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V9N4 - Oct. 19 - Nov.8, 2010:

 

Spotlight feature:
Joyce Collier
and Lorraine McLeod

Winnipeg, Manitoba

It’s the People You Meet in a Life Devoted to Golf

By Scott Taylor

Joyce Collier and Lorraine McLeod

For Joyce Collier, golf will always be about the people. It’s not about awards, or the thanks and appreciation you get from your peers. It’s not about any of that stuff.

It’s about watching great players, meeting them, and feeling that in some small way you helped them, just a bit, along the fairway.

For Lorraine McLeod, a life in golf means much the same. And like her friend and colleague, McLeod’s memories, are of nothing but clear days, straight fairways and uninterrupted good times.

For those of us who have either covered women’s golf in the media or simply been a fan of the game in this province, we all know that to some degree it simply wouldn’t be a Manitoba ladies golf tournament without the presence of Joyce and Lorraine. From 1981 to today, Collier and McLeod have had a hand in so many outstanding women’s events, that it’s almost impossible to keep track. The latest big event, the LPGA’s Canadian Ladies Open Championship at St. Charles, is a classic example.

For these two exceptional women, golf has played a major role in their lives.

“The memories I have of being involved in golf are all wonderful,” said McLeod, the other day. “The greatest thing anyone can do is volunteer for golf.”

McLeod started back in 1981 as a tournament chairperson at the Canoe Club. She went on to be president of Ladies Golf at the Canoe Club and became a Manitoba Ladies Golf Association tournament chairman, vice-president and, eventually, president.

She later moved from the Canoe Club to Southwood and was the chairperson of the Canadian Ladies Amateur championship at Glendale in 1991.

“That’s was a year and a half of work,” she recalled. “And it was a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, back in ’81, Collier was already a member of the rules committee for the CLGA’s national amateur championship. She started her career as golf volunteer at the Portage Golf Club, where today, the Joyce Collier Award is presented annually to the top junior golfer.

“When I present that award, it’s not always for the way a young person plays,” Collier said. “In fact, the winner of the award is not always the best player, but a player who brings his or her best to the game.”

The same thing can be said about Collier. She always brings her best.

She, too, was president of the Manitoba Ladies Golf Association (1995, 1996 and 1997) Went on to become CLGA Director of Player Development in 1998, 99 and 2000. and was an associate governor in the Royal Canadian Golf Association (2006, 2007, 2008).

But when you talk with Collier it’s obvious that two things make her very proud: her involvement with junior golf and her dedication to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

“When you volunteer your time, it’s the people you meet who make it so rewarding,” she said. “And what’s very enjoyable is the young people you watch progress in their careers. I’ve known (LPGA professional) Gail Graham since she was a junior. I’ve watched Aileen Robertson’s career and Cathy Burton’s. These were all wonderful young players and it was great just to come to know them and play a small part in what they were able to accomplish.”

Both Collier and McLeod have been major contributors to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. Collier was President of the Hall from 2003-2006 and she asked her friend Lorraine to get involved back in ‘03. And while McLeod left Hall of Fame board in 2008, Collier has continued on as Past President and Chair of the annual induction event.

“If it wasn’t for Joyce the Hall of Fame would never have happened,” said McLeod bluntly. “She’s such a wonderful organizer. I enjoyed being on the board, but Joyce was the heart and soul of the Hall. And she’s so behind this year’s induction. It’s hard to say enough about what she’s done to make the Hall of Fame the success that it is.”

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were four of the most visible stars in Manitoba golf -- four people whose inclusion in the Hall are beyond question:

Bob Picken, Builder

For more than 60 years, Bob Picken has been the voice of golf on radio and TV in Manitoba. He has also been an active contributor to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, has served as chair of the selection committee for the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award since its inception in1975 and been a director of the Grey Owl golf tournament since 1979.

Rob McMillan, Athlete

One of the greatest players in the annals of Manitoba golf, McMillan made history as the first young man ever to win the Canadian Juvenile and Junior Championships in the same year. His three Canadian Junior titles tied for the most ever won. He won the 1996 Manitoba Open as an amateur, then added the Canadian Amateur title in the same season. He won the Provincial Junior Championship for four straight years (1991 through 1994) and added the Provincial Amateur title in 1993. He won the amateur again in 1995 and 1996 and played on four provincial junior teams, on two Manitoba Willingdon Cup teams and represented Canada twice at the World Amateur Championships. He was chosen Golfer of the Year in 1990, was a finalist in 1991 and won the honour again every year from 1992 to 1996.

Terry Hashimoto, Athlete

Hashimoto was a remarkable player between 1976 and 1998. He was named Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year three times and was a finalist five more times during that period. He represented Manitoba in team play 10 times – as a junior in 1976 and then eight times on the province’s Willingdon Cup teams (1977, ‘79, ’80, ’81, ’83, ’85,’96 and ’98). He also played on one Mid-Amateur team in 1998. He won the Manitoba Amateur Championship twice (1985 and 1998), the Manitoba Match Play Championship three times (1983, 1985 and 1998), the Manitoba Mid-Amateur Championship in 1998 and was low amateur in the Manitoba Open Championship twice (1979 and 1980). In 1998, he was a triple champion, taking home the amateur, mid-amateur and match play titles. He was Manitoba Golfer of the Year in 1976, 1980 and 1998.

Aileen Robertson, Athlete

Between 1986 and 1996, a time when there were many top female players in Manitoba, Ailleen Robertson was one of the best. She was the Provincial Junior Champ in 1986 and 1987 and won the Manitoba Ladies Amateur in 1989-90-91-94-95-96. She won a Canadian Championship in 1994 and was also declared Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year along with Rob McMillan. She was a finalist for the Golfer of the Year honours twice, in 1989 and 1991, and was a nominee for Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year twice, 1992 and 1994. She also won the Ontario Women’s Amateur title and was named Score Magazine’s Female Amateur of the Year in 1994.

Robertson represented the province on Manitoba golf teams for 13 straight years, as a junior from 1984-87 and on nine consecutive amateur teams from 1988 through 1996. She represented Canada seven times at international events including the World Amateur, British Amateur, Australian Amateur, New Zealand Amateur, Mexican Amateur and Commonwealth Championship.

The accomplishments of these great players and one builder, make Collier proud. In fact, they make her prouder than even her own accomplishments.

“With a Hall of Fame, the one thing you never want to do is lower the bar,” Collier said. “With the induction of these four people, we have maintained the level of excellence.”

“Golf is a wonderful sport. One day you start out as a junior and years later, you end up in the Hall of Fame. We’ve been so fortunate in Manitoba to have had so many wonderful players and wonderful people involved in our game.

“But golf in Manitoba is really about all the volunteers. Aihlin Walker and Peggy Colonello were wonderful volunteers for golf. I worked with Lorraine (McLeod) for years. In fact, it was Lorraine who encouraged me to go national.

“If not for volunteers, the players wouldn’t have the tournaments to play in. Without volunteers, golf wouldn’t be the great game that it is.” McLeod would certainly agree with that.

“In 2003, my husband Angus and my daughter Heather and I went to Scotland to play the Old Course,” Lorraine recalled fondly. “We never would have done that together without my having been involved with golf as a volunteer. And, you know, it was the best thing that ever could have happened to us.

“It’s been a wonderful life with golf.”

(Read more in the Oct 19 -Nov 8/2010 issue of Senior Scope)


 

Financial Solutions
Designating a beneficiary on an RRSP or RRIF

Prepared by The Investors Group Advanced Financial Planning Team

BRIAN G. KONRAD CFP, Financial Consultant


*This article is only applicable to RRSPs and RRIFs that are not segregated fund contracts, as life insurance products such as segregated fund contracts are governed under separate legislation. This article is not applicable in Quebec.

Do you have a Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) or a Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF)? Designating a beneficiary to your RRSP or RRIF is often presented as sound financial planning, since doing so can avoid probate and probate fees. However, a direct beneficiary designation can result in some negative consequences such as inequitable treatment of heirs, unintended elimination of heirs and unexpected tax consequences to the designated beneficiary.

Taxation at death

If you designated a beneficiary to your RRSP or RRIF with your financial institution, then the entire value of the RRSP or RRIF will be paid directly to your designated beneficiary, with no withholding for tax. However, when you die, you will be deemed to have disposed of all your assets, immediately before your death, which means that the full value of your registered investments will be included in your tax return in the year of death. Regardless of who you designate as your beneficiary, your estate will be responsible for paying any resulting tax liability. However, if your estate does not have sufficient funds to cover the taxes owing, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can collect the taxes owing from your RRSP or RRIF beneficiary. If your beneficiary is unaware of this potential tax liability, he or she could be in for an unpleasant surprise when a tax bill arrives. As the settlement of the estate can take some time, there have been cases in which the beneficiary has already spent the inheritance before being notified of the tax liability.

If your RRSP or RRIF is paid to a “qualified beneficiary”, then the tax can be deferred if your beneficiary chooses to transfer the funds to another registered investment. A “qualified beneficiary” can be either your spouse or common-law partner or your financially dependent child or grandchild.

Inequitable treatment of heirs due to taxation

Because your estate is initially responsible for the tax liability on your RRSPs and RRIFs, designating a beneficiary could result in the inequitable treatment of your heirs.

Example:
Alice was a resident of Ontario, and had three children (Sam, Jamie, and Susan) and no surviving spouse. She wanted each child to inherit an equal portion of her assets.

When Alice died, her assets were comprised of $400,000 of nonregistered assets with a $200,000 capital gain and a $200,000 RRSP. Alice made Sam the direct beneficiary of the RRSP, and her will divided the rest of her estate (the non-registered assets) equally between Jamie and Susan.

Alice thought that this would leave each child with an equal portion of her assets. What Alice did not take into account was the fact that there would be no withholding tax on the payment of the RRSPs assets to Sam, and her estate would be responsible for paying the income tax on the RRSP and the capital gain from the non-registered investments, as well as any probate fees.

Alice’s executor will have to add $300,000 of income to Alice’s terminal tax return – i.e. $200,000 of income from her RRSP and $100,000 of income from the taxable capital gain on the nonregistered investment. Assuming a marginal tax rate of 46%, the taxes owing would be $138,000. In addition, Ontario probate fees on her $400,000 investment would come to at least $5,500. Thus, between them James and Susan will only have $256,500 to split, or $128,250 each, while Sam has an inheritance of $200,000.

Planning for a blended family

Do you have a “blended family”? Would you like to provide an income for your surviving spouse for the remainder of your spouse’s lifetime, but ensure that any remaining capital goes to your children, and not your spouse’s family? If that’s what you want to do, then you should not designate your spouse as the direct beneficiary of your RRSP or RRIF, but pay the RRSP or RRIF to your estate. If your spouse inherits by direct beneficiary designation, then you lose the ability to impose any “strings” on that inheritance. You can instead indicate in your will that the RRSP or RRIF is to be payable to a trust for your spouse – but recognize that any “rollover” will be lost in that case, and taxes will be owing when you die.

Alternatively, you could use life insurance or other assets to provide your children with an inheritance and leave the RRSP or RRIF to your spouse, or you can indicate that your spouse will inherit the value of the RRSP or RRIF, but on condition that he or she will transfer the amounts to another registered investment so that the estate is not liable for any taxes in respect of the RRSP
or RRIF. If your spouse chooses to take a payment in cash from the estate, then you can direct your executor to only pay the after-tax value of the RRSP or RRIF to your spouse.

Locked-in plans

Do you have a locked-in plan (including a LIRA, LIF, LRIF, or PRIF)? Your ability to name a beneficiary on a locked-in plan is restricted by the pension legislation that governs the plan. If you are the annuitant of a locked-in plan and you have a “spouse” as defined in the particular pension legislation at the time of your death, your “spouse” will almost always be automatically entitled to the proceeds of the plan.

Your “spouse” can waive his or her right to the death benefits from a locked-in plan in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, allowing you to designate a non-spouse beneficiary, but your spouse can also revoke his or her waiver at any time prior to your death.

Example:
Ken is divorced, has an adult child (Kate) and lives in British Columbia. He has a locked-in plan subject to British Columbia pension legislation, and designates Kate as his beneficiary. Ten years later, Ken gets married to Gail, and 2 weeks after that, Ken dies. Gail did not sign a prescribed waiver form, so the proceeds of the locked-in plan will be paid to Gail, even if Ken might have preferred to have them paid to Kate. Because Ken had assumed that Kate would receive his locked-in plan, he did not make alternate provisions for her in his will.

Summary

In some cases, it may be appropriate for you to designate a beneficiary on your RRSP or RRIF, but there are many cases when you might prefer to have your RRSP or RRIF payable to your estate and distributed in accordance with the terms of your will. While probate avoidance could result in some savings, it can also create many problems and potentially strained relations amongst your heirs. Be very careful before making a direct beneficiary designation on your RRSP or RRIF. For further information and advice please contact your Investors Group Consultant.
__________________________________

BRIAN G. KONRAD CFP
Financial Consultant
brian.konrad@investorsgroup.com
(204) 489-4640 ext. 246
100-1345 WAVERLEY STREET
WINNIPEG, MB R3T 5Y6
1-888-205-4828

This report is intended as a general source of information only, and is not intended as a solicitation to buy or sell specific investments, nor is it intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice. Clients should discuss their situation with their Investors Group Consultant for advice based on their specific circumstances.
™Trademark owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to its subsidiary corporations.
“Locked-In accounts - Why pension jurisdiction
is important?” ©2009 Investors Group Inc. (03/2009)
MP1567

(Read more in the Oct 19 -Nov 8/2010 issue of Senior Scope)


 


America – he’s
your president
for goodness sake!


William J. Thomas

There was a time not so long ago when Americans, regardless of their political stripes, rallied round their president. Once elected, the man who won the White House was no longer viewed as a republican or democrat, but the President of the United States. The oath of office was taken, the wagons were circled around the country’s borders and it was America versus the rest of the world with the president of all the people at the helm.

Suddenly President Barack Obama, with the potential to become an exceptional president has become the glaring exception to that unwritten, patriotic rule.

Four days before President Obama’s inauguration, before he officially took charge of the American government, Rush Limbaugh boasted publicly that he hoped the president would fail. Of course, when the president fails the country flounders. Wishing harm upon your country in order to further your own narrow political views is selfish, sinister and a tad treasonous as well.

Subsequently during his State of the Union address which is pretty much a pep rally for America, an unknown congressman from South Carolina, later identified as Joe Wilson, stopped the show when he called the President of the United States a liar. The president showed great restraint in ignoring this unprecedented insult and carried on with his speech. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was so stunned by the slur she forgot to jump to her feet while clapping wildly, thirty or forty times after that.

Last spring President Obama took his wife Michelle to see a play in New York City and republicans attacked him over the cost of security for the excursion. The president can’t take his wife out to dinner and a show without being scrutinized by the political opposition? As history has proven, a president in a theatre without adequate security is a tragically bad idea.

Remember: “Apart from that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”

At some point the treatment of President Obama went from offensive to ugly and then to downright dangerous.

The health care debate which looked more like extreme fighting in a mud pit than a national dialogue revealed a very vulgar side of America. President Obama’s face appeared on protest signs white-faced and blood-mouthed in a satanic clown image. In other tasteless portrayals, people who disagreed with his position distorted his face to look like Hitler complete with mustache and swastika.

Odd, that burning the flag makes Americans crazy, but depicting the president as a clown and a maniacal fascist is accepted as part of the new rude America.

Maligning the image of the leader of the free world is one thing, putting the president’s life in peril is quite another. More than once men with guns were videotaped at the health care rallies where the president spoke. Again,
history shows that letting men with guns get within range of a president has not served America well in the past.

And still the “birthers’ are out there claiming Barak Obama was not born in the United States, although public documentation proves otherwise. Hawaii is definitely part of the United States, but the Panama Canal Zone where his electoral opponent Senator John McCain was born? Nobody’s really sure.

Last month a 44-year-old woman in Buffalo was quite taken by President Obama when she met him in a chicken wing restaurant called Duff’s. Did she way something about a pleasure and an honor to meet the man or utter encouraging words for the difficult job he is doing? No. Quote: “You’re a hottie with a smokin’ little body.”

Lady, that was the President of the United States you were addressing, not one of the Jonas Brothers! He’s your president for goodness sakes not the guy driving the zamboni at “Monster Trucks On Ice.” What’s next, “Take Your President To A Topless Bar Day.”

In President Barack Obama, Americans have a charismatic leader with a good and honest heart. Unlike his predecessor, he’s a very intelligent leader. And unlike that president’s predecessor he’s a highly moral man.

In President Obama, Americans have the real deal, the whole package and a leader that citizens of almost every country around the world look to with great envy.

What America has in Obama is a head of state with vitality and insight and youth. Think about it, Barack Obama is a young Nelson Mandela. Mandela was the face of change and charity for all of Africa but he was too old to make it happen. The great things Obama might do for America and the world could go on for decades after he’s out of office.

America, you know not what you have.

The man is being challenged unfairly, characterized with vulgarity and treated with the kind of deep disrespect to which no previous president was subjected. It’s like the day after electing the first black man to be president, thereby electrifying the world with hope and joy, Americans sobered up and decided the bad old days were better.

President Obama may fail but it will not be a Richard Nixon default fraught with larceny and lies. President Obama given a fair chance will surely succeed but his triumph will never come with a Bill Clinton caveat – “if only he’d got control of that zipper.”

Please. Give the man a fair, fighting chance. This incivility toward the leader who won over Americans and gave hope to billions of people around the world that their lives could be enhanced by his example, just naturally has to stop.

Believe me, when Americans drive by the White House and see a sign on the lawn that reads: “No shirt. No shoes. No service,” they’ll realize this new national rudeness has gone way, way too far.
______________________________

William Thomas is the author
of nine books of humour.
For comments, ideas or a signed book,
go to www.williamthomas.ca

(Read more in the Oct 19 -Nov 8/2010 issue of Senior Scope)


 

 

   


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