Posts by Robb Engen
The Index Card: Book Review and Giveaway
Last year, author Carl Richards taught readers to simplify their finances with The One-Page Financial Plan. Now comes The Index Card by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack – a financial plan boiled down to nine simple rules that fits in your pocket and can help you navigate the all too often complex world of personal finance and investing.…
Read MoreMy 2015 Portfolio Rate of Return
Every year I track my portfolio rate of return to see how my investments measure up to specific benchmarks. Prior to 2015 I invested primarily in Canadian dividend paying stocks and measured my stock-picking prowess against the iShares Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF (CDZ). Last year I sold all of my dividend stocks ($100,000 in…
Read MoreNet Worth Update: 2015 Year-End Review
With 2015 wrapping up I wanted to take the time to update my net worth statement and check in on my financial progress. It’s another year down and another year closer to achieving my goal of becoming a millionaire by 41, and reaching financial freedom by 2025. Even though I’ve been frustrated that the past…
Read MoreWhat’s On My Reading List For 2016
I don’t know if I’d describe myself as a voracious reader, but I do enjoy a good book and like to read the latest on personal finance, investing, behavioural finance, and leadership or motivational topics. In fact, this year I found myself putting down my phone or laptop more often and picking out a good book to read…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: 2015 Farewell Edition
With the year quickly winding down I wanted to publish one final edition of weekend reading before we break for the holidays. Expect to see new articles published here on Monday and Wednesday for each of the next two weeks before we get back to our regular posting schedule in the new year. In the meantime, thanks for reading and…
Read MoreWhat Sean Cooper Really Achieved By Paying Off His Mortgage In 3 Years
Sean Cooper didn’t just pay off his $255,000 mortgage in three years; he taught us all a lesson in personal branding. Mr. Cooper, a pension analyst by day, mild-mannered blogger by night, took an almost Machiavellian-like approach by achieving fame through mortgage freedom. Buying a home in one of Canada’s most expensive cities at the…
Read MoreBudgeting For Irregular Expenses
I’m about to build our household budget for 2016, which is to say that I’m going to take a copy of our 2015 budget, adjust the expenses for inflation (and necessity), and simply plug those numbers into an Excel spreadsheet. It’s easy to forecast our expenses for the next year when five years of spending history is…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Clarifying New Rules Edition
The new federal government has proposed changes that will affect your personal finances next year. This edition of weekend reading looks to explain these changes and how they might impact your wallet. Let’s get to it: Minimum Down Payment Increase This week the Liberals introduced changes for minimum down payments on a home purchase. The new rules,…
Read MoreCanadian Mutual Funds: A Steep Price For Underperformance
Investors in Canadian mutual funds pay a steep price for underperformance. In a 2015 Morningstar report on mutual fund fees, Canada ranked dead last among 25 nations – with expense ratios on equity mutual funds averaging 2.35 per cent in Canada versus an average of 0.84 per cent in the United States. Couple that with…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Financial Literacy Edition
November was financial literacy month but you wouldn’t know it from any specifically promoted ‘literacy’ articles on this blog. I take issue with the way banks and investment firms try to shoe-horn their way into the financial literacy curriculum when a good portion of the content should be about educating Canadians on how to become savvy…
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