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Home bias is when you invest too heavily in your own country. For Canadian investors, that usually means owning a lot of Canadian stocks simply because they feel familiar. That does not mean Canadian investments are bad. Canada has some strong banks, utilities, telecoms, energy companies, and dividend stocks. But if most of your money […]

Student loans in Canada can be confusing because your loan may have more than one part. Many borrowers have a federal student loan, a provincial or territorial student loan, or both. They may feel like one loan when you apply, but they can have different rules, interest rates, repayment terms, and websites. Understanding the difference

Rebalancing is when you adjust your investments back to the mix you originally wanted. Over time, some investments may grow faster than others. That can slowly change the balance of your portfolio. For example, you might start with a simple mix of stocks, ETFs, or different types of investments. But after a while, one part

Lifestyle creep is when your spending slowly increases as your income goes up. It can happen after a raise, a better job, a bonus, or just feeling a bit more comfortable financially. At first, the changes may seem small. More takeout. A few extra subscriptions. Nicer clothes. More expensive habits. Bigger weekends. None of those

If you have ever looked at a receipt and wondered why the amount was higher than the price on the shelf, taxes are probably the reason. In Canada, some provinces charge a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on many goods and services. Understanding how PST works can help you better understand your receipts and why the

Meal prep is one of those habits that sounds more complicated than it needs to be. For some people, meal prep means perfectly portioned containers, matching labels, and a fridge that looks like it belongs on social media. I’m not perfect, and I don’t meal prep all the time. But when I know I have

A balance transfer is when you move debt from one credit card to another credit card. People usually do this because the new card offers a lower promotional interest rate for a set period of time. The idea is to pay less interest, then use that breathing room to pay the debt down faster. But

Old Age Security, usually called OAS, is a monthly payment from the Government of Canada for many seniors aged 65 and older. It is one of the main government retirement benefits in Canada, alongside the Canada Pension Plan, or CPP. But OAS is different from CPP in an important way. CPP is based on how

If you work in Canada, there is a good chance you will receive a T4 slip at tax time. A T4 is a tax slip from your employer. It shows how much employment income you earned during the year and how much tax, CPP, and EI were taken off your pay. In simple terms, your

Unexpected expenses happen. Maybe your car needs repairs. Perhaps you forgot about an annual subscription, or a larger utility bill comes out at the worst possible time. That is one reason why I like having a float. What Is a Float? A float is a small amount of money kept in your everyday bank account to provide a cushion