Reading »

Appeals, Contested wills, Courts, Estate Litigation, Insurance, Wills
Scroll to Top