Unconventional Wisdom

You may be thinking – what difference can I make in the world? As a financial planner I talk a lot about money, however, it's not really about the money itself, but what it does for your life – how to live well, retire comfortably, and give back. In my latest podcast episode, I give you some ideas to help you choose causes that matter to you, as well as talking about financial & tax planning for d...

It's easy to outperform financial advisors. Why? Conventional wisdom is they underperform because of fees, but there is a bigger reason. They don't even try to outperform. They try for: "Reasonable return with less risk". Financial advisors are mainly salespeople, not financial planners.  They are more likely to lose a client because of a 30% 1-year market decline than 10 years of lagging the inde...

Divorce is never financially smart! As a financial planner, I don't recommend divorce. It's bad for your finances! However, you can go through it in the most financially smart way – to leave both of you in the best possible position. We have seen quite a few people go through divorce. We've seen some total disasters, fighting for years through lawyers with monstrous legal costs. A wife hiring one...

Many people today feel they have no choice but to be a tenant, however, what if you actually choose this?  You can choose to be a tenant forever and it can be a great life! I'm going to introduce you to the concept of "Tenant Freedom," to show you how great of a life it can be. Watch my latest podcast episode to find out: Advantages & disadvantages of owning vs. renting your home What you need to...

Gold goes down on inflation.  Why doesn't the industry know this? This is one of the most common and wrong conventional wisdoms. The conventional wisdom is that Gold protects you from inflation, so if we have high inflation Gold should be up. It should maintain its value. The problem is – this isn't true and hasn't been true for decades. So why does the investment industry keep promoting this idea...

20 years ago I took the most fascinating investment course, and by far the most in-depth. The course made me a "Certified Hedge Fund Specialist" (CHFS). I loved it so much I received the top mark in Canada. From the course and meeting with hedge fund people, I've learned the ins and outs of the Hedge Fund World, which to many, seems like a secret club. In my latest podcast episode, you'll get a se...

I was honoured to be invited by Ellen Roseman to speak with her Investment Club about the 6 key lessons I have learned as a fee-for-service financial planner.  They have had investment guest speakers, but never someone just talking about financial planning. Ellen Roseman is a journalist who sticks up for ordinary Canadians. Her personal finance & consumer columns appeared in the Toronto Star for 2...

Do you own a business? If yes, then you'll love my latest podcast episode. I cover the few things that you really need to know about corporations. You'll learn: When should you incorporate. If you should get a holding company. Whether you should pay yourself a salary or dividend. Common mistakes by business owners. If you should invest in a corporation, RRSP or TFSA.

The most common question I get asked about the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is: "Is it smart to take my CPP early?" And what I say is - it depends, as the answer is contingent on five main factors. How long do you expect to live? How do you invest? What will inflation be?  Are you still working? When do you need the money? In my latest podcast episode I get into more details on how to think about the...

What will it take for you to become financially free?  To have enough money that you never have to work again? This latest podcast episode is my insight into the few key ideas you really need to know.  It's an overview to give you the big picture of what really works. Some of these ideas are not conventional wisdom. They are the ideas that give you results over time. I learned these 6 steps from w...

It's easy to outperform robo-advisors. Why? Because they don't even try to outperform, they try for reasonable returns with less risk. You would think robo-advisors would just invest in a few broad indexes, but often they don't. And they require you to invest in bonds no matter how high your risk tolerance. Robo-advisors are big investment companies, not financial planners. They're more likely to...

The average Canadian wastes $22,000 after tax during their life for every $100,000 of their mortgage and takes 38 months longer to pay it off, according to a study by Moshe Milevsky. This is because of taking 5-year fixed mortgages instead of variable. They are marketed as being safe and a good protection against a sharp rise in interest rates.  The reality, though, is that they are nearly always...

Smith Manoeuvre or Smith Maneuver? Why the two spellings and which is correct? This strategy (which I'm most known for), helps Canadian homeowners make their mortgages tax deductible in a simple way. What's the proper spelling? Who pioneered this legal strategy? Does it work in Quebec? Can you use it if you live in the United States? All these questions you'll get answered in my latest podcast epi...

Asset Allocation Loss Ratio (AALR) – What Is It & How Does It Help You? When you go to any investment firm in Canada, they require you to sign a risk tolerance questionnaire to prevent you from investing too aggressively. However there are two important questions: What prevents you from investing too conservatively? Can you achieve your life goals with more conservative investments? These are crit...

I recently did an interview with Bryn Griffiths from 630 CHED radio in Edmonton about how different things can affect people's credit ratings and how to avoid making common mistakes. It's a quick, but important podcast episode, because even a $10 missed credit card bill can cost you hundreds of dollars in interest. Plus how to start or build your credit rating. Enjoy! Ed  

Remember the show "Who wants to be a millionaire?"  Are you the kind of person that wants to build some serious wealth?  Live an exceptional life? Be financially free? I don't mean just a comfortable amount. I mean a lot – like being a multi-millionaire. The truth is, average people can become very wealthy just by managing their money for maximum growth. In my latest podcast episode, I introduce y...

It is easy to outperform index investors. Why? Because they don't really try to get index returns, they try for reasonable returns with less risk. This makes them use "performance drags" that typically reduce their returns by at least 1-3%/year. In my latest podcast episode (which is under 3 minutes!), you'll learn exactly how to EASILY outperform index investors. Enjoy! Ed  

How should you invest your money? If you don't invest wisely, it will be hard to fund your future. There are always new areas you can put your money into, but are they worthwhile long-term? In my latest podcast episode, I look at all the possible areas to invest your money and fit them into 4 categories: gambling, speculating, saving, and investing. Knowing the expected return & risk for each will...

Financial freedom is what we all want. We talk to people about their finances all the time and most people just want to know that their money is there, and they can live their life the way they want, but very few Canadians actually get there. Why? Most Canadians are not financially secure because of sub-optimal investments and focusing on the wrong risk. In my latest podcast episode I'm going to s...

When you're planning for your future you need to have a sound investment strategy, that gives you confidence that you'll eventually have the retirement that you'll want. The best way to understand this is with a hockey analogy. Would it be more effective for me to go on the ice and stickhandle and shoot, or for me to pick an NHL superstar to play for me? I learned that it is much more effective to...

Do you feel financially secure?  What would it take for you to build a huge nest egg to become financially secure? Conventional wisdom says it's mostly about investing better. It suggests you should focus on getting a higher return or lower fees. My experience, though, is surprisingly completely different. I have seen the full finances of thousands of people. The ones focused on investing usually...

The RRSP Gross-up Strategy is a relatively simple concept that can help you contribute 40-70% more to your RRSP, without using any more of your cash. Do this every year and you can retire with 40-70% higher income for life! The last podcast was quite detailed, while this episode is a quick and concise overview of the strategy. In my latest podcast episode you'll learn: The 3 tax refund options. Wh...

Wouldn't it be great if you could save a lot more for your future without affecting your day-to-day cash flow? One of the main things you learn from your retirement plan is that you need a lot more to retire comfortably than you may have thought.  But with all the day-to-day expenses, it can be difficult to find the money to contribute as much as you would like to your RRSP. The RRSP gross-up stra...

Are you a parent? If yes - you're probably paying a lot more tax. Parents are often in higher tax brackets than non parents. This means your planning must be diligently looked at, as it can affect your RRSPs, deductions, and more. I've talked about this topic before on my blog, but this is the updated version. In my latest podcast episode you'll learn: Why are effective tax rates higher for parent...

If you're investing in equities, you may be using various investment data software like Morningstar. The problem? Investment data often gets misused. This is because you may be looking at short-term stats and ratings from only the last 1-5 years. It takes a lot of effort looking at investment stats, but most people who do this incorrectly, don't get good returns.  In my latest podcast episode, you...