Financial Planning Wisdom
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early or Invest Instead?
For many Canadians, becoming mortgage-free as quickly as possible feels like an obvious financial goal. But I think there’s a more important question to ask first: Once your mortgage is paid off, what percentage of that former mortgage payment will you actually invest? I call this the 95% test. If you pay off your mortgage…
Read MoreRetiring at an All-Time High: What History Actually Shows
I get this question a lot. Is a retirement plan safe if you retire when the markets are at an all-time high? Can you reasonably still expect good performance in the future? The Conventional Wisdom About Retirement Risk The conventional wisdom here is 3 things: All the questions I get about sequence of returns risk…
Read MoreiWatchMarkets article: Ed Rempel, CFP, Explains Why Self-Made Dividends Are Better Than Ordinary Dividends, In Every Way
Most investors think dividends are one of the safest and smartest ways to create retirement income. But are they really? Ordinary dividends have some significant drawbacks that are often overlooked: There’s another option: self-made dividends. Instead of relying on companies to decide when and how much income you receive, you create your own cash flow…
Read MoreNational Post article: Everything changed when Kevin’s wife died. He now wants to retire next year, at 54, but can he afford to?
My latest article for the National Post looks at Kevin, 53, who is considering retiring next year after the death of his wife changed how he thinks about work, family and how he wants to spend his time. He has nearly $1 million invested, a $1.5 million debt-free home and an employer pension, but he…
Read MoreStay Invested – Your “Behavioural Vitamin C” to Build Real Financial Freedom
As we hit the halfway point of 2026, it’s the perfect moment to step back and talk about what really builds lasting financial freedom: staying focused on your long-term plan amid all the noise. Think of your financial plan as the GPS for your life. It’s not a dusty document – it’s a dynamic, living…
Read MoreGet Financial Freedom Tips Article – Rethinking Retirement: Why Ed Rempel Backs a 100% Equity Strategy for Life
For decades, the bedrock of mainstream financial planning has been built on a comforting, two-part rule: diversify your wealth between stocks and bonds, and steadily shift toward the safety of fixed income as you grow older. But according to Toronto-based veteran tax accountant & fee-for-service financial planner, Ed Rempel, this time-honoured tradition might actually be…
Read MoreThe Smith Manoeuvre vs Cash Dam: How to Choose the Right Strategy and How Self-Employed Canadians Can Do Both
Can you use the Smith Manoeuvre and the Cash Dam together? Many Canadians have heard of the Smith Manoeuvre. Many are also self-employed and don’t realize they could be using the Cash Dam. How do they fit together in a real financial plan? I break down what each strategy is, why it works, when each…
Read MoreNational 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…
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