Archive for December 2018
Net Worth Update: 2018 Year-End Review
I started the year with high aspirations. I wanted our household net worth to reach $750,000 and to get there I needed markets to continue chugging along at 8-10 percent. Well, that didn’t happen. When it comes to market expectations, straight-line goals won’t cut it. Even though it’s reasonable to expect 8 percent growth over…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: 2018 Year End Edition
This year was a challenging one for investors. We’ve been so used to seeing positive gains in our portfolios it’s a shock when markets don’t cooperate! The TSX is down 12.26 percent on the year. The S&P 500 is down 7.03 percent. International markets, as measured by MSCI EAFE, are down 13.94 percent. With seemingly…
Read MoreStop Giving Markets Your Attention
When I got an activity tracker several years ago I was horrified to learn just how sedentary my lifestyle had become. I’d drive to work, park my butt at a desk for eight hours, drive home, park my butt on the couch for a few more hours, and go to bed. It was mindless laziness.…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Stock Market Expectations Edition
What’s the difference between a run of the mill stock market correction and a blood in the streets bear market? By definition a market correction is a loss of around 10 percent over a short period of about two months or less. A bear market is a loss of 20 percent or more and typically…
Read MoreWorthwhile Fees To Pay
There are some fees we just love to hate and so we try to avoid them at all costs. Whether it’s bank fees, credit card annual fees, or late fees at the library, the idea of voluntarily paying a fee is anathema to anyone with a frugal mind. But some fees can be worthwhile if…
Read MoreBudgeting Basics For Your Financial Plan
Usually when someone reaches out looking for financial advice they want to jump right into investment selections or retirement planning. In many cases I walk them back to budgeting basics. Specifically, how much income do you bring in and where does all your money go? Without answering these two questions it’s nearly impossible to make…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Household Inflation Edition
One of the benefits of tracking our expenses each year is that we can identify spending trends and highlight any areas of concern. One troubling area is our overall household spending, which is on the rise. Those of you with growing families know that there’s the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which has hovered around 2.3…
Read MoreMoney Bag: Best Way To Invest $1M, VGRO vs. Two ETF Portfolio, and High Cost Funds in Saskatchewan
Today I’m answering reader mail for a feature I call the Money Bag. I’ll answer questions and address comments from readers on a wide range of money topics, myths, and perceptions about money. No question is off limits, so hit me up in the comments section or send me an email about all the money things you’re…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: The Vanguard Effect Edition
The investment giant and indexing pioneer Vanguard has made a lot of noise in Canada this year. Already a big player in the ETF space since entering the Canadian market in 2011, Vanguard added four mutual funds to its line-up this year, plus introduced its new asset-allocation ETFs, a one-ticket solution for investors. They’ve also…
Read More10 Financial Lessons To Share With Friends
The personal finance community can be a bit of an echo chamber, reinforcing and repeating the same ideas on how to save, invest, and spend our money. This sort of tribalism can be intimidating for outsiders who are eager to learn but afraid to ask questions or know where to start, especially when it comes…
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