Unconventional Wisdom

"Financial Quackery" is one of the main reasons most people struggle financially.  My latest podcast episode is my attempt at humour to explain what to look for to get real advice, rather than the typical industry foolishness pretending to be advice. Listen to this podcast episode to find out: What I mean by "financial quackery". Why "quackery" happens in the financial planning industry (and how t...

Do you own a small business or rental property? If yes, then you'll be interested in Cash Dam. It's a simple, but powerful concept to help you make your mortgage tax deductible. It's an especially attractive option if you're familiar with the Smith Manoeuvre or other tax minimization strategies. Cash Dam is a pure tax strategy without investment risk that does not require any of your cash flow. Li...

Today I'm reflecting on my life and progress towards my mission in life - to educate Canadians about what really works to achieve financial security & freedom. I have seen thousands of Canadians struggle with money. I see bad or suboptimal advice based on conventional wisdom all over the financial industry and to a lesser degree in the financial blog world. I sincerely hope I can influence you to...

The "8-Year GIS Strategy" is one of the best strategies to turn a modest retirement into a comfortable one for you. This strategy has huge benefits, but requires careful planning. When you retire, get up to $15,000/year tax-free from the government with effective planning. Typically increases retirement income by 50-100% for life. For years, this is one of a few strategies that I have quietly used...

You may have received a letter from your bank or heard people talk about the new OSFI mortgage rules. We've had a lot of our clients contacting us about it as well, since the new rules start this year for mortgages. These new rules will affect the Smith Manoeuvre in some ways, so it's important to understand exactly what you should do. Listen to this podcast episode to find out: What is the Smith...

This may sound like a dumb topic. Why would a millionaire live in poverty? We see it all the time, though.  People living in a paid off home worth more than $1 million while living on an income of $20,000/year before tax. I believe this is caused by the belief that your home is your retirement. Millionaires in poverty have 5 options – all 5 of which are stupid. Listen to this podcast episode to fi...

If you're under age 40 and saving to become financially independent, the ultimate strategy for you to understand is Lifecycle Investing. It has worked 100% of the time in the last 150 years and increased portfolios at retirement by an average of 63%. Results are so consistent because it reduces one of your biggest financial risks, "Last Decade Risk". Lifecycle Investing is not for everyone, but un...

What is the actual risk of running out of money if you start retirement when the market crashes? This is a question on the minds of many retirees. Especially because a lot of financial advisors talk about "Sequence of Returns Risk". But worrying about this can lead to worse results for many retirees, as well as inferior portfolios, lower returns and a less reliable retirement. In my latest podcast...

If you're someone who is in high school or you're about to apply to university, then this podcast episode is a must! After being a financial planner for almost 30 years, I've seen the finances of thousands of Canadians, and the careers that pay the big bucks. In this episode you'll learn how to choose your university specialty, so that you get into a career that sets you up for success in life. He...

Are your finances where you want them to be? If not, there's a very good chance that one of these 15, or maybe several of them are the underlying root cause. I've seen the finances of thousands of people and these are the principles that I find people most commonly get wrong, that have a major effect on their lives. In my podcast episode you'll learn what these 15 principles are, and how you can f...

How do you know you're getting the highest quality financial planning advice? I recently asked my social media followers and blog readers what financial topics you would like me to talk about, and we got an overwhelming number of responses – so thank you! We got a few questions about what is the highest quality financial planning advice and about our services and why we do them the way we do.  The...

In my latest podcast episode I take an unconventional look at dividend investing & how to make it perfect. The episode is a fact check of the advantages & disadvantages of dividend investing.  Then I show how to fix all the disadvantages, so you can do it right.  You may have already heard of dividend investing, as there are hundreds of blog posts about it and it's something many investment adviso...

The conventional wisdom is that bonds and fixed income are safe investments and you need them to stabilize your portfolio. The truth is bonds are a high risk to your retirement. Understanding the high risk of bonds can be one of the easiest ways to get higher investment returns and achieve your life goals. While bonds are less risky short-term and medium-term, they are actually quite risky as a lo...

Is your money safe OR secure? I know what you're thinking.  Isn't it the expression "safe AND secure"? Possibly the single most important thing to know about money is this: Safe and secure are often opposites. With money, it's usually safe OR secure. In my latest podcast episode you'll learn about two identical twins - Summer and Autumn with the same amount of money in the beginning, and how their...

Have you ever wondered how people donate millions to a charity, like to a large hospital, or have their name as a charitable foundation? Do they actually give away that much money? Or, do they have a method to do it?  The truth is - it's often an effective tax plan that people use to donate 10 times more, and it's called the Donation Flow-Through Strategy. In my latest podcast episode I'm going to...

How can you own a nice car for a lot less? Should you be impressed with someone that has a nice car? How do you measure the ownership cost of your car? What is a warranty worth? Should you lease or own? Can you save money on an electric car? How does your car fit in your life priorities? You'll learn the answers to these questions in my latest podcast episode, and what I recommend to my clients th...

There's a sale on stocks today - it's a 10% sale! We have recovered about half of the decline from the bear market in 2022. What does that mean when it comes to buying stocks? In my latest podcast episode I give my thoughts on why I believe now is a good time to buy. This episode was recorded in 2022, but the insights fully apply today. Listen to find out: Why all bear markets are buying opportuni...

In my latest podcast episode I talk about the ultimate status symbol and making a real difference in the world. That may sound like two completely different topics, but it's actually one topic and I'm going to show you how to do both at the same time! Here's what I cover: What is the ultimate status symbol or the wealthy? What is a "Generosity Plan" What are the advantages of a personal charitable...

Can you really make money while you sleep with little or no tax? Covid changed most of our working habits, in that many people stayed home, while others felt the financial pinch of the pandemic. New paradigms arose, such as creating wealth, without work.  Passive income started becoming a conversation not just with people who invest, but with people thinking about retiring or who hadn't even thoug...

Want to teach your kids or young people you know to be smart with their money? Then you'll want to send them my latest podcast episode with an introduction into the world of finance.  There are a million things to know. These are the few important ones, based on my Unconventional Wisdom. Whether you're thinking about buying a car or a home, paying off student debt, or saving for retirement, there'...

Are you poor, middle class or wealthy? After seeing the finances of thousands of people, I've noticed patterns to determine if someone is poor, middle class or wealthy. In this podcast episode you'll learn where you fit along the spectrum of wealth, how each thinks and invests differently, and how you can become one of the wealthy! Here's what I cover: Why wealth isn't a matter of income level. Th...

What do you do with the Smith Manoeuvre AFTER you retire? This podcast episode is for you if you already know the basics of the Smith Manoeuvre. You have been doing this strategy for awhile, you've converted your mortgage to tax deductible, and you're thinking about retiring. You've got a big investment portfolio and this tax deductible credit line, what do you do now? Discover 5 strategies that w...

Want to get serious about your finances? Every day I talk to people who come to see me for financial advice because they've come to a point where they realize - "I should probably do something smarter with my money, but I'm not quite sure what." When you get to that point, what do you do?  What are the most important things to know about investing? How do you manage your money based on your life g...

If you're thinking of retiring or your parents or friends are retiring, beware of the typical advice you get. In my latest podcast episode, I talk about the 5 conventional wisdom rules of thumb for retirees. As the unconventional wisdom guy, I do the math for you to see whether they actually worked in history. Then I give you 7 new retirement rules of thumb (supported by history) that I advise my...

There are many strategies and styles of investing. How do you sort through it all to set yourself up for success with good long-term rates of return?  In this week's podcast episode I cover the Top 17 Investment Strategies, their history, and whether or not they actually work.  Listen to find out: Are stock prices random? Why is this important? Are stock markets efficient? History of market though...