Posts by Ed Rempel
Retirement Tax Shock: Why Many Canadians Pay More Tax Than Expected
Most Canadians expect to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement. But many end up paying more tax than they expect. How do tax brackets change after age 65 and why can common assumptions about RRSPs and retirement income lead to higher lifetime taxes? Here are practical strategies to reduce tax over time, including…
Read MoreHow Banking Actually Works (And How to Set Up Your First Accounts)
Let’s make money make sense. Let’s be honest for a second… Nobody really cares about banking—until that first real paycheck hits. Whether it’s from a part-time job, tutoring, lifeguarding, or just money coming in more regularly, suddenly you’ve got cash. But just as quickly as it arrives, it’s gone. Between your phone bill, Spotify, Uber…
Read MoreThe Longevity Revolution: Why We’re on the Brink of Living Decades Longer
The longevity movement is transforming how we think about aging—not as an inevitable decline, but as a challenge we can overcome with science, technology, and smart choices. Many experts believe we’re on the cusp of dramatically extending healthy lifespans. I’m on a longevity and healthspan journey. I’m not an expert in longevity, but I’m continuously…
Read MoreBusinessByMoney article – Living to 100 and Beyond: The Financial Reality of Longer Lives
What if living to 100 becomes normal? With advances in medicine, technology, AI, and longevity research, there is a real possibility that many people today could live much longer than previous generations. That raises some important financial questions: In my latest article for BusinessByMoney, I explore how longer life expectancies could reshape retirement planning and…
Read MoreNational Post article: Does this 84-year-old suffer from the ‘Multimillionaire’s Dilemma?’
Louise (not her real name) has far more money than she is ever likely to spend. She has always invested in equities and is comfortable with them. However, now at age 84, she is wondering whether she should invest more conservatively. This is a case study about the “Multi-Millionaire’s Dilemma.” Louise says: “Many of my…
Read MoreA New Addition to Unconventional Wisdom: Meet Sabiha Mukadam
For more than 20 years, Unconventional Wisdom has been where I share financial planning ideas, strategies, and lessons I’ve learned from helping Canadians build better financial lives. Today, I’m excited to introduce someone who has been a key part of our team for the last 8 years: Sabiha Mukadam. Many of you may not know…
Read MoreFinancial Independence, Retire Early: The Math Behind the Viral Money Movement
Every week, someone tells me they want to retire by 40. My first question is always the same: why? The FIRE movement promises freedom decades earlier than traditional retirement. Online, it’s often presented as a fairly simple formula: save aggressively, invest consistently, and escape the workforce early. But in Canada today, is FIRE actually realistic…
Read MoreMoney PIP article: Why Does Retirement Feel Uncertain – Even with a Large Portfolio?
Many Canadians with $1 million or more saved for retirement still feel financially insecure. I see this all the time. People work hard, save consistently, invest for decades, and build substantial portfolios, yet still aren’t sure they can retire comfortably. In many cases, the issue is not a lack of money. It’s a lack of…
Read MoreDon’t Let Today’s Headlines Wreck Your Retirement
Gas prices are up from about $1.30/litre to $1.75/litre across Canada this year. There is conflict in Iran. Markets are reacting to geopolitical uncertainty once again. So what should investors actually do during times like this? Should you move more conservative? Or is reacting emotionally what hurts investors most? In my latest video, podcast episode…
Read MoreNational Post article: Should Caroline, 62, defer CPP and OAS until age 70, or even delay retirement entirely?
Should you delay retirement… or are you closer than you think? I was asked by the National Post to review the finances of a 62-year-old deciding whether to defer Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security to 70, and whether to keep working longer. Some of the answers go directly against what most people assume.…
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