Financial Planning Insights and Money Mindset Resources
Browse practical financial planning articles and monthly newsletters that combine strategy and psychology to help you make clearer, more confident decisions with your money.
Do you need a financial planner if you manage your own investments?
Maybe, but probably not for the reason you think.
Choosing and managing investments is only one part of a financial plan. You may still want help deciding how much to save, which accounts to use, when you can retire, how to draw i...
How much does it cost to work with me as a financial planner?
I believe pricing should be clear before you decide to move forward, so I offer three different planning packages.
My Retirement Consultation is $800 and is designed for someone with a few specific retirement questions.
My Financial Cl...
I spent many years working in traditional wealth management, so I understand both models from the inside. There are many good people doing good work within banks and investment firms, but the biggest difference is how the advice is structured.
At a bank, the conversation is often focused on the ac...
What does an advice-only financial planner do?
The simplest answer is that I help you make informed decisions about your entire financial life, without selling you anything.
I look at how all the pieces fit together, including your cash flow, investments, taxes, retirement, pensions, insurance, e...
If you are looking for help with your money, you may come across financial advisors, financial planners, investment advisors, insurance advisors, portfolio managers, money coaches and bookkeepers.
It is no wonder people are confused.
The simplest answer is this: a financial advisor generally advis...
If you are looking for help with your money, you may come across financial advisors, financial planners, investment advisors, insurance advisors, portfolio managers, money coaches and bookkeepers.
It is no wonder people are confused.
The simplest answer is this: a financial advisor generally advis...
If you have booked your first meeting with a financial planner, you may feel as though you should arrive with a perfectly organized financial life.
Perhaps you think you need to gather your tax returns, investment statements, pension information, insurance policies, mortgage balance and a detailed ...
If you're struggling with debt, you're probably looking for practical advice.
Should you pay off the highest interest rate first? Consolidate your loans? Refinance your mortgage? Cut your spending?
Those are all important questions. But in my experience as a fee only, advice only financial planner...
June feels different.
Summer starts to peek around the corner. BBQ invitations show up. Calendars fill with camping trips, patio nights, soccer tournaments, lake days, and plans that somehow feel lighter.
And this June feels especially meaningful to me because, June 1, also happens to be my 50th...
Most tax advice sounds the same. Contribute to your RRSP. Get a refund. Feel good about it.
But for moderate income families in Canada, there is a strategy that goes a step further, and most people have never heard of it.
The Advice Most Families Get
The standard advice is to contribute to your R...
Most people don't start by asking how to find an advice only financial planner.
They start somewhere much quieter.
Am I doing this right? Am I missing something? Why does this still feel so unclear, even though I'm trying?
By the time you're searching for a financial planner, you're often not jus...
Most people don't know what working with an advice-only financial planner actually looks like.
They assume it's spreadsheets, investment recommendations, and maybe a few charts about retirement.
And yes, those things are part of it.
But if you've never worked with one before, the real experience ...