Matthew (Matt) is a 27-year-old social worker with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, which he completed three years ago. Currently working in the healthcare sector, Matt has seen firsthand how financial instability can cause stress and hardship. Whether due to inadequate insurance or...
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Dan Bortolotti of Canadian Couch Potato fame once ran an active podcast that included a segment entitled “Bad Investment Advice” (complete with spooky sound effects – oh, the horror!). He is now going to be a regular guest on the Rational Reminder podcast, which means...
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Saving for Retirement is Easy; Spending in Retirement – Not So Much You have been saving for retirement all your life. If you are a resident of Canada, you have been building up credits toward receiving Old Age Security (OAS). If you have been employed, you...
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Meet June and Jack, a Canadian couple in their mid-30s. They’ve been diligent about saving and investing, but as they sat down to review their Notices of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), they were alarmed by the numbers they saw. Despite their best...
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Meet John and Jane Jane and John are a couple in their early thirties. They own a townhouse in a suburb outside of Toronto. Although the commute is a bit of a burden, their jobs as an architect and software developer, respectively, allow them to work...
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“Decumulation” (I don’t really like this word, but I suspect I lack sufficient influence to change things) is the spending down of assets that have been accumulated in preparation for retirement. It is the conversion of pension plans, RRSPs, TFSAs, and other financial assets into...
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There is a lot to be said in favour of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investing. The barriers (online access, real-time quotes, lower costs, etc.) have come down dramatically in recent years. Simultaneously, I would argue, the fact that there are fewer barriers means that the DIYer has...
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The Dilemma: What Should She Do with Her Money? Marie, 67 years old, was widowed three years ago after forty years of marriage. Together, she and her husband Robert had raised their family of three children and created thousands of memories together in the house that...
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Banking You may be aware that some political parties and union advocates have argued that, to develop Canada Post’s viability, financial services should be offered at post office branches. I am not sure how common that is in other countries, but Japan’s post offices have long...
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Being Cautious With Your Money For years your friends have been telling you to invest in the stock market. You resisted, insisting that High-Interest Savings Accounts (HISAs) and Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) were all you needed. Besides, you already had some money in the stock market...
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