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.
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New Articles from Robb
Vanguard All Equity ETF (VEQT): My New One-Ticket Investing Solution
Robb Engen | August 25, 2024 |
Vanguard changed the self-directed investing game in Canada with the launch of its new suite of asset allocation ETFs. Now investors can get an ultra low cost, globally diversified portfolio of equities and bonds with just one product. The funds first came in three flavours – VCNS, VBAL, and VGRO – each with a different…
Weekend Reading: Pitfalls of Leaving Your Advisor Edition
Robb Engen | August 17, 2024 |
A commonly held view in the do-it-yourself investing community is that to maximize returns one simply needs to cut ties with their expensive advisor and manage their own portfolio. On the surface, this makes sense. Costs matter, so if you can slash your investment fees from 2% down to 0.5% or lower your returns will…
Weekend Reading: Stocks Fall to Prices Not Seen Since June Edition
Robb Engen | August 3, 2024 |
Hopefully by now my financial planning clients and blog readers have been conditioned to ignore short term drops in the market – even big ones like we experienced this past week. The reason why stocks have such attractive long-term returns is because they ARE risky to own in the short-term. That’s a feature, not a…
Weekend Reading: Let’s Talk About Rental Properties Edition
Robb Engen | July 27, 2024 |
A new report issued last week by condo research firm Urbanation Inc. shed light on a problem that has plagued real estate investors for years – the vast majority of rental property owners are bleeding cash flow. According to the report (G&M subs), which looked specifically at new condo investors in Toronto, more than 80%…
Weekend Reading: Stock Market Highs Edition
Robb Engen | July 12, 2024 |
Global stocks continue soaring to new all-time highs, with US large cap growth stocks (aka Big Tech) leading the way. Even the TSX is getting in on the action, finally surpassing its March 2022 high earlier this year. Big returns are all around us, and it’s only natural for investors to feel a bit of…
Net Worth Update: 2024 Mid-Year Review
Robb Engen | June 28, 2024 |
Welcome to another net worth update. I’ve been tracking and reporting my net worth twice a year for the past decade or so. It’s a good way to check on our financial progress and keep us on track with our goals. We’re at the stage of our journey where forces outside of our control can…
