Posts by Robb Engen
TFSA Contribution Limit And Overview
The federal government kept the annual TFSA contribution limit at $7,000 for 2025 – the same limit we had in 2024. It’s still good news for Canadian savers and investors, who as of January 1, 2025, will have a cumulative lifetime TFSA contribution limit of $102,000. The Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced in…
Read MoreNet Worth Update: 2024 Year-End Review
Welcome to the end of the year and another net worth update. 2024 has been a banner year for both professional and financial growth. On the business side, we saw revenues increase by an incredible 35%. More and more of you reach out for unbiased financial advice each year, and my wife and I absolutely…
Read MoreYour Ultimate Guide to RRIFs: Strategies, Pitfalls, and the Secret Sauce to Retirement Income
A Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) is like an RRSP’s responsible older sibling. Once you hit retirement, the RRIF takes over where the RRSP leaves off – turning your savings into retirement income. Indeed, if RRSPs are the workhorse of your savings years, RRIFs are your retirement MVP. They take all that tax-deferred money you’ve…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Credit Card Rewards Edition
I used to be a hardcore credit card rewards junkie and wrote frequently on the subject (I even had a separate blog dedicated to it!). I considered it a game, and tried to win big each year by signing up for multiple cards with massive welcome bonuses, while optimizing rewards with specific cards for everyday…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: VEQT and Chill Edition
One question I’m often asked about my investment approach is when it makes sense to switch my portfolio from 100% global equities (represented by Vanguard’s All Equity ETF – VEQT) to something less risky that includes bonds and/or cash. In other words, does it make sense to switch from VEQT to VGRO to possibly VBAL…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: When To Hire A Financial Advisor Edition
A few months ago I made an offhand remark in a weekend reading update that caught the attention of several readers: “You might be surprised to hear that if something happened to me, my wife has been instructed to hand everything over to PWL Capital. That’s how much I believe in the good work that…
Read More2024 Financial Goals Check-up
I’ve been blogging for nearly 15 years and one reason I keep things going here (admittedly more infrequently than I’d like) is that I thoroughly enjoy looking back at old articles, especially when it comes to financial goals. In fact, one of my favourite posts of all time is a 2019 net worth update when…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: U.S. Election and Your Portfolio Edition
I’ve fielded a dozen emails from clients and readers about the U.S. election and how it might impact their portfolios. The short answer: Who knows? A longer answer: The stock market probably doesn’t care as much about the election as you think it does. Besides, there has been an election every four years for the…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: TFSA Snowball Edition
I’ve been toying with a savings concept that I’m tentatively calling the TFSA snowball. It’s a play on Dave Ramsay’s “debt snowball” method (his one positive contribution to society) where borrowers pay off their smallest loan balance first, then roll those freed-up payments into the next smallest balance. Rinse and repeat until debt free. Related:…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Lifestyle Creep Edition
I swear half my job is to convince my frugal clients to spend a bit more money. I’m not talking about making a complete 180 degree turn to become a different person. But if you’ve always stayed at a Best Western, then an upgrade to the Ritz every once in a while won’t kill you.…
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