When my kids were born, I remember realizing pretty quickly that love alone wasn’t enough. Of course I would protect them, provide for them, and do everything I could to give them a good life. But there was also a practical side of parenting that kicked in...
Buying your first home in Canada can feel like trying to hit a moving target. Prices rise faster than paycheques, the rules are hard to decipher, and well meaning advice often conflicts. It is a lot to carry, especially when you are already juggling work, family,...
Is Your Paycheck Bulletproof? Why Disability Insurance Is Your Financial Superpower Your income isn’t just a number on a pay stub, it’s the engine behind everything. Your mortgage. Childcare. Groceries. Retirement savings. Even those “someday” vacations you swear...
Every year we circle back to the same financial fork in the road: TFSA vs. RRSP. Both are excellent, tax-advantaged tools that work best when used intentionally.
Keep a few basic principles in mind At times, the world of money, money management, and investing can seem a mysterious, possibly perilous, place. Do you really need to know about the yield curve and central bank policy before making an investment? Will your...
U.S., European bank failures raise anxiety level Are your bank deposits safe? Will deposit insurance protect you if a Canadian bank runs into trouble? It’s a question many people are asking, given the recent run of high-profile bank failures in the U.S. and...
Blocking investment, phishing, and service scams March is fraud prevention month in Canada. That may elicit big yawns in most people – except when you yourself become a victim of a con. Fraud is a major criminal enterprise in Canada, and has only become more...
Getting serious? Get serious about money too Couples getting seriously romantic on Valentine’s Day often take that first step to tying the knot. Congratulations! But before things get too far advanced, it might be an idea to have another kind of heart to heart –...
Home Buyer’s Plan, mortgages, new home savings plan Every first-time home buyer is faced with the challenge of financing their purchase. This comes with two elements: the down payment; and the mortgage. How can you scrape together a down payment? Saving like...
How much you can contribute, what investments you can hold For most Canadians, a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is still the single best way to grow a retirement nest-egg while deferring taxes. In fact, it is such a powerful retirement savings vehicle...
This 5-point annual review can reveal weak spots Your investment portfolio is the cornerstone of your wealth accumulation plan over the long term. Whether your investments are in non-registered trading accounts or in tax-sheltered plans like RRSPs and TFSAs, you...
Give your personal finances a workout Will there be a recession? Will inflation keep eroding our purchasing power? Will stock markets recover? Will rates keep climbing. We can make educated guesses, but the reality is that no one knows for sure. As individual...