Answer six quick questions about money you're giving a family member or friend. We'll tell you which one fits — and exactly what to do next.
Get your answer and a short checklist sent over — handy if you want to talk it through with the other person first.
No repayment expected, and you're genuinely at peace if it's never returned. Cleanest when amounts are small and a dispute is unlikely.
You expect to be repaid, the amount is meaningful, or a divorce, estate, or business issue could surface. Put it in writing.
Repay-if-you-can, forgivable, or part-gift-part-loan. Fits unclear or conditional expectations — and still belongs in writing.
Because the most common cause of a family money fallout isn't bad faith — it's two people honestly remembering the same handover differently. A short, signed record fixes that. It also matters for taxes, estates, and divorce, where an undocumented transfer can be treated very differently from what you intended. Even a gift is worth a one-line note confirming it was a gift.
This tool gives general information to help you think it through — it isn't legal, tax, or financial advice. For your specific situation, a licensed professional in your province is the right call.