Great Canadian Piggybank

What would you say if your kid asked, “Should I invest in crypto?” In this episode, Christi sits down with certified financial planner Mark McGrath to cut through the hype and help parents understand cryptocurrency. They explore what gives crypto value, how Bitcoin differs from other cryptocurrencies, why it can be so volatile, and the risks young investors should understand before buying. You don...

Should kids start investing as early as possible or are we putting the cart before the horse? I sits down with Robb Engen, the personal finance expert behind Boomer & Echo, to challenge the push to turn kids into early investors. We talk about why spending habits, delayed gratification, saving for short-term goals, and avoiding debt may matter more than building a portfolio at 16. It’s a conve...

You’ve heard about the S&P 500 but what exactly is it, and why should Canadian investors care? In this episode, I sit down with Tom Bernard, finance professional and author of The Index of America, to break down one of the world’s most important stock market indexes. Tom explains what the S&P 500 actually represents, how companies make the cut, and how Canadians can invest in it through lo...

Stocks. ETFs. Mutual funds. Bonds. These are words we hear all the time when people talk about investing, but do you actually know what you’re buying or how these investments fit together? In this episode, Christi sits down with Mark McGrath, a Certified Financial Planner, co-founder of Finance (an advice-only financial planning firm for Canadian physicians), and co-author of Wealthier: The Invest...

Season 3 of The Great Canadian Piggybank is almost here! As our kids get older, the money questions get bigger too. Should we be teaching our kids to invest? What do you say when your kid wants to buy crypto? How much financial freedom should we give them? Are we preparing them for life after high school—or just saving for it? And how much do we really need to spend on everything that comes with r...

In this episode, I sit down with Adrian Bar (Canadian in a T-Shirt) to break down a simple “tax playbook” for Canadian families, from young kids all the way to young adults. We walk through how the system actually works in real life: How RRSP contributions can do more than lower your tax bill, they can increase your Canada Child Benefit payments Why teens should file a tax return even if they earn...

Kids today rarely use cash but they’re still making money decisions every day. So how do we actually teach them healthy money habits in a digital-first world? In this episode of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank , Christi Rae sits down with Angelique de Montbrun, CEO of Mydoh and a parent herself, to talk about how kids really learn about money through earning, spending, saving, making mistakes, and h...

Inheritance is one of the most emotionally charged topics in family life, especially when families aren’t simple. In this episode, Eli explores what happens when wills aren’t equal, focusing on blended families, step-children, second marriages, and situations where “fair” doesn’t always mean “equal.” You’ll learn how unequal inheritances can create conflict, why silence around estate decisions oft...

Wills and estates can sound intimidating—but they don’t have to be. In this episode, Eli breaks down the basics of what a will actually is, what an estate includes, and why having a plan matters more than most families realize. You’ll learn what happens if you don’t have a will, the key decisions every will should cover, and the common misconceptions that stop people from getting started. This epi...

The sandwich generation is exhausted—and for many immigrant and first-generation Canadian families, the pressure runs even deeper. In this episode, Christi Rae sits down with Parween Mander ( The Wealthy Wolfe ) to create a practical, compassionate survival guide for parents caught between supporting aging parents, raising financially resilient kids, and trying not to sacrifice their own retiremen...

Confused about where to start with your investments? In this episode, Christi Rae sits down with Toby Manson, CPA and certified financial planner with IG Wealth, to break down Canada’s key savings accounts: TFSA, RRSP, and FHSA . Learn which account to open first, when to start contributing to an RRSP, and how the FHSA can help first-time homebuyers. Perfect for beginners, young adults, and parent...

Most parents know what they should do with money save more plan ahead and talk to their kids about finances. So why is it still so hard to follow through? In this episode of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank host Christi Rae sits down with Dr. Preet Banerjee one of Canada’s leading experts in behavioral finance to unpack why knowing better does not lead to doing better. They explore how fatigue stress...

The financial world our teens are entering looks nothing like the one we grew up in. From one-click buying and buy-now-pay-later to housing anxiety and constant social comparison, today’s kids face money pressures we never had. In this episode, Christi Rae is joined by Rob Carrick , longtime personal finance columnist at The Globe and Mail and co-host of The Stress Test podcast, to unpack what’s c...

How Teens Build Credit in Canada: Credit Cards, Buy Now Pay Later, and Common Mistakes Credit can shape your teen’s financial future long before adulthood, sometimes without parents even realizing it. In this episode of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank , host Christi Rae is joined by Barry Choi, founder of Money We Have and a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail , to break down how teens actuall...

Is social media shaping how your child views money and making them feel like they never have enough? In this episode of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank , host Christi Rae explores money dysmorphia , a growing issue affecting kids and teens whose perception of wealth is distorted by constant online comparison. Joined by David Delisle, author of The Golden Quest and creator of The Awesome Stuff , Chri...

Season 2 of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank gets practical. Christi Rae helps Canadian parents understand the money topics many families avoid — from estate planning and building credit, to RRSPs, TFSAs, and FHSAs. Through thoughtful conversations with trusted voices in Canadian personal finance, such as Rob Carrick, Preet Banerjee and Barry Choi, we get clear, real-life explanations. This season al...

In this 2025 wrap-up episode of Season 1 of The Great Canadian Piggy Bank , host Christi Rae shares the seven biggest money lessons she’s learned from a year of conversations with financial experts. From breaking the silence around money and understanding your child’s money personality, to using allowance as a learning tool and teaching needs versus wants through real-life trade-offs, this episode...

In this short holiday episode, I share what I’m doing differently with money this year — not as advice, but as a real-life experiment in our own family. Based on everything I’ve learned so far from this podcast, I walk through four simple ways we’re approaching the holidays with less stress and more intention: 1) using the DIMS score for big-ticket gifts, 2) prioritizing low-cost experience gifts,...

Christi sits down with Melissa Leong—author of Happy Go Money—to explore the emotional side of teaching kids about money. We dig into why your child’s relationship with money is shaped less by allowance and more by the everyday stress, habits, and conversations at home. What we cover: - The first money lessons every child should learn before age 12 - Simple habits for ages 3–5, 6–9, and 10–12 - Ho...

In this holiday episode, Christi Rae sits down with Karen Holland , founder of Gifting Sense , to explore how gift-giving can become one of the most powerful money-teaching moments of the year. Instead of getting swept up in holiday spending pressure, Karen shows parents how a simple habit, pausing, gathering information, and reflecting, can help kids make smarter choices, avoid disappointment, an...

Christi sits down with Richard Coffin, the creator of The Plain Bagel — to unpack the good, and the bad of TikTok “finfluencers.” Together, they break down how parents can help their kids navigate financial advice online without falling for scams, hype, or bad information. Richard explains why kids are drawn to money content, what red flags to watch for, and simple tools families can use to verify...

Allowance isn’t just pocket money, it’s one of the best ways to teach kids real-world money skills. In this episode, Christi sits down with Robin Taub , author of The Wisest Investment , to talk about how parents can use allowance as a practical tool for raising financially confident kids. You’ll learn: - Why allowance matters and how it helps kids learn responsibility, independence, and decision-...

Christi Rae sits down with Kornel Szrejber — host of the Build Wealth Canada podcast and a leader in Canada’s FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Kornel shares what Gen Z and Gen Alpha can realistically do to achieve financial freedom in a world of high housing costs and inflation. You’ll learn: ​The real meaning of financial independence (FI) versus “retiring early” ​Whether FIR...

Curious how AI can actually help you teach your kids about money — without replacing your role as a parent? In this episode of The Great Canadian Piggybank , I chat with Nejeed Kassam, founder of Copi. Money, about using AI as an ally in financial education. We explore: How AI can level the playing field for kids who don’t get money lessons at home Red flags to watch for in financial apps and AI t...

Join Christi Rae and financial expert Lesley-Anne Scorgie, (author of numerous financial books and founder of MeVest) as they share practical tips for helping 18–25 year olds launch into adulthood with financial confidence. Learn how to: Budget as a tool for freedom and self-care Start saving and investing early (robo-advisors, ETFs, crypto basics) Navigate debt and the gig economy Make values-bas...