If you’re new to personal finance, this page brings together all of my simple, beginner-friendly guides to help you take control of your money—step by step.
Getting Started
If you’re just beginning your financial journey, start here:
Ready to start growing your money? These guides introduce key investing concepts:
Why Diversification Matters- What Is an ETF? A Simple Beginner’s Guide to Exchange-Traded Funds (Canada)
- What is a RRSP? – Save for retirement while reducing your taxes
- What is a TFSA? – The best tax-free investing account in Canada
- What is a FHSA? – A powerful tool for first-time home buyers
- What is a dividend? is it just free money
- Private Ltd V’s Public Ltd ? Whats the difference?
- What is a DRIP?– A simple guide for Canadians
- What is compounding? A simple explanation
- What is a stock? A simple guide to owning shares
- What is a RESP? Save for your childrens future
- What is an IPO? Learn about the risks
- What Is a GIC in Canada? Learn about this low risk instrument
- What is MER? and why its important to know
- What is CPP? and why it may not be enough on it’s own
- What is home bias? and why it’s important to diversify
- What is a chequing account? learn more here
- What is a bond? and i don’t mean 007
- What is direct deposit? and how it makes life easier
- What is inflation? and how prices go up over time
If you’re working on improving your financial situation or paying down debt:
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- Is All Debt Bad? A Simple Guide to Good Debt vs Bad Debt in Canada
- Why regular investing matters more than trying to ” get rich quick”
- What To Do If Your Partner Makes More Money Than You (And How We Make It Work)
- What is a SMART goal?
- What is DCA? – an easy guide
- What is a HELOC? and do i need one
- What is Buy Now Pay Later? and why you should be careful
- Why your first financial goal should be boring and why that’s a good thing
- The tiny grocery trick and how you can save money
- What are roundups? my fresh tip to save
- What is a float? and why it’s great for emergencies
- Why I meal prep and how it saves me time
- What is lifestyle creep? and why it pays to have a plan
- What is rebalancing? and how knowing can inform you better
- Provincial v’s Federal student loans? a simple guide
- Why I recycle my bottles and how it can help you too
- Why I use a shopping list and how it can save you money too
- What is FIRE? and why its not for everyone
- What is FOMO? and why you should pause
- What is HODL? and why holding may not be the best advice
- Common Financial Scams in Canada – Learn how to spot scams and protect your money
- What to do if you’ve been scammed in Canada (Step by step)
- Why it’s important to have more than one bank account – and why you should too
- What is CDIC? – and how does it effect me?
- What is a meme stock? – A simple guide
- What is the CRA? – A complete beginner guide
- What is Phishing? it doesn’t mean in the sea?
- What is a SIN? and why you should be careful
- What is EI? it isn’t free money
- What is a T4? it’s important at tax season
- What is OAS? important for retirement planning
- What is a balance transfer? and why you need to be careful
- What is PST, HST & GST? not everyone pays the same.
- What is 2FA? and why it’s important
- When is a bank not a bank? and why you should always check
- What is an E-Transfer and how it make banking easier