I am a Canadian teacher considering withdrawing my pension early. I understand that a significant portion—often 50% or more—can be lost when taking a lump sum. I’m 43 and have about 15 years of teaching service across Alberta, Nova Scotia and Nunavut, with most of my career in Nunavut. I have several questions before I … Read more

For Canadian investors, one of the big surprises of 2022 has been how poorly many balanced mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and portfolios have performed. Investors following the traditional pension-style allocation—roughly 60% stocks and 40% bonds—have found themselves facing losses in both components at the same time. In ordinary market environments, bonds usually offer modest … Read more

Consumers and financial professionals often overemphasize the investment component of financial planning. A comprehensive financial plan should begin with clear goals, measurable targets and forward-looking checkpoints to ensure accountability and track progress. Goals should be specific and actionable. Vague aims like “buy investments that go up” or “make a lot of money” are not useful … Read more

Moving out on your own, financing a car or landing your dream job often depends on having a solid credit score. A credit score reflects how trustworthy you appear to lenders and typically ranges from 300 to 900. Lenders, insurers, landlords and sometimes employers use that number to assess your financial reliability. A strong credit … Read more

Kyle Prevost, editor of Million Dollar Journey and founder of the Canadian Financial Summit, highlights the week’s key financial headlines and explains what they mean for Canadian investors. Bank profits benefit from higher interest rates U.S. corporate earnings season is underway and the major banks were among the first to report results. While not every … Read more

My financial advisor asked me for more money than the allowable contribution room of my TFSA, causing a CRA penalty. I did tell him that I could only contribute the $6,000, but he asked me for $28,500. I paid a fine of $2,000 to CRA. What happens now? Do I ask him to repay the … Read more

I manage my own investments and recently discovered they are still receiving the 1% that I thought I had stopped paying my financial advisor. I follow a buy-and-hold strategy with mutual funds and had been trying to avoid the 1% annual fee the advisor was charging for providing periodic reports. I learned that because of … Read more

In this analysis we review several couch potato portfolio models—specifically the advanced portfolios at three risk levels—and compare them with core balanced alternatives. The focus is on performance through September 2022, with an emphasis on how dedicated inflation-fighting assets have behaved during the recent inflationary and stagflationary period. CAGR refers to compound annual growth rate, … Read more

Overview 5 ways to build a portfolio Core portfolios Advanced portfolios The classic Couch Potato portfolio — a straightforward mix of global equities and Canadian bonds — has delivered solid long-term returns and remains a simple, effective approach for many investors. However, its simplicity can also be a limitation: it doesn’t always cover every economic … Read more

Overview 5 ways to build a portfolio Core portfolios Advanced portfolios Option 1: Tangerine Investment Funds Tangerine, the online banking arm of Scotiabank, was one of the first Canadian providers to offer straightforward, low-cost index mutual funds. (Full disclosure: I worked as an investment advisor and trainer with Tangerine from 2013 through 2018.) Tangerine’s offerings … Read more