It's Personal Finance Canada

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad stock market! This week we seek out the fabled “W” of the current Canadian stock market and find out what sectors are actually bringing about the best returns on the TSX. Which surprising companies have been the year to date winners and which have crashed and burned, the answer may (or may not) surprise you. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of th...

The first rule of confirmation bias club is we don’t talk about confirmation bias club. This week we dig through Grant Sabatier’s book “Financial Freedom: A proven path to all the money you will ever need.” Find out how a burrito craving changed his view on finances and what parts of his philosophy we think can help you get your own tasty burrito, or financial freedom, we won’t judge. If you live...

When your financial calculator tells you to “use reasonable figures” you know your in for a wild ride. This week we tackle part two of our look into the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement and go beyond just the core concepts and actually put their math to the test. Is the promised 4% rate of return formula your golden ticket or does it turn to rust in when you need it the most. If...

Where there’s smoke there’s FIRE! This week we dig deeper into the FIRE movement and see how much of it is actually burning logs and how much of it is just cheap kindling. Can you sustain a retirement, what does it cost you in your everyday life? Plus we talk about what we actually really like about the movement in part one of this two week investigation. If you live in British Columbia, let us he...

It’s time to spin the wheel of retirement fortune and see what we get from the government, bonus points for landing on 70! This week it’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about CPP and the new changes to OAS. Find out when it could be best to start collecting, how its funded and what the future holds for these 2 staples of government assistance. If you live in British Columbia, let us help yo...

The call is coming from inside the house, and it’s asking when to expect payment of my loans! This week we talk with Blair Mantin president of Sands & Associates and go over everything you ever wanted, or didn’t realize that you needed to know about consumer proposals and bankruptcy in Canada. Learn new tips and tricks to help you even before you get into debt trouble and how to best deal with...

For the price of a coffee a day you can become a millionaire… maybe. This week we dig into David Bach’s bestseller “The Latte Factor” and see if its core financial concepts are more foam than cream. Can small daily investments really revolutionize your retirement and how does the math really work in today’s market? If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love a...

What do all personal finance experts have in common? If you guessed a numbered step by step guide you’re correct! This week Christine joins the dark side of personal finance expertise and lays out her own road map, checklist, whatever we’re calling it, to help you master the basics of not only your budget but your entire personal finance journey. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you ta...

50, 30, 20 hut hut hut. This week we tackle the growing trend of set it and forget it percentage based budgets and how many of these American creations are leading Canadians astray. Find out whether these good ideas are based in reality and are actually feasible for the average Canadian. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com ...

The most important part of investing is timing, or so we are led to believe. This week we talk about how to manage your time in the stock market and how emotions lead you off the cliff of destitution. Learning the cycles of the market and when to best get in, get out, or stay put is the true key to success. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit...

In a world of DIY financial planning and investing it is easy to think we know what is best for our financial future. This week we go over the pro’s and con’s of DIY financial management and when it is best to talk to a professional. Christine takes you behind the scenes of her practice and talks about compensation, product availability and where it is actually better for you to do things yourself...

It’s mothers’ day so what better time to talk about how we teach our kids about money, so they can spend it on mom of course! This week we welcome our first guest Robin Taub the author of “The Wisest Investment” and discover all of the ways we can push past our personal taboos about money and prepare our kids to be financially literate and independent. If you live in British Columbia, let us help...

This week we go over the recent struggles with American banks and look into what is keeping major Canadian banks from suffering the same fate. Everything from CDIC, Assuris, OFSI and the Basel accords are talked about as we discover what would happen if a Canadian bank collapsed. Continuity Note: A day after recording this episode TD Bank broke its agreement to purchase First Horizon Bank in the U...

Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! By your powers combined I am Captain Dividend Yield! This week we tackle the increasingly popular ESG investment mandate, issues of environment, society and corporate governance are becoming more important for investors. However, not everything labels as ESG right now would please Captain Planet, or even the average investor looking to support true change for the b...

I reject your financial reality and substitute my own! This week we bust the classic personal finance myth of saving 10% to fund your retirement. What was once a staple of personal finance is no longer enough, but there is a better way which can help you right now. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com  Keep the conversation...

This week Christine goes toe to toe with Dave Ramsey’s personal finance philosophy and his core 7 baby steps concept. How much of it is helpful to Canadians? What will and won’t work in Canada? And how can these concepts help the average person north of the border in their journey to wealth and debt freedom. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visi...

Talk of a recession keeps on looming over Canadians but is this threat more of a big bad wolf, or more of a Peter and the wolf type of narrative. This week we talk about what’s going on in the markets and how things are shaping up for Q2 across various sectors and how those changes can impact your investments. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and vi...

This week we talk about spendapalooza 2023, aka Canada’s 2023 federal budget, everything from grocery “rebates,” green infrastructure to taxing the rich. We read the budget so you don’t have to in order to figure out how it will impact your day to day finances. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com  Keep the conversation goin...

This week we talk about one of the lesser known benefits of having a Canadian corporation, the Capital Dividend Account. This little known method of transferring tax free money from your corporation to yourself personally could change how you look at the concept of owning a business, well as long as you play by the CRA’s rules of course. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care o...

This week we talk about the book "Millionaire Success Habits" by Dean Graziosi, but get side tracked and talk about cheeseburgers, philosophy and wolves! Seriously though this week we talk about taking stock of your goals and desires and how they continue to shape your life and may be holding you back personally and financially as well. But that could change if you only asked the questio...

This week we answer another fan question and talk about what to do when your income goes up significantly. Find out how to find new was to defer or deduct expenses, find new opportunities for even more income and how to protect everything you’ve worked towards. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com  Keep the conversation...

Hey Margaret from the Facebook page… this one’s for you! This week we tackle the age-old question about mortgage pre-payments but with a twist. How does your strategy change between being a homeowner versus being a landlord, is it better to be debt-free or tax advantageous? If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com  Keep the...

The less you spend the happier you are, or is it the more you spend the happier you are? This week we talk about the dark side of frugal living and the trappings of the FOMO movement, aka the fear of missing out on things, experiences or just falling behind your peers and neighbours. Learn how to determine what is truly important in your life and how to best manage your spending. If you live in Br...

We’re not going to charge it, no we ain’t going to charge it, we’re not going to charge it anymore! This week we talk about how to prepare for a 7 day no spend challenge so you can take back control of your finances. Be it the everyday things you spend money on or on the little things you have forgotten about that are lurking on your credit card statement. If you live in British Columbia, let us h...

RRSP season is upon us which means its your last chance to go over your taxes and monkey with the numbers in a totally legal way. Wait, what? This week we go over what you need to know to make the most of your RRSP contributions, or lack there of in 2023. If you live in British Columbia, let us help you take care of the people you love and visit braunfinancial.com  Keep the conversation going on o...