Posts by Robb Engen
Weekend Reading: Eric and Ilsa Edition
Meet Eric and Ilsa, the Vancouver couple who broke the internet last week when their Financial Facelift feature in the Globe and Mail went off the rails. It started with sketchy details – Eric, a physician, made $200,000 working one day a week at a clinic, plus another $100,000 teaching one day a week at a…
Read MoreQuestrade Portfolio IQ Review
While investment firms and regulators continue debating over issues like fee disclosure, advisor conflict of interest, and a standard of care for investors, a new breed of investing services has put the industry on notice by bringing low cost investing to the masses. Last year I reviewed the new robo-advisor entrants, but since then Questrade has…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: $100 Gift Card Promo Edition
Scotia’s Momentum Visa Infinite card is the cash back rewards king in Canada and right now for a limited time when you sign up for the card you’ll get a free $100 gift card upon approval. This is the go-to rewards card for all of my grocery and gas spending (4% cash back), as well as for…
Read MoreMy 2014 (and final) Portfolio Rate of Return
My DIY investing journey began after the global financial crisis in 2008-09. It wasn’t until markets crashed by as much as 50 percent that I started to take notice of my investment statements and performance. Aside from the significant decline in my portfolio, the most alarming number was the 2.7% MER being paid on a…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Finally Switched To Indexing Edition
For a while now I’ve dithered over when to sell my portfolio of dividend stocks and implement my two-fund ETF solution. The tanking stock market didn’t help – particularly with oil and gas stocks plummeting and a few of my holdings underwater. Behaviourally, I wanted badly to wait until oil prices recovered so I didn’t…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Holiday’s Over Edition
I’ve been on holidays since December 12th and the break has been fantastic, giving me a chance to relax with family and recharge my batteries. Unfortunately, the holiday has come to an end and it’s back to work on Monday. I hope you all enjoyed some time off at Christmas and New Year’s as well. We’ve tinkered…
Read MoreNet Worth Update: 2014 Year-End Review
I like to take a snapshot of my finances twice a year in order to see how my financial plan is progressing and whether or not I’m meeting my goals. These net worth updates are encouraging because they reveal how the compounding power of savings and debt reduction add up over time. Related: Net Worth…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Christmas Break Edition
With 2014 quickly winding down I wanted to publish one more edition of weekend reading before we break for Christmas. We hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas holiday, and we’ll be back to our regular schedule the week of December 29th. Value of Simple Many investors recognize that Canada has the highest investing fees…
Read MoreWhen Stretching To Buy A Home Makes Financial Sense
The real estate market in Canada has been the subject of much opinion and speculation over the last five years as prices continue to rise to new heights. Houses are over-priced, but by how much? Should prospective buyers wait for a crash before jumping into the market, or should they get in now before they’re…
Read MoreFinancial Independence: Why I Pushed It Back Five Years
Last summer I thought I’d be financially free by 40. Reality – and unplanned expenses – set in this year and I’ve adjusted that ambitious projection by five years. I’m still on track to reach a net worth of $1 million by the time I turn 41, but financial independence will have to wait a…
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