Unconventional Wisdom YouTube Channel

Welcome to the Unconventional Wisdom YouTube Page. The show about the most effective methods to achieve financial security & freedom. Find out what really works. Insights are based on in-depth experience - from a fee-for-service financial planner, tax accountant, Canada’s #1 financial planner blogger & your host, Ed Rempel.

This channel is about achieving financial freedom & security in real life. It’s often very different from what most people talk about. Few financial planners actually write detailed Financial Plans. I have written more than 1,000 professional, custom Financial Plans, and worked with many clients to achieve their life goals. You can listen to everyone else – and then come here to find out what works in real life. Unconventional wisdom – based on experience.

This channel has unconventional wisdom insights on many topics. Some of my favourite topics are:

  • How to set & achieve your financial goals and achieve what you really want in life.
  • FIRE – How to achieve financial independence & retire early.
  • The outlook & attitude you need for financial success.
  • Many topics on how you can minimize tax over your lifetime.
  • Effective strategies that can be a huge benefit for you, such as the Smith Manoeuvre, Rempel Maximum, Lifecycle Investing, RRSP Top-ups, RRSP Catch-up Strategy & the 8-year GIS Strategy.
  • How to set up a reliable retirement income with the least tax & most government benefits.
  • How to invest for returns above the indexes.
  • How to easily outperform investment advisors & robo-advisors.
  • Money myths that block your financial freedom.
  • Any interesting financial planning topic. I take requests.

Unconventional Wisdom YouTube Channel

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I plan to post one every Thursday. Be the first to hear my new Unconventional Wisdom posts. Subscribe to my blog, YouTube channel or podcast.

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See you next week!

How to Easily Outperform Financial Advisors, Robo-Advisors & Index Investors

By Ed Rempel | February 15, 2024

Financial freedom is what we all want. We talk to people about their finances all the time and most people just want to know that their money is there, and they can live their life the way they want, but very few Canadians actually get there. Why? Most Canadians are not financially secure because of sub-optimal investments and focusing on the wrong risk. In my latest blog post, YouTube video, and podcast episode I’m going to show you how to outperform all these methods: Financial Freedom & Financial Security Sub-optimal investments. Focusing on the wrong risk. Why is good performance important? Modest…

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2 Things You Must Focus on to Be Financially Secure

By Ed Rempel | February 6, 2024

Do you feel financially secure? What would it take for you to build a huge nest egg to become financially secure? Conventional wisdom says it’s mostly about investing better. It suggests you should focus on getting a higher return or lower fees. Prefer an overview? Like videos? Listening to podcasts? Check out our whiteboard video, podcast episode, or read the full post below! My experience, though, is surprisingly completely different. I have seen the full finances of thousands of people. The ones focused on investing usually had small portfolios. I call these people “performance maniacs”. This is a broad generalization with lots…

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RRSP Gross-up Strategy – Easily Contribute 40-70% More to Your RRSP (2024)

By Ed Rempel | February 1, 2024

The RRSP Gross-up Strategy is a relatively simple concept that can help you contribute 40-70% more to your RRSP, without using any more of your cash. Do this every year and you can retire with 40-70% higher income for life! RRSP Gross-up Strategy (2024) – Easily Contribute 40-70% More to Your RRSP Tax refund options 1.   Spend it. 2.   Invest it. 3.   RRSP Gross-up Strategy. Your Tax Refund RRSP Gross-up Strategy Instead of contributing your tax refund: Need to know: Marginal Tax Brackets (2024) Major Tax Brackets (Ontario 2024) From                 To …

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RRSP Gross-up Strategy – Easily Contribute 40-70% More to Your RRSP (Updated)

By Ed Rempel | January 30, 2024

Wouldn’t it be great if you could save a lot more for your future without affecting your day-to-day cash flow? One of the main things you learn from your retirement plan is that you need a lot more to retire comfortably than you may have thought. But with all the day-to-day expenses, it can be difficult to find the money to contribute as much as you would like to your RRSP. The RRSP gross-up strategy is a simple strategy that can be a game-changer for you. It can enable you to easily contribute 40-70% more to your RRSP – every year. The…

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Tax Planning for Parents

By Ed Rempel | January 25, 2024

Are you a parent?  If yes – you’re probably paying a lot more tax. Parents are often in higher tax brackets than non parents. This means your planning must be diligently looked at, as it can affect your RRSPs, deductions, and more. I’ve talked about this topic before on my blog, but this is the updated version. In my latest YouTube video and podcast episode you’ll learn: Why are effective tax rates higher for parents?  How does the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) work? Why is the CCB clawback a game-changer for your tax planning? Gives you higher tax savings for tax deductions:…

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Why Simple Investment Stats Don’t Give You Good Returns

By Ed Rempel | January 23, 2024

If you’re investing in equities, you may be using various investment data software like Morningstar. The problem? Investment data often gets misused. This is because you may be looking at short-term stats and ratings from only the last 1-5 years. It takes a lot of effort looking at investment stats, but most people who do this incorrectly, don’t get good returns.  In my latest video and podcast episode, you’ll learn how to look at long-term data and how to use investment data effectively. I hope you enjoy it! Ed P.S. In my video I mention an article by Warren Buffet called: “The…

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5 Steps for You to Become Wealthy

By Ed Rempel | January 18, 2024

One of the really cool things about my job is that I get to meet a lot of wealthy people. I get to see what kind of people they are and what their life is like. What I find really rewarding though is to take people whose lives are struggling or just regular income earners and put them on a path to become wealthy. In my latest blog post, YouTube video and podcast episode I’m going to answer the most common questions I get about creating wealth, and how YOU can become wealthy. You’ll learn: How much do you need to be…

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Smith Manoeuvre – Is Your Mortgage Tax Deductible?

By Ed Rempel | January 16, 2024

What is the Smith Manoeuvre and how do you do it the right way?The Smith Manoeuvre is a strategy where you borrow against your home to invest for your retirement. It converts your mortgage over time into a tax deductible credit line.To do it the right way, there are three key points:

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TFSA or RRSP? Cutting through the Confusion (as seen on Money.ca)

By Ed Rempel | January 9, 2024

Here is my article from Money.ca… When it comes to choosing between a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), there are plenty of details to keep you up at night. It’s important to look at the pros and cons of each plan, so you can develop a financial plan that’s right for you. Prefer an overview? Like videos or podcasts? Check out our whiteboard video, podcast episode, or read the full post below! Your personal Financial Plan should include the income per year you will need after you retire to have the retirement lifestyle you want. Your…

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Dividend Investing Is a Brain Fart

By Ed Rempel | January 4, 2024

Dividend investing is a brain fart! The entire concept is your brain playing tricks on you. I know that thousands of people like dividend investing. In fact there are hundreds of blogs dedicated to it. Dividend investing may sound like a solid and steady way to invest. But it’s a brain fart! In my latest YouTube video, podcast episode and blog post, you’ll learn: Definition: Dividend investing: “The odd belief that taking money out of your investments does not take money out of your investments.” – Ed Rempel Sell shares:                                     …

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What’s Important About Money to You?

By Ed Rempel | January 2, 2024

Money: it impacts so many aspects of your life. How you handle it, save it, and spend it can say a lot about you. Ask yourself: “What’s important about money to me?” 1 Prefer an overview? Like videos? Like podcasts? Check out our whiteboard video, podcast episode, or read the full post below! I have asked this question to thousands of people in the last 20 years. Every answer is unique. Understanding how you feel about money is the first step in an effective financial plan to create the life you want. It’s not about the money – it’s about your life.…

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The World is Getting Better All the Time

By Ed Rempel | December 21, 2023

As we look forward to the holidays and 2024, one thing I know for sure is: “The World is Getting Better All the Time”. Every generation of young people thinks the world is getting worse, but the world is dramatically better in every important way than 100 years ago. For example, 170,000 people are lifted out of extreme poverty every day for the last couple decades.  On average globally, humans have better technology, are richer and live better lives all the time. I believe we should go into 2024 with the optimism that it is part of the long-term trend of “The…

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Small Print “Gotcha” in Credit Card Interest (Hint It Can Be 20,000%)!

By Ed Rempel | December 19, 2023

You probably think credit card interest is pretty high. It can be far higher than you think! If you or your kids ever do not pay your credit card balances in full by the due date, this is the video to watch and podcast to listen to. Credit card debt is the single most common place where Canadians get stuck on, which can create havoc with your finances (and future). In my latest video and podcast episode you’ll learn: I hope you enjoy it! Ed

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When can I Retire with the Lifestyle I Want?

By Ed Rempel | December 5, 2023

Financial freedom. It is what we really want. You need a Retirement Plan to get there. It will not happen on its own. Creating your Retirement Plan is fun. It makes you wealthier. It’s not about your money – it’s about your life. Prefer an overview? Like videos or podcasts? Check out our whiteboard video, podcast episode, or read the full post below! The most common questions I am asked are about retirement and financial freedom. For example: First, 8 insights from experience helping thousands of people become financially free: Achieving Financial Freedom Creating your Retirement Plan is fun! Really. It is…

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How To Live Off Your Investments and How Much Do You Need? BuildWealthCanada Podcast featuring Ed Rempel

By Ed Rempel | November 28, 2023

How much do you need to be financially independent? That is just one of the many questions posed by Kornel Szrejber of Build Wealth Canada. He recently interviewed me for his podcast, where I go into depth about financial planning practices I use with my clients, as well as complex tax questions. You can watch the YouTube video or listen to the podcast episode to learn: Ed

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Invest a Lump Sum or Bit-by-Bit. Which Is Smarter?

By Ed Rempel | November 21, 2023

Invest a Lump Sum or Bit-by-Bit. Which Is Smarter? You have a lump sum of cash and you’re trying to figure out how to invest it. The stock market seems pretty turbulent at the moment, so you may be wondering if you should invest your lump sum all at once or bit-by-bit.  Maybe you got a big bonus, a lump sum from Smith Manoeuvre, or a large amount of money to invest. What to do? In my latest video and podcast episode, you’ll learn the pros and cons of both strategies, so you can decide what’s right for you. I hope you…

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Beware of Nice Advisors

By Ed Rempel | November 17, 2023

I’ve talked with thousands of Canadians that will not have the life they want because their advisor gave them bad advice. Why do they stick with their advisor? I’ve heard it over and over again. They say: “because he’s a nice guy”. The advice here is, you need a competent advisor & real advice, not a nice advisor. A competent advisor might be really great to work with too, but this is the type of advice you need, so you should be wary of who you trust with your finances. In my latest video and podcast episode I give you ideas on…

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Optimism is the Only Realism

By Ed Rempel | November 7, 2023

Optimism is the Only Realism. That’s my belief, and you’ll learn why in my latest YouTube video and podcast episode. I feel compelled to talk about optimism for 2 reasons: 1/ Optimism is absolutely necessary for financial success – effective investing and financial planning. You need to feel you will be better off in the future you are building and you need to be confident in your investments long-term. 2/ Many young people are pessimistic today. They believe the world is in decline because of issues like climate change, and that the world is unfair with inequality. Watch and listen to find…

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Using Your Corporation As Your Retirement Fund

By Ed Rempel | October 31, 2023

Can you fund your retirement from your corporation? That’s the question I answer in my latest video and podcast episode specifically for business owners. This is part # 2 of the video I did last week, where I go deeper into tax-efficient investment strategies when owning a corporation. It may seem complicated (if you’re talking to your accountant), but this video breaks down basic and advanced principles, to make it easy for you to plan your retirement. Watch it to find out: I hope you enjoy it! Ed

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Why Most Financial Plans Fail

By Ed Rempel | October 24, 2023

Many people who work with us to figure out their retirement plan, have created a financial plan before. You can get a financial plan from a bank, online methods, financial advisors or fee-only financial planners, but often these financial plans fail. They do not give you the life you want. In my latest video and podcast episode, I outline what is wrong with most financial plans, how we create retirement plans with our clients, and exactly what you need to be confident in your future. Watch the video to find out: I hope you enjoy it! Ed

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How to Reliably Maximize Your Retirement Income – Is the “4% Rule” Safe?

By Ed Rempel | October 17, 2023

You want to retire soon. What is the best way to setup your retirement income to give you the maximum income that will reliably last the rest of your life? Many financial planners use the “4% Rule”, which says that you can, for example, withdraw $40,000/year plus inflation for life from a $1 million portfolio. Is that safe? I studied 146 years of investment history. The conclusions are surprising: Prefer an overview? Like videos or podcasts? Check out our whiteboard video and podcast episode, or read the full post below! “Conventional wisdom” Let’s look at the typical advice given to seniors about…

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Your FREE passes: See my talks at the #1 online event – Canadian Financial Summit 2023

By Ed Rempel | October 13, 2023

The online Canadian Financial Summit is coming up the week of October 18-21. It’s the #1 personal finance event of the year. As a reader of the Unconventional Wisdom blog, here are your FREE passes for a limited time. With these FREE passes, you can watch all the talks. You can also offer your friends and family FREE passes if you forward them this blog post. I’ll be one of the speakers again this year with three talks (see below), and I’ll be joined by over 35 other Canadian personal finance and investing experts such as Rob Carrick from the Globe and…

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Why the Economy Is Not Relevant to Investing

By Ed Rempel | October 10, 2023

Right now everyone is talking about the economy… Interest rate hikes. High inflation. Out-of-control government spending. Decline in global trade. Possible looming recession. So what do you do if you have money in the stock market? In my latest video and podcast episode, you’ll learn why the economy is not relevant to investing, and how it might be the best time to invest in stocks. I hope you enjoy it! Ed

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