Financial Planning Simplified

A reader wrote this week asking a timely question: many of us are in that stage of our financial lives where sequence-of-returns risk looms large, and it feels like our portfolios are increasingly at the mercy of a handful of tech giants. The question was whether it’s possible to reduce or eliminate exposure to the…

In April, in Sarnia, the story begins the same way it did back in 1989. But instead of Dave (and wife Sue), his sister Cathy, and his friend Tom sitting in Roy Miller’s barbershop, we meet Matt (and wife Maddie), his sister Jess, and his buddy Kyle. Roy’s still cutting hair, still wise as ever…

I’ve long been a fan of rewards credit cards and the points-and-miles game. In 2019, we redeemed nearly a million points for a 32-day trip to Scotland and Ireland – Aeroplan flights for four, and five-night stays at the Sheraton Edinburgh and the Westin Dublin, all “free” thanks to Marriott Bonvoy. Then came the 2022…

*Updated for October 2025* If you’re a high-income earner staring at a mountain of unused RRSP room, you’re not alone. Many Canadians with strong salaries struggle to come up with enough cash flow to max out their RRSP deduction limit each year. And while we can debate whether middle- and low-income earners are better off…

I spend a lot of time telling people to automate their savings, keep costs low, invest in index funds, and stay the course. But do you know what might be even harder than saving? Spending. I see this all the time with retirees. The math says they can safely spend $120,000 a year, yet their…

You’ve probably seen the meme: “The perfect financial plan does not exi—” But if one did exist, it would probably look something like this. During your working years, make a solemn vow never to carry a cent of credit card debt. That one rule alone will put you ahead of most Canadians. Then follow these…