Financial Planning Simplified
I’m Robb — the guy behind Boomer & Echo. I’ve been a personal finance blogger since 2010 and an advice-only financial planner since 2015. I help regular Canadians with regular problems make smarter decisions about their money — without selling them a thing.
My philosophy is simple: Money shouldn’t be complicated.
You don’t need 17 bank accounts, 12 ETFs, or a side hustle to retire comfortably. You just need a good plan, grounded in what really matters to you.
By reading this website you're joining more than 250,000 people who stop by here every month to get tips on how to save money, invest well, and retire comfortably. And, if you choose to subscribe and receive new posts by email, you'll join a growing list of more than 12,000 email subscribers who are the first to get these tips sent straight to their inbox.
New Articles from Robb
Out Of The Box RRSP Ideas For Retirement
Robb Engen | January 10, 2026 |
A lot of RRSP advice follows a similar script. Contribute while you’re working, convert to a RRIF at 71, withdraw the minimum, and hope for the best. But retirement planning is where the interesting stuff actually happens. With a bit of flexibility and good timing, RRSPs can be used in ways that smooth taxes, improve…
Investment Returns For 2025
Robb Engen | January 3, 2026 |
After years of watching U.S. markets and mega-cap tech stocks soak up the spotlight, Canadian stocks finally had their moment in 2025 and made it count. The Canadian market went elbows up and steamrolled its global peers, with XIC posting a massive 31.6% return. That’s not just a good year. That’s a statement year. Right…
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Net Worth Update: 2025 Year-End Review
Robb Engen | December 31, 2025 |
A little over six years ago I handed in my resignation at my public sector day job to focus full-time on advice-only financial planning, this blog, and some paid freelance writing work. Suffice to say, that was one of the best decisions of my life. No more Monday morning budget meetings, performance reports, or KPIs….
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Financial Goal Setting For 2026
Robb Engen | December 23, 2025 |
With 2025 quickly coming to a close, it's time to reflect on our goals from this past year and set our new financial goals for 2026. Looking back, it's going to be tough to top this year from a financial perspective. Earlier this year I had the absolute honour and privilege to speak with my…
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Weekend Reading: A RRIF Case Study Edition
Robb Engen | December 13, 2025 |
Beth came to me with questions about her mother Susan’s finances. Susan is 80 and widowed. She lives in a retirement home and spends about $60,000 per year after tax. Her health is declining and she’s not expected to live beyond age 85. After her husband passed away, she now has $1.2 million in a…
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Weekend Reading: RRIF Reform, Fairness for Singles, and My First Globe Op-Ed
Robb Engen | December 5, 2025 |
I had an unexpected opportunity this week. I wrote my first op-ed for The Globe and Mail, and the topic was something that has become a recurring feature of Canadian retirement debates: proposals to reduce or eliminate the minimum RRIF withdrawal percentages. The idea is often framed as a compassionate fix to protect seniors from…
