Recognizing the dramatically increasing costs of a university education, many people would like to start setting funds aside as soon as possible for minor children or grandchildren. And, of course, they would like to use the most tax-effective savings strategy possible. The strategy chosen often largely depends on their financial means, the children's ages and the length of time left to save.

In life, one size doesn't always fit all. Take investing as an example. For many investors, a conventional investment account where you pay a commission each time you make a trade suits them just fine. But what about investors who find keeping track of individual commissions too complicated and time consuming?

Fee-based investing has become more desirable by investors in recent years, as a growing number of Canadians find these services have many advantages compared to traditional commission-based accounts.

Every investor should have an RRSP portfolio strategy. Not only does it work to your advantage in total return over time, but it also makes a portfolio easier to maintain and monitor. One of the most popular portfolio designs for an RRSP account is a five-year 'AAA' rated stripped coupon ladder coupled with an equity vehicle such as an index unit or mutual fund.