The Milo Sarmiento blog
Insurance and investing, explained simply.
Straight talk on life insurance, home coverage, critical illness, RRSPs, RESPs, and investments — written for families across Burnaby, Vancouver, and Metro Vancouver.
What life insurance underwriting actually checks
A plain guide to life insurance underwriting in Canada: the medical exam, MIB codes and prescription checks, explained for Burnaby families.
Contestability Period: The First 2 Years, Explained
What the contestability period and the suicide clause really mean in Canadian life policies, explained for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families.
CPP Disability vs Private Coverage: The Real Gap
How CPP disability benefits stack up against a private policy, with 2026 numbers, for families in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver.
Probate Fees in BC: What They Cost and How to Bypass
Probate BC fees for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families: the 2026 Probate Fee Act rates and how a named life insurance beneficiary bypasses them.
What Assuris Actually Covers If Your Insurer Fails
Assuris coverage explained for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families: the real limits on life insurance, seg funds and annuities if an insurer fails.
BCTESG: The $1,200 Deadline BC Parents Miss
The BCTESG gives BC kids $1,200 for an RESP, but the window is only three years. What Burnaby and Vancouver parents need to know before it closes.
CESG explained: grant rates, room and the $7,200 cap
CESG rates, annual grant room and the $7,200 lifetime maximum, explained with 2026 figures for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families.
The Home Buyers' Plan in 2026: Limits and Repayment
How the Home Buyers' Plan works in 2026: the $60,000 limit, the 15-year repayment clock and the new grace period, for Burnaby and Vancouver buyers.
FHSA Rules, Limits and How It Works With an RRSP
FHSA rules explained for Metro Vancouver buyers: 2026 limits, the 15 year clock, and how an FHSA stacks with an RRSP and the Home Buyers' Plan.
BC Families: Year-End Financial Planning Checklist
Year-end financial planning for BC families: verified 2026 RRSP, TFSA and RESP limits, plus a coverage review, from a Burnaby broker.
Work Life Insurance Isn't Enough: Here's Why
Group benefits rarely replace personal life insurance. A Burnaby broker on what work coverage misses and how BC families fill the gap.
Guaranteed vs Simplified Issue Life Insurance in BC
Guaranteed issue life insurance vs simplified issue: what Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families should check when health complicates it.
Condo Insurance in Vancouver: Strata Gaps to Know
What BC strata policies cover and where condo insurance fills the gap, for owners in Vancouver, Burnaby and across Metro Vancouver.
RESP Withdrawals: Take the Money Out, Keep Grants
How RESP withdrawal rules work in BC: EAP limits, grant repayment traps, and what Metro Vancouver families should check before cashing anything out.
Financial Planning for Filipino Families in BC
Research-backed financial planning for Filipino families in Metro Vancouver: RESP grants, BC insurance averages and deadlines that expire.
Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes to Fix in BC
Common life insurance beneficiary mistakes in BC, from minors to stale forms, and how Burnaby families can fix them before a claim.
Universal Life Insurance, Explained for BC Families
How universal life insurance works in BC: flexible premiums, tax rules and real trade-offs, for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families.
Life Insurance Tax in Canada: What Families Keep
A plain-English look at life insurance tax in Canada: why death benefits are usually tax-free, plus BC probate math for Burnaby families.
Do You Still Need Life Insurance After 60 in BC?
A Burnaby broker's guide to life insurance for seniors in BC: probate fees, the CPP death benefit, and when coverage stops making sense.
TFSA Mistakes That Quietly Cost BC Investors
The TFSA mistakes that quietly cost money, with 2026 CRA rules and sources, for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families.
Life insurance before baby arrives: a BC guide
A Burnaby broker's guide to setting up life insurance before your baby arrives, plus the BC beneficiary and probate rules parents miss.
Travel Insurance for BC Snowbirds and Families
What travel insurance really covers when BC families leave Canada. A Burnaby broker on MSP limits, pre-existing conditions and policy gaps.
What CPP Survivor Benefits Really Pay in 2026
CPP survivor benefits average under $550 a month. What Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families should know about the gap they leave.
Home insurance a first-time BC buyer shouldn't skip
Buying your first place in Metro Vancouver? What home insurance actually covers, what it leaves out, and the coverage new owners skip.
Mortgage Life Insurance vs Term Life: The Real Cost
Mortgage life insurance vs term life in 2026: who actually gets the payout, and how Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families should compare the two.
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? A BC Checklist
How much life insurance a BC family needs: a Burnaby broker's checklist using 2026 CPP survivor amounts and current StatCan debt data.
RRSP vs TFSA: What a BC Family Should Fund First
RRSP or TFSA first? A Burnaby broker walks BC families through 2026 limits, B.C. brackets and where the next $200 a month should go.
Critical Illness Insurance in BC: What It Covers
What critical illness insurance covers in BC, how it differs from disability and life, and what EI and Fair PharmaCare leave for Burnaby families.
Term Life Insurance vs Whole Life for BC Families
Term life insurance vs whole life for BC families in 2026: what current CLHIA and StatCan data show for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver parents.
BC Homeowners: Estate Planning and Life Insurance
How estate planning and life insurance work together for Burnaby homeowners: BC probate fees, the deemed disposition, and beneficiary designations.
Disability Insurance Basics for BC Employees
Disability insurance basics for BC employees: what sick days, WorkSafeBC, EI and CPP pay in 2026, from a Burnaby broker.
Are You Overpaying? How to Review Your Policy
Wondering if you're overpaying? A Burnaby insurance broker walks through reviewing your home and life policies line by line, with 2026 numbers.
Whole life insurance as savings: worth it in BC?
Is whole life insurance really a savings plan? A Burnaby broker walks through the 2026 tax rules, policy loans, and when it actually fits BC families.
Life Insurance for Newcomers in Metro Vancouver
Life insurance, MSP wait times, RESP grants and TFSA rules for newcomers in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver, updated with 2026 figures.
Switching Jobs in BC? What Happens to Your Coverage
Changing jobs in Metro Vancouver? Your group life insurance likely ends within days. What to check in 2026 before a coverage gap opens.
Segregated Funds Explained for Cautious BC Savers
Segregated funds explained for cautious BC savers: guarantees, fees, probate savings and who they actually fit. Plain talk from a Burnaby broker.
Life Insurance Rates in BC: How to Pay Less
Life insurance rates in BC, explained: what really sets your premium in 2026, what you can change, and how Metro Vancouver families pay less.
Life Insurance When You Work for Yourself in BC
Self-employed in Burnaby or Metro Vancouver? How life insurance works when you're your own boss, what to cover in 2026, and where to start.
Life Insurance When You're Single With No Kids
Single with no kids in Metro Vancouver? Here's when life insurance actually makes sense, what the 2026 CPP death benefit covers, and when to wait.
Home Insurance in Vancouver: The Gaps to Know
Home insurance in Vancouver and Burnaby often skips earthquake, flood and sewer backup. The 2026 gaps to check before your renewal.
How the RESP Grant Works (and the Full CESG in BC)
How the RESP grant works in 2026: the full $7,200 CESG, the $1,200 BC grant, and the deadlines Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families miss.
RRSP vs TFSA: Where Should You Save First?
RRSP or TFSA first in 2026? A Burnaby broker's plain-English guide to the limits, deadlines, and right order for Metro Vancouver families.
What Critical Illness Insurance Covers in BC
Critical illness insurance in BC, explained for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families: what it covers, what it pays, and how to compare plans in 2026.
Mortgage Insurance vs Term Life in BC
Mortgage insurance from your lender vs your own term life policy: what a Burnaby broker wants Metro Vancouver families to know before signing in 2026.
Life Insurance for New Parents in Vancouver
Life insurance for new parents in Vancouver: how much you need, what term costs, and RESP timing tips from a Burnaby-based independent broker.
Term vs Whole Life Insurance for Young Families
Term life insurance vs whole life for young families in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver: what each does, what changed in 2026, and how to choose.
How Much Life Insurance Do You Really Need in BC?
How much life insurance do you really need in BC? A clear 2026 walkthrough for Burnaby and Metro Vancouver families, so you can find your number.