Free Lunch

If there’s one lesson that kept showing up over nearly 300 episodes, it’s this: being reasonable beats being brilliant. In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast , Colin reflects on five themes that have shaped the show over the years, starting with why behaviour matters more than intelligence, forecasts, or clever strategies. It’s a reminder that long-term success rarely comes from bold moves. It...

When markets move, our instincts kick in fast. ⏱️ In this episode, Colin and Greg share a real example of a new investor reacting to a small short-term loss, and use it to explain why checking your portfolio too often can do more harm than good. They break down volatility, time horizons, and why investing isn’t meant to feel like watching a savings account.

We’ve become far more comfortable with debt than we used to be. In this episode of  The Free Lunch Podcast ,  Rob Carrick,  one of Canada’s most trusted personal finance journalists and longtime columnist at  The Globe and Mail  joins Greg and Colin to talk about how consumer culture has reshaped our relationship with money. They discuss frictionless spending, social media...

We procrastinate on taxes for the same reason we avoid the dentist. We know it’s important, it just feels uncomfortable. In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Blair talk about tax optimization, early planning, and why contributing sooner to your TFSA or RRSP can be one of the most underrated financial habits. It’s step four in their “12 Steps to Greatness in 2026” list, and they cov...

Is there really a free lunch when it comes to investing? According to Greg and Colin, there is one: diversification. It’s not exciting. It doesn’t make headlines. But it’s one of the few strategies that has improved outcomes while helping reduce risk over time. In this episode, they explain why diversification works, why investors resist it, and why it matters right now.

Where would modern thinking about markets be without the people who pushed it forward? This week on the Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg reflect on the thinkers and researchers who reshaped the way we understand economic behaviour. From evidence-based approaches to frameworks that bring discipline and clarity to decision-making, the way we view the world today exists because a few pioneers were...

We buy everything else on sale, but with stocks we do the opposite? In this episode, Colin and Greg talk with Mark Eibel about the strange way human behaviour shows up around money. The market rises more than 70% of the time, yet fear in the 30% often pushes people out at exactly the wrong moment. It is one of the few areas of life where people get more interested as prices rise and more nervous a...

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Most clients don’t actually want a stock tip. They want reassurance, they want clarity. They want to know, “will I be okay?” This week, Colin and Greg explore the emotional side of money with financial therapist Ashley Quamme as they unpack the real drivers behind our financial behaviour. The beliefs we inherit, the patterns we repeat, and the questions we are truly asking when we think we are ask...

🏡 Have a kid who’ll buy their first home one day? The First Home Savings Account (FHSA), part RRSP, part TFSA, all opportunity. In this week's episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg explain how the FHSA works, the benefits and the deadline you can't afford to miss. They explain why making a small contribution before year-end could mean more room and more opportunity down the...

In 2008, one client went all in on silver. Convinced inflation would soar, governments would lose control, and precious metals were the only safe bet, he put everything into silver. And technically, he was right. It hit $50 an ounce… 17 years later. On this week’s  Free Lunch Podcast , Colin and Greg revisit that story to explore what it teaches about timing, behaviour, and the bigger truth:&...

If the  Canada Pension Plan  were a mutual fund, would you still buy it? 🤔 Greg and Colin dig into the real costs behind Canada’s national pension, how it stacks up against low-fee investing, and what it teaches us about simplicity, transparency, and discipline in your own portfolio. It sounds cheap at  0.26% , but that’s just the  tip of a $7 billion iceberg  once you fa...

What are  smart investors  doing right now? According to Greg and Colin on this week of the Free Lunch Podcast they are: staying diversified, staying disciplined, and staying calm. They unpack how to think about: 💰 Bonds & cash in your portfolio. 🏠 Mortgage renewals & rate holds. 🧾 End-of-year tax moves. 😴 Retirement “sleep-at-night” planning.

Jonathan’s style was to blend practical financial advice with human behaviour and life lessons. This week, Colin and Greg reflect on the life and legacy of  Jonathan Clements , the longtime  Wall Street Journal  columnist whose insights helped redefine how we think about money, happiness, and simplicity. Jonathan’s approach really aligns with what we try to do here, cutting through...

AI was everywhere at Future Proof Festival. From Google searches to client service, every conversation circled back to how artificial intelligence is reshaping the industry. On this week’s episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg reflect on Colin’s time at Future Proof, and why, despite AI’s power, nothing can replace human trust and behavioural coaching. 🎧 A must-listen for anyone curio...

🎓💰 Sending kids off to college or university? The sticker shock is real.  Tuition, books, housing, can quickly add up to $20,000+ per year. In this week’s episode, Colin and Greg break down the real costs of post-secondary education and explore smart ways to fund it, including: ✅ Student loans, grants & bursaries ✅ RESPs (and how to make the most of government grants) ✅ What hap...

True or False: ❓ Diversification increases expected stock returns. ❓ Owning Canadian banks, pipelines, and utilities is enough diversification. ❓ Most active fund managers outperform their benchmarks over time. If you hesitated on any of these, this week’s episode is for you. Colin and Greg break down why diversification is really about protecting against risk, how home bias trips Canadians up,...

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Tariffs go up. Inflation lingers. Politics heat up. And the cost of everyday life feels it. On this episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg explore how U.S. policy shifts ripple through interest rates, inflation, and portfolios around the world. They discuss... 🌎💼  ✔️ The hidden inflation driver no one talks about. ✔️ Why Fed decisions matter beyond the U.S. ✔️ How to position por...

Is one will enough if you own property in more than one province? This week on the Free Lunch Podcast, Canvas Wealth sits down with Jonathan Ng to unpack the complexities of wills, probate, and property across provinces (and even outside of Canada). From cabins in B.C. to bank accounts in Ontario, they explore what executors and families need to know, and when a “skeleton key” will is enough,...

Money isn’t just math. It’s feelings. In this episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Greg and Colin sit down with special guest Carl Richards, author, and creator of  The Behavior Gap,  to talk about his new book  Your Money. They explore why financial planning is less about spreadsheets and more about meaning, values, and the conversations we have never been taught to have. 🎧 If...

Most people have never heard of an IPP. But for incorporated business owners, it can be one of the most effective ways to build retirement wealth. In this episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Canvas Wealth welcomes Tatenda Maywoyo of GBL Inc., to explain what IPPs are, who they’re for, and why they’re a hidden gem in Canadian retirement planning.  🎧 If you’ve ever wondered whether an IPP...

If you had $1 million, what would you actually do with it? Would you buy a house? Travel the world? Or maybe just stock up on Kraft Dinner like the Barenaked Ladies sing about?  In this episode of the Free Lunch Podcast, Canvas Wealth explores the playful lyrics of  If I Had $1,000,000  alongside the deep insights from Dr. Daniel Crosby’s book  The Soul of Wealth . They unpack...

What happens when classroom theory meets the reality of working in finance? In this special episode, Canvas sits down with Jacob and special guest Èmile, two finance students balancing bartending, trading, and navigating their first steps into the industry. They talk markets, mentorship, behavioural bias, bonds (yes, bonds), and the biggest surprises that come with going from spreadsheets to...

Advisors once lived by the phone, a notepad, and a stack of prospecting lists. Now? AI, CRM systems, and customized pools are shaping the way advice is delivered, and relationships are built. This week, Colin continues his conversation with Greg Kraminsky in part two of their reflection on 30+ years of change in the investment world. They unpack the real evolution: not just in products and te...