Affinity Capital Management Inc.

🍂 This Thanksgiving weekend, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what matters most.

It’s easy for financial conversations to become focused on numbers — how much we have, how much we’re saving, or what our investments are doing.

But behind those numbers are the things that actually matter: the people we care about, the experiences we want to have, the security we want to create and the future we’re working toward.

Gratitude can remind us of what we already have. Financial planning can help us make the most of it.

From all of us at Affinity Capital Management, wishing you and your loved ones a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving weekend. 🍁

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

Could gratitude actually improve your financial health?

It might be more connected to our money habits than we realize.

A recent Forbes article explores the surprising relationship between gratitude and financial behaviour — and highlights three ways gratitude may influence the way we manage money:

💭 Delay gratification
Taking a moment to appreciate what we already have can make it easier to pause before making an impulse purchase and prioritize longer-term goals.

💰 Spend with purpose
Gratitude can help shift our focus away from comparison and “keeping up with the Joneses” and toward the things we genuinely value.

🌱 Cultivate contentment
When happiness isn’t dependent on constantly buying something newer or better, we may be less likely to fall into the cycle of spending to recreate that initial excitement.

The goal isn’t to stop spending or feel guilty about enjoying your money.

It’s about becoming more intentional about why you’re spending — and whether your spending actually reflects what matters most to you.

Because financial health isn’t just about how much you earn, save or invest.

It’s also about the relationship you have with your money.

This week, try asking yourself:

“What am I grateful for that I already have — and how does that change what I actually need?”

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

Source: Juan Carlos Medina, Forbes, “The Surprising Link Between Gratitude and Your Financial Health,” October 5, 2026. Article accessed through AdvisorStream under a licensed distribution agreement.

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🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada–U.S. trade tensions continue to evolve.

On September 29, the United States began banning nearly $1 billion worth of certain Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles. This follows additional rounds of tariffs and counter-tariffs between the two countries.

Canada’s current counter-tariffs include rates of 15%, 25% and 50% on certain U.S. goods, covering approximately $27.6 billion in imports across sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

So, what does this mean for Canadians?

Trade measures can have effects beyond the businesses directly involved. They can influence business costs, supply chains, prices, investment decisions and economic growth — although the impact will vary depending on the product, business and broader market conditions.

For investors and families, the takeaway isn’t to predict what the next announcement will be.

It’s to make sure your financial plan is built with uncertainty in mind — including appropriate diversification, risk levels, time horizons and a long-term perspective.

You don’t need to predict what happens next.
You need a financial plan that can adapt.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

Sources:
Government of Canada, Department of Finance — List of products from the United States subject to counter-tariffs effective September 8, 2026.
Associated Press — From motorcycles to booze, US ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports goes into effect, September 29, 2026.

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Sometimes financial planning gets reduced to numbers, accounts and investments.

But behind every financial plan is a life you’re trying to build — the experiences you want to have, the people you want to support, and the future you want to feel prepared for.

The goal isn’t simply to have more money. It’s to make sure your money is helping you build a life that matters to you.

What does that look like for you?

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

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What is your money actually for?

It can protect you when life gets unexpected, help you work toward long-term goals, support the life you want to enjoy today, and eventually help you provide for the people or causes that matter to you.

Financial planning isn’t simply about accumulating more. It’s about giving your money a purpose — and making sure that purpose reflects your goals, your priorities and your values.

Because the right financial plan isn’t just about where your money is going.

It’s about where you’re going.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

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Financial clarity can change the way you approach your decisions.

When you understand where you are, where you want to go, and what matters most to you, financial decisions can feel less overwhelming — and more intentional.

A financial plan isn’t about having every answer. It’s about creating a clear direction and making decisions that support the life you want to build.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

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AI is changing the way we learn about and manage money. 🤖💰

From explaining a financial concept to helping organize a budget or explore different scenarios, AI can be a useful starting point.

But there’s an important distinction:

AI can help you ask better questions — it doesn’t replace understanding your full financial picture.

AI-generated information can sometimes be inaccurate or incomplete, and sharing personal financial information with AI tools can also create privacy and security considerations.

That’s why using AI thoughtfully matters. Canada’s National AI Literacy Initiative, launched in September 2026, specifically focuses on helping Canadians understand AI, recognize its risks and use it responsibly.

The goal isn’t to avoid AI.

It’s to use it thoughtfully.

Use AI to learn.
Use it to explore.
Use it to prepare better questions.
And when a decision has real financial consequences, make sure you’re looking at the bigger picture.

Sources:
Government of Canada — Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, National AI Literacy Initiative, 2026.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Artificial Intelligence in Banking, 2025.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

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You’ve probably heard the word tariff a lot lately — but what does it actually mean? 🤔

A tariff is a tax charged on certain goods imported into a country. The importer generally pays the tariff at the border, and the additional cost may then affect businesses, prices, or both.

Why does this matter to everyday Canadians?

Tariffs can influence:
• 🛒 The cost of imported goods
• 🏭 Costs for businesses that rely on imported materials
• 📈 Trade and broader economic activity

As of September 8, 2026, Canada introduced new counter-tariffs on certain U.S. products, with rates of 15%, 25% and 50% depending on the product. 

That doesn’t mean every product will automatically increase by the full tariff rate. The actual impact can depend on the product, business, supply chain and market.

Understanding terms like tariffs can help us better understand the economic news we see — and how broader economic changes can eventually connect back to our financial lives.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.
🍁Source: Government of Canada, Department of Finance Canada (2026).
View the official source⁠
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Life changes — and your financial plan should have room to change with it.

A new job, marriage, children, a home purchase, a change in your goals, or even a shift in your priorities can all be reasons to take another look at your plan.

A financial review can be an opportunity to ask:

• Are your goals still the same?
• Are your investments still aligned with your time horizon and priorities?
• Has anything changed that could affect your insurance or estate planning?
• Are your beneficiaries still up to date?

Sometimes, financial planning isn’t about making a major change. It’s about making sure the plan you have still makes sense for the life you’re living today.

When was the last time you reviewed yours?

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

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Back-to-school season is a good reminder that education planning isn’t something that has to wait until your child is ready for university.

If you’re saving through an RESP, the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) can help boost your contributions.

The basic CESG provides 20% on the first $2,500 contributed each year, up to $500 annually. If you don’t receive the full grant in a given year, unused CESG room can generally be carried forward, allowing you to catch up in future years.

The important part? Don’t just save — understand how the plan works.

Your child’s age, your contribution history and your family’s circumstances can all affect your education-savings strategy.

Want to make sure your RESP strategy is working for your family’s goals? Let’s talk.

Your Money. Your Goals. Your Values.

Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Education Savings Grant⁠