Net Worth Update: 2025 Mid-Year Review
Happy Canada Day! It has been an absolute rollercoaster of a year so far. Canadian and US stocks started the year hot before plunging by 13% and 20% respectively from the end of January to the beginning of April. Now we’re back to all-time highs again as global stocks have soared by 20% since April.…
Read MoreMental Accounting: When Your Money Mind Plays Tricks on You
We like to think we make rational decisions with our money. But time and again, we fall into predictable traps—especially when it comes to how we frame our finances. One of the biggest culprits? Mental accounting. It’s a behavioural bias where we treat money differently depending on its source, use, or location—even though, on paper,…
Read MoreReckless vs. Reliable: Rethinking Risk in Your TFSA
A client of mine recently opened up about feeling behind. He’s 32 years old, has yet to contribute to his TFSA, and only just started getting serious about his finances. The good news? He’s motivated. He wants to start saving $2,000 per month. That’s an incredible habit to build at any age, let alone…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: The Problem With Retirement Spending Rules Edition
Some of my clients are surprised to learn that I don’t follow specific spending rules, like the popular 4% rule, when building out retirement income projections. My problem with spending rules stems from the fact that life doesn’t just move in a straight-line, AND we don’t have one pot of money called “retirement savings”. Indeed,…
Read MoreRetiring with Debt? It’s Not Always a Mistake
We’re often told to do everything we can to retire debt-free – that hanging onto a mortgage or car loan in retirement is a recipe for disaster. But like most blanket financial advice, context matters. And for many Canadians heading into retirement, especially those with defined benefit pensions and guaranteed government income, carrying a modest…
Read MoreWill AI Replace Financial Planners?
I like to think of myself as an emotionless robot when it comes to investing. Buy a single, low-cost, globally diversified, and risk-appropriate asset allocation ETF – contribute to it regularly, and move on with your life. It’s the same mindset I encourage my clients to adopt. Focus on what you can control, make evidence-based…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Controversial Takes in Personal Finance Edition
Some personal finance topics spark polite debate. Others? They ignite full-blown identity crises. In his latest video, Ben Felix dives into three of the most emotionally charged subjects in personal finance: renting vs. owning, dividend investing, and FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). He explains why these topics go well beyond spreadsheets – they challenge our…
Read MoreA Smarter Way to Spend Without Stress in Retirement
A few years ago, I shared a simple yet powerful idea for managing your portfolio in retirement: hold a low-cost, globally diversified equity ETF for long-term growth, and pair it with a high-interest savings ETF or money market fund to cover short-term cash flow needs (12-24 months). I called it a two-fund solution, and the…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Your Health is Wealth Edition
I went to bed after a perfectly normal Wednesday and woke up at 3am with my heart racing. I got up, went to the bathroom, and tried to get back to sleep – tossing and turning for a few hours before getting up for good around 5:30am. I felt okay(ish) and went downstairs for an…
Read MoreSpend the Money: Tackling the Emotional Side of Retirement Planning
I’ve spent a lot of time helping people figure out if they can retire. But what surprises many is that the harder part often comes after that: convincing them it’s okay to actually enjoy their money. On a recent episode of The Wealthy Barber Podcast, I talked with Dave Chilton about this very problem –…
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