Personal Wealth

For most millennials, retirement seems like it’s ages away; a future you problem. The cards might seem to be stacked against us: the number of Defined Benefit pension plans are falling, we’re living longer, student debt levels are rising, and house prices are massive compared to our incomes. I break down the basic concepts of retirement planning in this video to help you get started.

Should GICs Replace Bonds in a Portfolio? To answer this question, we first need to understand the difference between a bond fund’s yield to maturity and the interest rate on a GIC. We then need to understand the relative tax efficiency of GICs compared to bond funds, and how it may impact after-tax returns.

Of course, there are other kinds of structures that work in a similar fashion, by pooling your money with other people’s investments and delivering a fair share of the earnings or losses to you. But there are a few significant advantages to mutual funds in particular. Most folks aren’t aware of them, even though they can be pretty important.

A client recently asked me about the differences between the regular investment funds we use and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds.

What would happen to you if you were diagnosed with cancer, had a stroke, or suffered from another critical illness? In Canada, we’re fortunate to have universal healthcare. However, our healthcare system won’t cover all the costs of having a critical illness, which is where Critical Illness Insurance comes into play.

Do you have a mortgage on your home, or have you been thinking about getting one? Given how quickly many lenders dive straight into the weeds – interest rates, pre-approval processes, lending policies, etc. – it may feel as if something’s missing. Like, which, if any, is the best mortgage for your particular needs?

In episode 24 of the Canadian Couch Potato podcast, I’m joined by Preet Banerjee, the Renaissance man of personal finance. After a stint as an investment advisor, which ended in disillusionment, Preet went on to become a media personality, an author, public speaker, fintech entrepreneur and academic.

According to the Fraser Institute, Canadians pay about 43% of their income in taxes. To test their tax estimate against my own situation, I tracked all the various taxes I paid throughout the year. I reveal how much I paid, and how I stack up against the Fraser Institute’s estimates.

What’s that? You’d love to retire in style someday? Fortunately, most working Canadians can use the Registered Retirement Savings Plan – or RRSP – to pile up tax-deferred dollars for whatever their retirement-planning hearts may desire.

Here are some issues we address on the podcast: What is the likelihood of an ETF closing down, and what would be the consequences for investors if this happens?