Financial Planning Simplified

I spend a lot of time telling people to automate their savings, keep costs low, invest in index funds, and stay the course. But do you know what might be even harder than saving? Spending. I see this all the time with retirees. The math says they can safely spend $120,000 a year, yet their…

You’ve probably seen the meme: “The perfect financial plan does not exi—” But if one did exist, it would probably look something like this. During your working years, make a solemn vow never to carry a cent of credit card debt. That one rule alone will put you ahead of most Canadians. Then follow these…

  It was a rough end to the week for markets, with a sharp sell-off on Friday reminding investors just how quickly sentiment can turn. For anyone who sold in late summer anticipating a correction and then bought back in at the start of October, that one-day drop might have felt like confirmation that they…

A reader sent me a CTV News story that made the rounds this week titled, “Daughter hit with $660,000 tax bill when both parents died in same year.” The reader wondered if this was proof that retirees should drain their RRIFs early to avoid a crushing “estate tax.” It’s the kind of story that spreads…

This week I want to highlight the upcoming Canadian Financial Summit, taking place October 22–25. This annual online event brings together some of the top personal finance experts in the country – and the speaker lineup this year is incredible. You’ll hear new insights from David Chilton, Canada’s Wealthy Barber himself, along with Dr. Preet…

A major Canadian bank brokerage recently said that it wants 25 percent of client portfolios in “alts” within five years. Translation: high-fee, hard-to-leave products. What “Alts” Really Are Advisors use “alts” as shorthand for alternative investments, anything outside plain-vanilla stocks, bonds, or cash. Think private mortgage pools, private apartment funds, private credit deals, hedge funds,…