Photo by Romain Dancre on Unsplash
Canadian disability benefits: a complex, fraught system
In my previous post, I interviewed Minnie St. Claire, who’s a BIPOC woman living with a history of trauma, invisible disabilities, and the stigma of being a sex worker.
In the interview, Minnie shared her story, including her traumatic childhood, her career as a cam model, and her journey to FI (financial independence) as a disabled person. (If you haven’t read her interview yet, I urge you to do so. Minnie’s story is inspiring and eye-opening.)
In today’s post, Minnie’s back for part 2 of her interview, in which she shares her vast knowledge of the Canadian disability benefits system. Anyone who’s tried to navigate this system will know how complex and fraught it is.
Disabled Canadians are constantly trapped between difficult options—none of which are ideal nor able to provide the security and stability they deserve and seek. Yet, despite all these challenges, Minnie is slowly finding her way through and blazing her own path to FI.
Part 2 of Minnie’s interview is jam-packed with info, tips, and little-known facts about the Canadian benefits system. (Thank you, Minnie, for all the time and effort you put into this post!) I hope you all find it helpful and informative.
What you’ll learn in Minnie’s interview
Minnie graciously spent a LOT of time filling out her interview with me and provided many helpful and interesting details. I decided to break up her interview into two parts:
Part 1: Getting to know Minnie
In Part 1, Minnie shared her story from childhood to present. In many ways, she experienced a fairly typical Canadian upbringing; complete with plenty of toys and extracurricular activities. But sadly, trauma and an unsupportive home environment forced Minnie to grow up quickly.
Content warning: Minnie briefly mentions trauma and abuse in part 1 of her interview.
Part 2: Canadian disability benefits—setting the record straight
In Part 2 (today’s post), Minnie lays out the flaws, myths, loopholes, and little-known facts of the Canadian benefits system. She also shares the many, many unseen challenges disabled Canadians face every day.
Canadian disability benefits—setting the record straight
I initially attempted to write some questions for Minnie about her struggles navigating the Canadian benefits system. But I quickly realized I’m completely out of my depth!
Minnie’s the expert, so I’m going to step aside and let her have the floor. Take it away, Minnie—tell us the good, bad, and ugly of trying to establish financial security as a disabled person.
Disability benefits available to disabled Canadians
I do not know all the benefits available to Canadians, I think I have a clear understanding of what benefits I’m eligible for and have accessed. Searching out of desperation and frustration, I’ve found the disability benefits and insurance options to be very complex.
Personally, I have received Ontario Works (welfare) and am currently receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. I’m also actively investing in my Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and waiting for the availability of the new Canada Disability Benefit Act. (The federal government named it Bill-C22 and spent over 3 years debating its importance to lift working-age disabled Canadians out of poverty.)
Below are the three main types of disability coverage/benefits available to Canadians:
1. Private disability insurance
In the process of writing this, my knowledge has expanded in the area of private insurance and private disability insurance benefits. Recently, I found the Government of Canada created this webpage called Living With a Disability.
Canadians can access private disability insurance coverage from an employer or paying out of pocket. I never had an employer long enough to access company retirement contributions, health and dental, or disability insurance benefits coverage.
There was also no conversation with my family to prepare me to have a private health or disability insurance plan nor education provided by any employer that hired me. I had to educate myself and learn about the coverage and benefits available to me.
I was diagnosed with my conditions in my early 20s. After I got approved for ODSP, my mother attempted to pay for a private disability insurance plan. But she cancelled it later on because we thought the plan was incorrect and we thought ODSP and OHIP would cover me for everything.
As of today, I discovered any private insurance is better than no private insurance at all. It’s up to the insurance company to issue me my claims. Recently, I went on a long search for private insurance coverage and have discovered that you can not settle for just one company’s insurance plan offering.
There are a lot more of them out there that offer private health insurance with different types of insurance products. So it’s very important to be constantly searching for the best financial and insurance plan options.
Luckily, many applications for insurance are done online now, so I can control what is said in the application. I’ve learned not to tell an insurance provider the specific details of how I earn an income so that I can get the coverage I need to protect myself.
I’ve found my pre-existing condition will be excluded in most insurance plans, which puts the emphasis on me to increase my savings and investment portfolio.
2. Provincial social assistance (welfare) and disability assistance
Provincial social assistance and disability assistance coverage is said to be a benefit of last resort. It is NOT—it is based on eligibility. You must fit their criteria of someone with a disability and be in financial need. You can be working before you are approved for ODSP (I WAS)! The system and mythology has had confused me for decades!
There is a lot of fear mongering, incorrect information, and confusing misconceptions around social assistance programs. We also confuse Canada’s disability programs with other countries. We need to stop doing that.
When it comes to ODSP, the legal legislative expectation is that you have tried with reasonable effort to get any money, support, inheritance, lottery winnings, etc. that you or someone in your family may be entitled to. Also, there’s an expectation that if you do not make a reasonable effort to get that money first, then your ODSP income support payments may be suspended.
When I had a job with an employer, I would typically be fired during the probationary period and was never eligible for employment insurance, which led me to apply for social assistance.
As of today, Ontario Works (welfare) is $733 a month. When I was receiving it in the early 2000s, it was approximately $500 a month. In 2009, I started my application for ODSP and in 2010, it was approved and I was receiving a little over $1,000 a month.
The expectation is it will cover ALL of my living expenses and disability-related expenses. As of July 2023, my ODSP payment is $1,521.15. ODSP recently changed the allowable earned income threshold from $200 a month to $1,000 a month.
It means I am allowed to earn $1,000 net profit in a month and my ODSP payment will not affect my eligibility, plus ODSP will add a $100 work-related benefit. If I had the energy to work, employment and self-employment ODSP will calculate my total net income to determine my eligibility. They would also do more to assess my financial need / income eligibility.
ODSP exemption for a second property
If you have a second property, I discovered an interesting thing in the ODSP policy. For your second property to be considered an exempt asset, you would have to prove to ODSP that it is for your health and well-being or that you’ve made a reasonable attempt to sell it in the allocated time period.
Note that ODSP views your primary principal residence as an exempt asset. (It’s Section 4.2—Real property in Ontario Disability Support Program policy directive if you want to give it a read.)
3. Federal government benefits
I went through the CRA online portal to discover that my Canada Pension Plan-Disability (CPP-D) would be a ‘whopping’ $30 a month. This is because I never had an employer long enough to contribute to CPP/CPP-D or EI / EI disability for a significant length of time.
Plus, the majority of my time has been working self-employed and my net profit has been too low for me to contribute to self-employed CPP/CPP-D on my own. I also chose not to enroll in self-employment EI because I could self-insure my self-employment income with my own emergency fund.
There is also the Disability Tax Credit that could lower your taxable income and give you access to open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). 2008 was my first attempt at applying for the disability tax credit. I was denied then.
But as my health condition progressed and I was diagnosed with multiple health conditions (one of them being multiple sclerosis), I re-applied and got approved in January 2020. I’m expected to re-apply in 2025 and I hope to have my disability recognized as permanent and indefinite with no expiry date for the Disability Tax Credit according to the federal government.
The length of time I’m eligible for the Disability Tax Credit determines how long I can contribute to my RDSP investment account. The Government of Canada has some ridiculously complex rules of owning the RDSP account. Also, the Government of Canada website is not well organized so it will take you some time to find ALL of the current information you need.
Tips for maximizing benefits and minimizing clawbacks
To maximize benefits, you need to question everything and build a support system of people who understand the system and who will give honest advice that actually benefits you. I was given inaccurate advice in my early years of receiving disability benefits.
I have to take full accountability and responsibility in understanding my benefits and advocate for myself to receive what I’m entitled to and eligible for. It is written in the ODSP Rights and Responsibilities PDF that I must do that to be eligible for ODSP income support and health benefits.
The benefit system is designed to anticipate clawbacks, so that means you should as well. I think the best way of minimizing clawbacks is to understand what you are eligible and applying for, send documents in on time or apply for extensions. I’ve found keeping a savings account labelled FU-benefits keeps you prepared for the future clawback.
My current ODSP overpayment balance is from incurring a clawback during the pandemic. ODSP overpayment does not charge me interest. They get their repayment of $71.85 a month out of my ODSP payment and if I become ineligible for ODSP, I am required to pay them back.
It is possible to include that debt in filing a consumer proposal or bankruptcy if I end up in financial hardship (according to Section 11.1—Recovery of overpayments and Section 11.2—Overpayments due to excess assets).
Tips for doing the math on how much income you can earn—part 1
This is not a simple answer. This is where it will be very boring, technical and hopefully make you a little frustrated with the Canadian disability system as I’ve been and am. To not go insane worrying what will happen to my ODSP income support, I had to create my own Excel spreadsheet.
It can easily estimate what happens if my monthly net income profit is over the $1,000 net income threshold and calculates an estimate of what I can expect from ODSP. My spreadsheet has drastically reduced my fears and stressful worries.
It also reduces the shocking impact from ODSP and helps me plan my budget and savings in case I’m processed with a clawback overpayment. (They are different from CERB overpayments, EI, CPP/CPP-D and other benefits that are out there.)
I currently have an ODSP overpayment of $3,970.56. For the current ODSP benefit month of July 31, 2023, my ODSP income support payment is $1,593.00 and it is reduced by $71.85 to pay back the overpayment.
If I have a month where my self-employment has a net profit of $100, ODSP will add on their $100 work-related benefit. That would bring my payment up to $1,693.00, but it would be reduced by $71.85 to cover the overpayment.
In July 2023, my ODSP payment was $1,308 (increased by 6.5%) and my ODSP overpayment was increased to $71.85. In September 2023, my ODSP payment was $1,169 a month (increased by 5%) to $1,228 a month and the amount for my ODSP overpayment was increased to $67.85 from $64.90. They said the payment increases are to keep up with inflation.
Tips for doing the math on how much income you can earn—part 2
This is where it gets very technical. I’m amazed I’ve memorized most of these details and have quoted sections of the ODSP policy for your reference. I’ve also created a spreadsheet breaking down how these numbers work and made it available through my ko-fi page: ODSP & Work Estimator Calculator.
Earning an income while eligible for ODSP is not simple math. If you read ODSP Policy 5.1—Definition and treatment of income you will see that ODSP covers every possible method of earning an income.
They include dividend income, rental income from your primary residence and they definitely factor in if you own a second property. (Remember when I mentioned 4.2 real property.)
The short answer is if my small business/self employment earns a net profit of $1,000, my ODSP and their health benefits will not be affected and I will collect my full ODSP payment amount. ODSP will collect their overpayment and on my statement, I should see an added $100 work-related benefit on my next month’s payment date.
It typically happens on the last business day of the month expect in December, where it happens around December 20 to 22, then the next payment is January 31. It is the most painful stretch for the majority of people receiving ODSP if this is their only source of income.
I’m not a typical ODSP recipient. I’ve been called a one-percenter because I’m someone who is disabled, working, saving, and investing.
If I earn $1,001, my ODSP amount is reduced by 75% and ODSP will issue me a $100 work-related benefit. But if ODSP processes my income reporting statements late, the $100 work-related benefit will be eaten up by the balance of the overpayment and I will not receive it.
The financial numbers get real dynamic when you see it in action in the spreadsheet. If you download it, it’s saved to plan the maximum net income I could earn and possibly still be eligible for ODSP. This is so I can at least access my health, dental, and vision benefits. (This is what it is today, in October 2023.) The government of Ontario could go into office and debate it into the wee hours of the night and change it and I would have to adapt.
Also, in any 12-month period (for me, it’s in July), I submit a written request for ODSP maximum $500 employment and start-up benefit. I have to give them written verification that it is related to activities that will assist in my ability to stay employed, self-employed or any activity intended to assist me to become and stay employed.
ODSP Section 9.1—Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs, says the word “employ” a lot and ODSP Section 4.1 Job development and placement is all about ODSP connecting me to job development and placement services that are supposed to support me in accessing sustainable jobs in the competitive labour market.
Remember—ODSP stands for Ontario Disability Support Program. The majority of the case files under ODSP and definitely Ontario Works are suggested to, or “pressured” to show activity that they are pursuing activities towards sustainable training/employment, and self-employment.
ODSP has Section 9.17—Employment transition benefit, which is a lump-sum payment of $500, available only once in any 12-month period for exiting income support due to income from training, employment or operating a business. It is supposed to assist in the exit transition from ODSP to employment.
In that transition, I should be transferred to or applying to ODSP 9.10—Extended health benefit or 9.19—Transitional health benefit or be eligible for the Ontario Trillium Drug Program (TDP), or hope that my income is high enough to pay out of pocket for a private health insurance then claim medical expenses on my income taxes.
While I hope I can still claim my disability tax credit and invest into my (Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), remember that in 2025, I have to reapply for my disability tax credit status so that I can keep investing in my RDSP.
I have to remember all of this for the rest of my life, while you just get to read about it!
Info and tips about the RDSP
My RDSP and other registered accounts (RRSP, TFSA and FHSA) are monitored by a certified financial planner and mutual fund managers. I believe he has the heart of a teacher, and I believe that he understands my hypervigilance toward wanting financial independence as a disabled person. (I highly recommend visiting FP Canada to find a planner.)
Understanding the policy and laws around all the available registered investment accounts created by the Canadian federal government plus having an understanding of your provincial benefits, I became very familiar with ODSP 4.1—Definition and treatment of assets.
The investment power of registered investment accounts can be life changing to secure financial stability, but you have to be hypervigilant to be educated with it.
I manage everything around living my life with a disability. I do not have the bandwidth to also self-direct my investments, so I’m comfortable with my financial planner and mutual fund managers taking their fees. My financial planner clearly explains when I will be charged a fee and I have a basic understanding of how to read my investment statements.
More valuable tips
Chrissy’s note: after publishing this post, a reader named Tucker left a detailed and insightful comment. I want to make sure Tucker’s knowledge would be seen by anyone else who might read Minnie’s interview.
Since most people won’t scroll down to the comments, I’ve republished Tucker’s comment below. Like Minnie’s post, it’s jam-packed with helpful tips and advice:
I, too am disabled and living in Ontario. I have a motor neuron disease (similar to ALS, but with a longer life span. It’s incredibly rare). I was lucky to have been just hired in the government as a term when I was diagnosed so I was eligible for private insurance.
That was fortunate because I had young children and had just bought a house. I have been on Ontario Works before when I was young and poor but not ODSP.
My experience with government benefits is very similar though: they can be overwhelming when you already have medical issues and the bureaucracy is staggering. A few things I feel I could add here are:
- I have a friend who works as a social worker at ODSP and he said when applying for benefits focus on what you CAN’T do rather than what you CAN do. When you are disabled you are tempted to often focus on the things you are capable of doing because we all sometimes just want to feel like normal people. But the system is designed to focus on how disabled you are. So instead of saying something like, “I can get out of bed most days and dress myself,” you should say, “Some days I can’t get out of bed or dress myself.” It’s saying the same thing but the focus changes to the ways in which you are disabled.
- People may want to investigate applying for CPP-D regardless of whether or not the amount is low and just have a provincial program top it off. The reason is that being on CPP-D “stops the clock” on your CPP pension calculations. So say if you worked 5 years out of the 40 CPP usually calculates and then become disabled, by being on CPP-D, Service Canada only uses those 5 years to calculate your CPP at 65 as opposed to having 35 years of non-work, which would dilute your CPP payment. In the author’s case this may not be worth it but for many others who have worked full time for longer, it may be.
- The forums at Resolute Legal are an amazing resource for people who suddenly find themselves with a disability. You can pretty much find most of the answers to your questions about being disabled in Canada.
In the end, being disabled is like having a full-time job not only because of how disability means that everything takes more time and you generally need to spend more money (crutches, a scooter, an accessible bathroom etc.) but also the paperwork and bureaucracy is so time consuming. I did my RDSP stuff myself but there are very limited options for companies and investments.
One of my biggest issues with the FIRE community is that people generally think that they will never be affected and that they will be able to rely on doing their own home repairs, cooking, biking everywhere, etc. but 1 in 4 people will experience disability in their lifetimes so a 25% chance that you will have a temporary or permanent disability.
It’s normal to not want to think about these things but I caution people to build in a contingency should they suddenly find themselves limited. Also, while a healthy lifestyle hedges your bets against disability, it isn’t everything. You could find yourself in a horrific car accident or a poor genetic anomaly. Sometimes things just happen.
What I wish the FI community knew or understood about the challenges disabled people face
Note: FI stands for financial independence. The FI community consists of people who are interested in achieving financial independence—often long before traditional retirement age.
Disabled people’s lives are more expensive and the world does not accommodate people with a disability. Our competency and comprehension is constantly questioned. The system pressures us to adapt to them instead of them adapting to us.
We are in a society that judges us based on productivity, the ability to produce an income or profit in our capitalist society. Honestly, some people see people with a disability as broken cogs in the industrial revolution. They either want to do away with us or use up all our abilities until we die. The Japanese call it Karoshi—death caused by overwork or job-related exhaustion.
So to add to the question, “What will you do with your time once you reach FI?” it’s not a simple, “I’ve achieved FI, I’m free!” I have to watch every step I make because of ODSP and according to Section 11.1—Recovery of overpayments and 11.2—Overpayments due to excess assets, plus 4.1—Definition and treatment of assets and 5.1—Definition and treatment of income.
We can not forget they will consider how much I receive as gifts and voluntary payments for any purpose up to $10,000 in any 12 month period covered in their policy section 5.8 — Gifts and voluntary payments. This also includes inheritance and lottery winnings.
I have to be critical and monitor my income, assets, and marital status for the exact moment, dollar amount, and month it has reached or exceeded the eligibility limit created by the legislative directive that is Ontario Disability Support Program.
When it comes to my marital status, the moment I’m living with another adult for at least 3 months, I’m required to notify ODSP and follow their rights and responsibilities. Then ODSP will send us a questionnaire to determine my income support eligibility and review the other adult’s income and assets which can affect my (single person, no children) ODSP status and payment amount. They will determine if the other adult is my spouse or common-law partner. It’s all in Section 2.3—Spouse.
I’ve learnt that many on ODSP feel like they are unable to date, leave relationships, or plan their future as a couple. ODSP is designed to make you completely dependent on your spouse for income, assets and insurance. A decade being eligible for ODSP has left me feeling that my best option for survival is to stay single.
Non-disabled people out there really have no clue what it is to live with a disability and how it completely changes your whole prescriptive on life and the choices you make for it.
What non-disabled people can do to fight for equality for all
Policies and laws are made without the people they claim to help, save, or serve. Every marginalized population of people you can think of (immigrants, women, BIPOC, sex workers, disabled and LGBTQIA2S+) are pushed out of the conversations and told to sit down, be quiet when “adults” are talking.
The majority of us are adults ourselves and we know what we need and want out of life and we don’t need or want to ask for permission or be monitored by other adults.
Understand that what you’ve read today is me trying to summarize my life living with a disability as a natural-born Canadian. To make the details clear, it is extremely emotional for me. To write it in a way for you, the reader, to understand only shows a snapshot of what I live with daily.
We live in a world where many think people living with disabilities are disposable and unproductive for the growth of the GDP—Gross Domestic Product. Employers out there are not eager to hire someone with a disability because their understanding of a disability is typically always negative or we have to be disabled with super powers so that we can be seen as someone with productive purpose.
Chrissy’s closing thoughts
Thank you again, Minnie, for sharing the challenges you face as a disabled person. Clearly, there’s a lot to navigate and many hurdles to overcome. As an non-disabled person, this was an eye-opening interview for me.
Minnie’s right—those of us who are not disabled have no idea how tough it is for those who live with disabilities. Minnie’s interview has laid bare just how hard it is to survive in Canada as a disabled person.
Because of Minnie, I have so much more knowledge and empathy for the plight of disabled Canadians. I’m also more cognizant of the privilege I’ve enjoyed all my life as a non-disabled individual. I never really considered how much of a privilege it was, but I do now.
I’m so grateful to Minnie for her time and generous sharing of her life story and vast knowledge of the Canadian disability benefits system. I’m certain my readers will get a lot out of this interview and hope it will help others who are learning to access disability benefits.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to read Part 1 of Minnie’s interview to get to know more about her and her heartbreaking yet inspirational life story.
How to get in touch with Minnie
If you’d like to get in touch with Minnie or learn more about her, you can contact her via email at minnieoncam@gmail.com, or through her social media:
- YouTube: minnieoncam
- Twitter: minnieoncam
- Instagram: oncamminnie
- Tiktok: minnieoncam
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6 Comments
Tucker
October 11, 2023 at 7:40 amI, too am disabled and living in Ontario. I have a motor neuron disease (similar to ALS, but with a longer life span. It’s incredibly rare). I was lucky to have been just hired in the government as a term when I was diagnosed so I was eligible for private insurance. That was fortunate because I had young children and had just bought a house. I have been on Ontario Works before when I was young and poor but not ODSP.
My experience with government benefits is very similar though: they can be overwhelming when you already have medical issues and the bureaucracy is staggering. A few things I feel I could add here are:
– I have a friend who works as a social worker at ODSP and he said when applying for benefits focus on what you CAN’T do rather than what you CAN do. When you are disabled you are tempted to often focus on the things you are capable of doing because we all sometimes just want to feel like normal people. But the system is designed to focus on how disabled you are. So instead of saying something like, “I can get out of bed most days and dress myself,” you should say, “Some days I can’t get out of bed or dress myself.” It’s saying the same thing but the focus changes to the ways in which you are disabled.
– People may want to investigate applying for CPP-D regardless of whether or not the amount is low and just have a provincial program top it off. The reason is that being on CPP-D “stops the clock” on your CPP pension calculations. So say if you worked 5 years out of the 40 CPP usually calculates and then become disabled, by being on CPP-D, Service Canada only uses those 5 years to calculate your CPP at 65 as opposed to having 35 years of non-work, which would dilute your CPP payment. In the author’s case this may not be worth it but for many others who have worked full time for longer, it may be.
– The forums at Resolute Legal are an amazing resource for people who suddenly find themselves with a disability. You can pretty much find most of the answers to your questions about being disabled in Canada. https://forum.resolutelegal.ca
In the end, being disabled is like having a full time job not only because of how disability means that everything takes more time and you generally need to spend more money (crutches, a scooter, an accessible bathroom etc) but also the paperwork and bureaucracy is so time consuming. I did my RDSP stuff myself but there are very limited options for companies and investments.
One of my biggest issues with the FIRE community is that people generally think that they will never be affected and that they will be able to rely on doing their own home repairs, cooking, biking everywhere, etc. but 1 in 4 people will experience disability in their lifetimes so a 25% chance that you will have a temporary or permanent disability. It’s normal to not want to think about these things but I caution people to build in a contingency should they suddenly find themselves limited. Also, while a healthy lifestyle hedges your bets against disability, it isn’t everything. You could find yourself in a horrific car accident or a poor genetic anomaly. Sometimes things just happen.
Chrissy
October 11, 2023 at 1:49 pmHi Tucker—your comment is incredibly detailed with lots of valuable info. Would it be okay if I insert it in the interview above (crediting you, of course) to add to everything Minnie’s shared?
Regarding your issue with the FIRE community, that’s a very valid concern and one that I agree many in the community don’t account for. I have witnessed unexpected disabilities in people I know. If they’re not financially prepared, it can be devastating not just for them but also their partner and family.
Bravo to you for being such an informed and powerful advocate for yourself (despite all the headwinds). Thank you so much for taking the time to share your insight, experience and knowledge. It’s much appreciated.
Tucker
October 11, 2023 at 4:02 pmAbsolutely, please share! More people need to know about the process. Sadly, there are very few resources to help people apply to benefits (whether or not it is disability or social assistance) and unless you know where to go for help or have people in your life you can speak with, it’s incredibly draining. Finding time, energy and money (every time a neurologist fills out a form for me it is $30-$45) or even knowing where to turn is a massive hurdle.
Chrissy
October 22, 2023 at 9:15 pmHi Tucker—sorry for the delay in my reply. It’s been a crazy week here! Thanks so much for letting me share your comment. I will publish it within Minnie’s post shortly.
I agree that there’s not enough support to help people navigate this complex system and apply for the benefits they’re due. Disabled individuals only have so many “spoons” and having to use a bunch to deal with the hassles of getting and submitting paperwork just isn’t right.
I wish there were easier, more streamlined options. 😓
Maria @ Handful of Thoughts
October 30, 2023 at 8:08 amAs someone who has recently learned about some of the intricacies of disability benefits, Minnie I think you’ve made a great decision to work with a financial planner to help you navigate the investing side of things. In the long run, this will prove to be worth the cost.
You’ve done a great job of summarizing the ODSP, and it’s easy to see how complicated it is. And that it’s further complicated by provincial differences depending on where the reader is from.
Thank you again Minnie, for sharing your knowledge.
Chrissy
November 2, 2023 at 10:14 pmHi Maria—I agree that Minnie made a wise decision to work with a financial planner. Yes, it does cost money but a good financial planner is worth every penny, even if only for the time savings and peace of mind!
Thanks so much for reading Minnie’s post and taking the time to comment. She poured her heart and soul into the two-part post and I know it took a lot of her precious energy and time to write it all out. It’s wonderful to receive positive feedback!