The RRSP program has long been the default retirement program for most Canadians but is it the best retirement solution? Although it has been around since 2009, the TFSA program, with a 2018 limit of $57,500, is sizeable enough to be given serious thought as a retirement or long-term savings plan.

Your superstar player doesn't wait for their team to start winning before they start warming up. They play the whole game. Similarly, your investment portfolio needs to spend time in the market, rather than depend on timing the market.  

Winter is finally over and you're safe to crawl out of your hibernation cave into the warm spring sun. Tax season is also over, so you can finally to do fun things like assess your portfolio!

The phrase "Financial Independence" has been gaining popularity as it does not carry the same baggage as the word "Retirement". Financial Independence gives you the freedom to choose how your time is spent (paid or not) and for some, can be reached in their 30s and 40s. Read this article to see what are the key pillars to FIRE. 

There are only an estimated 300 Fee-for-Service Financial Planners in Canada, compared to over 100,000 other financial advisors - the majority working for financial institutions that sell commissioned products.  Even the best of these will be confined to their company's objectives. A Fee-for-Service Financial Planner is hired by you, the client, to create a Financial Plan and to help coach you towards your life goals without the pressure of product sales. 

In Canada, married couples have the opportunity to use income splitting strategies. The idea is to minimize taxes your family pays by moving income from one spouse (who is at a higher tax rate) to the other spouse (who is at a lower rate).These audit-friendly strategies can help you achieve success as epic as Jean-Claude's split.

In this article, I offer some tips on how training your mind can actually help you save money in the new year. Making changes to your mindset will really help change some habits and produce  positive results. It might not be as dramatic as taking the red pill in the Matrix, but are you ready to learn about the reality behind spending?

Now that it's 2018, here are 5 warm-up exercises to help get your finances back on track:

2017 was the first year of VAVE's Monday Money Meme. We had a lot of fun coming up with different ideas. Here are my top ten favorites: 

In the film Rounders, Matt Damon’s character, Mike McDermott, is quoted: “Listen, here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.”   If you're an amateur do-it-yourself investor buying stocks on your own, consider yourself the sucker. Read about why you should just walk away from the table instead of trying your luck against the professionals. 

FOMO and YOLO are the new "Keeping up with the Jones" or "Carpe diem!" See how these behaviours can combine to deplete your financial savings and gains. 

There are only an estimated 300 Fee-for-Service Financial Planners in Canada, compared to over 100,000 other financial advisors - the majority working for financial institutions that sell commissioned products.  Even the best of these will be confined to their company's objectives.

Many people either fail to think about or purposely decide not to get Disability Insurance.  As a financial advisor, I'm here to tell you that might be a scary decision indeed.

There are only an estimated 300 Fee-for-Service Financial Planners in Canada, compared to over 100,000 other financial advisors - the majority working for financial institutions that sell commissioned products.  Even the best of these will be confined to their company's objectives.

A Money Coach is a financial professional that helps implement a Financial plan and gives ongoing support and encouragement. A Money Coach helps you reach your financial goals by walking along side and giving continuing advice throughout your various life stages.

Property ownership is a major theme in the board game Monopoly, first marketed by Parker Brothers in 1935, enjoyed by billions. However, the ultimate winner is not always the one holding the most real estate in the end.

Fantasy Sports and Investing have some similar strategies. Take a look at some tips for your next fantasy sports pool. Your investments will thank you too. 

As part of my series, VA/VE Cost Saving Projects, this post crunches the numbers to see what combination of Credit Cards is optimal for our family. Based on our spending patterns, our family earns an extra $400 per year cash-back from implementing this strategy.

VA/VE Cost Saving Projects is a compilation of posts I've written exploring creative ways to save money by using the Value Analysis/Value Engineering approach to personal finances 

As part of the series on VA/VE Cost Saving Projects, this post look at the savings of buying a Mid-Range Android Phone vs buying an iPhone on a contract. We are able to pay $1,239 less over a 2 year span!