Simple, evidence-based personal finance for Canadians

Start with simple, evidence-based personal finance for Canadians. Follow clear guides to budgeting, investing and making better financial decisions.

A higher advertised rate does not always leave you with more money. Learn how to compare savings accounts by interest, fees, access and the protection that applies to your deposits.

Comparing rent with a mortgage payment misses much of the picture. Learn how to compare the complete costs, future equity, invested savings and lifestyle tradeoffs of renting or buying in Canada.

Renewing your mortgage? Compare more than the interest rate. Use a practical checklist and two hypothetical offers to review payments, fees, prepayment flexibility and the cost of switching lenders in Canada.

CPP and OAS can provide important retirement income, but they follow different rules. Learn how benefits, start dates, taxes and the OAS recovery tax work.

Estimate how much money you need to retire in Canada using your spending, CPP, OAS, pensions, taxes and a realistic withdrawal range.

Learn how to calculate adjusted cost base in Canada for stocks and ETFs, including commissions, reinvested distributions and return of capital.

Learn how to report interest, dividends, capital gains, foreign income and investment expenses on your Canadian tax return.

You carefully choose a mix of stocks, bonds and cash that reflects your goals and…

Portfolio tinkering made my investments harder to manage without making my plan meaningfully better. Here is why I simplified, what it cost, and the rules I now use to protect my time and stay consistent.

There will always be another ETF, another strategy, and another portfolio that looks better on paper. Learn why searching for the perfect portfolio can become counterproductive, and why a good enough portfolio may be the one you can actually stick with.