Posts by Robb Engen
Weekend Reading: Investing Before The U.S. Election Edition
Many investors tend to be nervous about their portfolio and the direction of the stock market during an election year. You may even think it’s wise to hold off on investing a lump sum of cash until after the election is over. This behaviour comes from the belief that markets are more volatile leading up…
Read MoreMoney Bag: Couch Potato Returns, First Investment, Early CPP, and More
Welcome to the Money Bag, where I 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 any money topic that’s on your mind. This edition of the Money Bag…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: The Psychology Of Money Edition
I’ve been reading Morgan Housel’s work for years and sharing his thoughtful lessons about money and investing. He has the rare ability to tell stories that connect the past with the present, while unpacking all the useful tidbits that apply to our own lives and personal finances. That’s why I was excited to read Mr.…
Read More3 Easy Ways To Build An Investment Portfolio On The Cheap
I ditched my financial advisor more than a decade ago and started investing on my own. I was fed up with paying high fees for underperforming mutual funds. Dividend paying stocks were growing in popularity and so I decided to take the plunge and build my own portfolio of blue-chip companies. Several years later I…
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Vanguard’s VRIF: Your New Single Ticket Retirement Income Solution
Two years ago, Vanguard launched a suite of asset allocation ETFs that changed the game for DIY investors in their accumulation years. These balanced ETFs provide low-cost, global diversification, and automatic rebalancing with just one fund. Today, Vanguard announced another evolution in the asset allocation ETF space with a new product aimed at retirees in…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: What’s Your Savings Rate Edition
How has Covid-19 impacted your personal finances? For the past six months the focus has been on making sure income supports were in place for employees who lost their jobs and for businesses who were forced to shutdown or reduce their operating capacity. Outside of weekly trips to the grocery store, most of us sheltered…
Read MoreFinancial Freedom 45 Update: Have I Already Achieved F.I.R.E.?
For years I’ve been tracking my net worth with the dual goal of becoming a millionaire by the end of 2020 (Ha!), and achieving financial freedom by age 45 (in 2024). The financial freedom target did not necessarily mean a full-stop early retirement, but a point when I could realistically leave my day job to…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Let’s Talk Inflation Edition
Since 1991, the Bank of Canada has used an inflation-control target framework to guide Canada’s monetary policy. The goal is to keep inflation at 2%, the mid-point between its target range of 1-3%. The inflation target framework is reviewed every five years, with the most recent agreement in place until the end of 2021. The…
Read MoreThe Risk Of Carrying A Mortgage Into Retirement
A mortgage-free home is the cornerstone of any solid retirement plan. Indeed, decades ago it would have been considered a major financial sin to carry a mortgage into retirement. But times are changing. The proportion of seniors with mortgage debt has almost doubled from 8% to 14% (from 1999 – 2016). Seniors also have the…
Read MorePreparing For Retirement: Understanding New Spending Patterns
Last week we talked about boosting retirement savings during your final working years. In an ideal world you’ll have the double-effect of being in your peak earning years while your largest financial obligations are in the rear-view mirror. In the real world, however, many Canadians are faced with an uncertain retirement because they lack adequate…
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