Financial Planning Wisdom
National Post article: Is a $740,000 all-equity portfolio enough for Jasmine and Terry to retire early?
One of the questions I hear most often is, “Do I have enough to retire?” The answer is almost never as simple as looking at the size of your portfolio. The real question is whether your investments, savings strategy, tax planning, and retirement income plan all work together to support the lifestyle you want. In…
Read MoreRetirement 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 MoreFinancial Planning Isn’t Optional—It’s Your Power Move
Financial Planning Myths and Why You Absolutely Need a Plan (and a Planner) Financial planning is one of those things most people know they should think about… yet many avoid it for years. Not because they’re irresponsible. Usually, it comes down to a few common beliefs: “I’m not wealthy enough yet.”“I can figure this out…
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 MoreMulti-Millionaire’s Dilemma: Stay in Stocks or Go Conservative After Retiring?
You’ve worked hard, built up a few million dollars, and now you’re seventy-five, retired, and staring at your portfolio wondering — do I really need to keep riding the stock market rollercoaster? Or is it finally time to play it safe? That’s the multi-millionaire’s dilemma, and it’s a lot more common than you might think.…
Read MoreNational Post article: How can an Ontario couple ensure their disabled son is taken care of after they die?
Planning for your own future is one thing. Planning for a child who may never be able to manage their own finances is something else entirely. That’s the situation one Ontario couple is facing. They’ve done what most people would consider “all the right things” — a will, savings, insurance, and government benefits, but they’re…
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