Get in the spirit! It's RSP season.

For financial advisors out there, it's just that time again. "That time." ... A period where everything just makes sense for a people or person. For bears, it's springtime when they come out of hibernation with plenty of food and no hunting allowed. For Brazilians, it's whenever there's a World Cup to be won. For Jay Leno, it's whatever time he successfully usurps the latest successor of The Tonight Show.

For financial advisors, that time of the year where the glory and significance of their profession is felt by the masses is RSP season. A time when personal finance and retirement goals is at the forefront of all baby boomers' minds. We, as Canadians, are an engaged bunch. During the summer, kids are on summer vacation, the sun is shining and the BBQ is waiting to be lit up. In the fall, it's back-to-school shopping, work speeds up and the latest of whatever is on TV. During Christmas, it's Christmas.

And after the holiday season, that 6 weeks between mid January and the first day of March, Canadians are on high alert. Their credit card bill from this past holiday season has come back and wait... your deadline to contribute to your RSPs is fast approaching. Now, the thing about RSPs is that you can contribute to them throughout the year, but for reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, many wait until the deadline is coming up. During such a time, it's time to think about financial goals. Spending. Saving. Maybe you don't feel that way, but between the half dozen TFSA vs. RSP articles you keep bumping into and the relentless advertising on TV, you know you should.

One such ad features a couple sitting at a Scotiabank office in which the husband for the life of him can't look at his financial statement. We all chuckle (and I say that loosely) as the wife darts the statement in front of her husband's eyes, who keeps looking away. Maybe we're chuckling or maybe we're rolling our eyes, but the theme of the commerical does bring some truth. A good many of us hate seeing how much we've spent. A good many of us hate seeing how little we've saved... And by merely avoiding these uncomfortable emotions, many of us procrastinate dealing with these important issues.

As much as one might dread a meeting where all such things are acknowledged, one could very well come out of such a meeting feeling cleansed. The more you know, the more confident you become. Just talking will bring clarity. The lady ends the commercial by making a legitimate point: The fact that you're here is a great first step.

This will be my only plug for the retail investment industry this season and since I always lament about everybody itching to be pitching... Let this plug carry some legitimacy. Talk to your financial advisor. If you don't have a financial advisor, poke one's brain (or many). They might try and win your business, but if you're not interested, it can easily be repelled. If you're self-directed, talk to a person at your discount brokerage where you can ask questions about your account or a new service...

I guarantee there's something new to be learned and just talking about this stuff could very well bring some added clarity to these issues in your head. Clarity could be incredibly useful after these last couple years.

'Z'