Why We Stopped Saving So Much and Started Living
One lesson I’ve learned from my retired clients is that it’s human nature to feel anxious about spending money – especially when the paycheque stops and you’re drawing down your own savings and investments. After decades of watching account balances go up, it’s deeply uncomfortable to watch them go the other way. It just doesn’t…
Read MoreShould You Take a Flyer on a Penny Stock?
Every now and then, I get a note from a reader whose spouse or friend has gotten excited about a stock tip. Usually, it comes with a backstory: someone they know bought a few thousand shares of a penny stock and now claims to be sitting on a massive gain. Naturally, the question that follows…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Mid-Year Market Update
Exactly three months ago my Weekend Reading update was all about staying the course amidst a big stock market sell-off. I got into it with a bearish reader in the comment section who labelled my advice too naive as Trump set fire to long-standing alliances and global trade. Well, well, well, how the turntables… Zooming…
Read MoreNet 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…
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