Last year I went on vacation to Western Canada. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Before this I had never travelled west of my home province Ontario. I had such a good time on that trip that I promised myself I would visit Western Canada again “one day.” So, when the opportunity presented itself […]

Being a personal financial expert, I’m the go-to person when it comes to managing my family’s finances. I help my family with day-to-day banking, debt management and investing. But keeping track of my family’s finances isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can seem a bit disjointed. I have to keep track of login information for so […]

When you’re a personal finance expert, people don’t always agree with what you say 100% of the time. At the beginning of the year I made an appearance on the Global Morning Show to discuss how the new mortgage rules affect new homebuyers. During the segment, I mentioned how the new mortgage stress test could […]

Guest Written by: Rachel Surman, Borrowell.   Credit scores can be a little complicated. But the truth is – you need one for a variety of reasons! Credit scores play an important role in determining your creditworthiness. For example, those with higher scores are considered to be safer borrowers and are more likely to be […]

If you’re like most people, buying a home will be the single biggest financial transaction of your lifetime. As a homebuyer, there are so many factors to consider. Should I live in an urban or suburban area? Should I buy a new or resale home? Should I buy a condo, townhouse or detached house? These […]

If you’re one of the two-thirds of Canadian workers without the luxury of a company pension plan, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan (SPP) can bridge the gap and help you save towards retirement. For most retirees, government benefits such as CPP, OAS and GIS simply won’t be enough to sustain their lifestyle in retirement. Although there […]

With the tax season in full swing, the clock is ticking on the tax filing deadline. Most of us have until April 30th to file our taxes. You should have all your tax slips by now (except those pesky T3 slips, which aren’t due until end of March.), so there’s no better time than the […]

Does your hydro bill seem high these days? If you live in Toronto, you have a right to complain. Ontario residents pay the highest rates in Canada for hydro. Residential hydro rates in Ontario increased a whopping 71 percent between 2008 to 2016, compared to 34 percent in the rest of Canada, according to a […]

I’m super excited to be sharing the story of Jelani Smith of Bay Street Blog. Not only is Jelani a first-time homebuyer, he’s one in Toronto, Canada’s second most expensive housing market. Jelani is living proof that that dream of homeownership is still alive and well for millennials. His post walks you through the thought […]

When I found out in the summertime that that CIBC and Loblaw were ending their nearly 20 year partnership, I was caught off guard. Although I saw the Optimum-PC Plus merger coming from a mile away, I never thought in a million years it would lead to the breakup of PC Financial. I’ve been a […]