Posts Tagged ‘long term perspective’
National Post article: Should a couple in their 40s buy or rent in Toronto to afford retirement?
Should you buy a home, keep renting, or invest the difference? A couple in their 40s recently moved from Calgary to the GTA. They own three rental properties in Calgary and are trying to decide which path will give them the most comfortable retirement. In my latest National Post financial planning case study, I compare…
Read MoreHave You Thought of Turning the Doom Off? How Doomerism Is Quietly Wrecking Your Retirement
Have you thought of turning the doom off? That’s the question the awesome song Nothing Went Foom by Bright Mirror keeps asking. And it’s the right question — because doomerism has a track record, and the track record is that nothing went foom. Not the nuclear winter. Not the population bomb. Not Y2K. Not the…
Read MoreYour FREE Tickets to the 2026 Canadian Financial Summit – Watch My 3 Talks
The online Canadian Financial Summit is coming up October 21–24, 2026. It’s Canada’s top personal finance event of the year! As a reader of the Unconventional Wisdom blog, here are your FREE tickets to the Summit. With your FREE ticket, you can watch talks from some of Canada’s leading personal finance and investing experts, with…
Read MoreNational Post article: Could an RRSP/RRIF meltdown reduce Liam’s GIS clawback without triggering a big tax bill?
Liam thinks he is in a 19% tax bracket. He isn’t. He is effectively in a 50% tax bracket because he pays 0% income tax, but loses 50% of additional taxable income through the GIS clawback. His situation is interesting because: In my latest article for the National Post, I look at why withdrawing more…
Read MoreShould 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 MoreNational Post article: Can Tom afford to retire by 63 with a $1.16 million portfolio?
Having enough money to retire is one thing. Knowing how to use it wisely is another. Tom and Judy are in a strong financial position. With a $1.16 million investment portfolio and a valuable defined benefit pension, the bigger question isn’t whether Tom can afford to retire at 63 — it’s how they should make…
Read MoreBudgeting With a Full-Time Income Without Feeling Restricted
A practical guide to managing your first full-time income with clarity, consistency, and room to enjoy your life. The Moment Your Income Starts Feeling Real There is a moment that happens a few months after you start earning a full-time income. First, everything feels new – your paycheques, your routines, your sense of independence. But…
Read MoreWhy Economic Freedom and the Stock Market Make Us All Richer
As equity investors, we put our money into companies through the stock market because we believe in the power of innovation, competition, and long-term growth. But for the stock market to deliver strong returns over time, we need economic freedom and free enterprise. When people can freely start businesses, invest, trade, hire, and compete without…
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 MoreSecure Your Future Together: The Power of Trust Planning for Couples
Beyond the Will: How Canadian Couples Can Use Trusts to Protect Each Other A guide to achieve continuity, clarity, tax efficiency, and family harmony. Beyond the Will: How Canadian Couples Can Use Trusts to Protect Each Other Most Canadian couples believe their estate plan is complete once they have wills, powers of attorney, and beneficiary…
Read More