Ambassadors: Featured Posts

In recognition of Fraud Prevention Month, I recently joined HomeEquity Bank’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Vivianne Gauci, for an Instagram Live to discuss the common scams affecting Canadians 55 and over and provide tips to protect yourself and your loved ones. Here’s what you may have missed! Canadians are increasingly the target of fraudsters and scammers. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) reported a record-breaking $531 million lost to fraud in 2022. Even more worrisome? According to IPSOS research commissioned by HomeEquity Bank in 2022, over half of Canadians 55 and over report being targeted by scammers, with a staggering 36% report having fallen victim to a scam.

In recognition of Fraud Prevention Month, I recently joined HomeEquity Bank’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Vivianne Gauci, for an Instagram Live to discuss the common scams affecting Canadians 55 and over and provide tips to protect yourself and your loved ones. Here’s what you may have missed! Canadians are increasingly the target of fraudsters and scammers. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) reported a record-breaking $531 million lost to fraud in 2022. Even more worrisome? According to IPSOS research commissioned by HomeEquity Bank in 2022, over half of Canadians 55 and over report being targeted by scammers, with a staggering 36% report having fallen victim to a scam.

Let’s face it, even under the best of circumstances it can be difficult to entirely fund your retirement, especially when it could represent a third of your life. Add high inflation, market volatility and higher interest rates in today’s economic environment, and it is even more important to leave no stone unturned and explore all of your funding options. This includes your savings, money tucked away in a TFSA or investment portfolio, some have been diligent and consistently contributed to their RRSPs, others have had the luxury of a company pension plan, and almost all Canadians will turn to government programs to support their retirement lifestyle. However, for many, even if they tried to save via some, or all, of these products, it still may not be enough.

As we age, longevity becomes a big issue. We talk about it. Think about it and wonder what our latter years have in store for us. Like me, you probably didn’t consider how long you would live when you were 16 or even when you turned 30. Today, even The Washington Post looks at longevity from our point of view, so much so that it reports: “Our brains are built to change over our lifetime, meeting the challenges set by every life stage” and asks, “Do brains peak in childhood? Is it all downhill after 30? Can a 65-year-old brain keep up with an adolescent?” New research is discovering that the brains of older individuals have the potential for greater wisdom built from a lifetime of experience and learning.

I can’t imagine anything could get in Susan William’s way. She’s the creator and publisher of Booming Encore, a site for those born between 1946 and 1964. Williams launched Booming Encore almost ten years ago. According to Williams, directly after retiring, for most, there is a six-month honeymoon stage —until the newly retired begin searching for what they want to do for the rest of their lives. That’s where her site becomes a gold mine of balanced and researched information for fresh ideas about aging. According to Williams, the pandemic brought the idea of aging with purpose into focus. Many of us can identify as we found it easier to stay home rather than connect with friends and family. Instead of disengaging, she decided to do 60 different things before she turned 60.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been giving future healthcare considerations serious thought lately. The thing is, life in a long-term care facility or retirement home doesn’t appeal to me. That was when I spoke to Lauren Moses, Vice-President of operations at Home Concierge. Home Concierge, as the name suggests, is devoted to healthcare and good living in the home. Moses suggests that when older adults reach the age of 70, it’s a perfect time to plan ahead and research the types of health care you’d prefer as they age.

When HomeEquity Bank approached me four years ago to be their spokesperson, I did a lot of research into the company. My reputation and personal integrity are important to me. I didn’t just want to be a face and a name. I wanted to believe in what I was endorsing.

Kurt Browning, a Canadian figure skater and the celebrity spokesperson for HomeEquity Bank, partners with his dog to describe the benefits of a CHIP Reverse Mortgage and how it can help you retire in the home you love.

Kurt Browning, a Canadian figure skater and the celebrity spokesperson for HomeEquity Bank returns to tell you more about the CHIP Reverse Mortgage.