Navigating Cross-Border Pension Portability: A Guide for Canadians and Americans on the Move
Moving between Canada and the United States is an exciting adventure—whether for work, family, or retirement. But when it comes to your retirement savings, things can get tricky. Defined benefit (DB) pensions, like the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP), and U.S. qualified plans such as 401(k)s, aren't as portable as your [...]
Breaking Up Across Borders: How Binational Couples Handle Retirement Accounts
Divorce is never simple. Throw in a border between Canada and the United States, and it becomes a maze of taxes, treaties, and tough decisions. For binational couples—where one spouse is from the U.S. and the other from Canada—splitting retirement accounts like RRSPs, IRAs, or 401(k) plans isn’t just a matter of dividing the pie [...]
Canadian Tax Residency Determination: Cross-Border Financial Planning Implications
In this video, Jeffrey Adema, President of Wealth Management, Cross Border at Cardinal Point Wealth Management, explains how Canadian tax residency is determined and why it’s a cornerstone of effective cross-border financial planning.
Kris Rossignoli Featured in The Globe and Mail: Navigating Cross-Border Wealth Planning Amid Shifting Canada–U.S. Relations
Cross-border financial advisors are navigating one of the most dynamic and politically charged periods in recent memory. In this feature, Kris Rossignoli, Senior Private Wealth Manager at Cardinal Point Capital Management, offers a front-line perspective on how shifting U.S. policies and heightened cross-border sensitivities are reshaping client behavior and financial planning strategies. Rossignoli notes an [...]
Deferring Social Security, CPP, and OAS – A Cross-Border Perspective for U.S. Citizens Living in Canada
For U.S. citizens living in Canada, one of the most important retirement decisions revolves around when to claim government pension benefits. The U.S. Social Security system, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and Old Age Security (OAS) all provide meaningful retirement income streams. But unlike employer pensions, retirees have a significant degree of choice in when to [...]
The Cross-Border Playbook: Are You Ready for Canada’s Tax System?
Are you a successful US tech executive considering a move to Canada? Perhaps you're a Canadian returning home, an American exploring opportunities in Toronto or Vancouver, or an H1B visa holder seeking a more permanent future. The move north is an exciting prospect, but it’s also one of the most significant financial events of your [...]
Tax-Efficient Post Secondary School Savings Strategies for Cross-border Families: RESP vs. 529 Plan
Families with cross-border ties—especially those with children studying internationally between the U.S. and Canada—face unique challenges and opportunities when saving for education. Understanding the tax rules, government incentives, and optimal strategies for 529 plans (U.S.) and RESPs (Canada) can maximize the value of your post-secondary savings. Here’s a focused guide to the most tax-efficient strategies [...]
Life After Expatriation – Common U.S. Tax Issues for Former Citizens and Green Card Holders Moving to Canada
Expatriation — the act of giving up U.S. citizenship or long-term green card status — is a life-changing decision. For many former Americans who relocate to Canada, it brings freedom from the complexities of U.S. worldwide taxation. But it also opens a new set of U.S. tax issues that can linger for years or even [...]
Cross-Border Canada–U.S. Retirement Planning – A 2025 Guide for High-Net-Worth Families
Retirement planning is never one-size-fits-all. When your life, family, or assets cross the border between Canada and the United States, the complexities multiply. Taxation, social benefits, investment management, estate planning, and healthcare are subject to two sets of rules — and the choices you make in one country may have unintended consequences in the other. [...]
Cross-Border Canada–U.S. Retirement Planning – Withdrawal Rates and Spending Strategies for 2025 and Beyond
When you’ve spent decades building wealth on both sides of the Canada–U.S. border, the challenge of retirement isn’t just reaching financial independence — it’s decumulating wisely. Withdrawal planning is the central question for retirees: How much can you spend each year without outliving your savings? Which accounts should you draw from first? How do government [...]
Why Dual Licensing Matters in Cross-Border Wealth Management
For individuals and families who live, work, or invest on both sides of the US/Canada border, managing wealth is not as simple asking Artificial Intelligence, performing a Google search, asking a friend, or relying on a single Canadian or US investment advisor or financial planner. Differences in tax systems, retirement account structures, estate laws, and [...]
Karen Rogers Sim: Cross-Border Financial Planning for Canadians moving to the U.S.
Planning a move from Canada to the United States is exciting—but the tax and planning details can get complicated fast. In this blog post, cross-border advisor Karen Rogers Sim of Cardinal Point Wealth Management explains how to prepare before you depart Canada so you can avoid double taxation and costly surprises. You’ll learn how residency [...]
Canadian & U.S. Taxation of Social Security – 2025 Claiming Strategies for Couples
For Canadians and Americans alike, Social Security is often a cornerstone of retirement income planning. While Canadians may be more familiar with the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS), many cross-border families rely on U.S. Social Security benefits either directly from their own contributions or indirectly through spousal or survivor benefits. Understanding [...]
U.S. and Canadian Income Tax Implications on the Sale of Your Personal Residence
When it comes to selling a personal residence, taxpayers in both the United States and Canada benefit from considerable exemptions that can shield all or part of the gain from capital gains tax. However, individuals who have cross-border status—particularly U.S. citizens living in Canada—face unique and sometimes costly tax implications. Below is a comprehensive discussion [...]
Preserving Estate Value – How a Graduated Rate Estate Can Turn Post-Death Losses Into Tax Savings for High-Net-Worth Canadians
For high-net-worth Canadians, a principal residence is often only one part of a diversified portfolio that may include vacation properties, investment real estate, yachts, art collections, and other high-value personal assets. Yet, it is not unusual for the primary residence — especially in premier real estate markets like Vancouver, Toronto, or Muskoka — to represent [...]
Clean Energy and Vehicle Credits (USA) are Going…going… gone!
One way that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) pays for its extension and expansion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) is by cutting tax credits put in place by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Clean Vehicle Credits end for vehicles purchased after September 30, 2025. If you were [...]
Charitable Giving – Canada – Taking Credit
Whether you prepare your own taxes with retail software or hire a tax professional, you can expect to be asked if you made any charitable contributions in the year. In addition to the good feeling of supporting a worthy cause, there is a potentially large tax benefit to making donations to qualified/registered charities. The tax [...]
Charitable Giving – U.S. Tax Rules
Five ways to deduct donations in the U.S. with OBBBA changes There are five ways for individuals to deduct charitable donations on a U.S. tax return. charitable donation deduction in addition to the standard deduction; itemized deductions; qualified charitable distributions from an IRA; funding a Donor Advised Fund (DAF); and funding a Charitable Remainder Trust, [...]
Cross-Border Tax Tips for Canada-U.S. Digital Nomads (Temporary remote workers)
A New Era of Work and Wealth The rise of remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the global workforce, with an estimated 40+ million digital nomads worldwide in 2025, including 18.1 million from the United States (Demandsage). For Canadians and Americans embracing this lifestyle—working remotely while living across the Canada-U.S. border—the promise of [...]