Posts by Robb Engen
Weekend Reading: Best Uses For Your TFSA Edition
Sometimes I think I’m the poster child for what not to do with your TFSA. I opened an account immediately when the TFSA launched in 2009 and contributed the maximum annual amount for three years, investing those funds in a couple of dividend paying stocks. I cashed out in 2011 (with a tidy $4,500 profit)…
Read MoreTax Deductions and Tax Credits: What’s The Difference?
Canadian taxpayers have until May 1st, 2023 to file their 2022 taxes (April 30th falls on a Sunday). However, as the calendar turns over to a new year many Canadians want to know how best to maximize their tax refund or minimize what they owe the government. Related: How a “first 60 days’ assessment saves…
Read MoreSo You’ve Made Your RRSP Contribution: Now What?
It’s a classic mistake I’ve seen time and time again. You scramble to make your RRSP contribution before the deadline and then give yourself a giant pat on the back. But wait a minute. You’re not done yet. Not if your RRSP contribution is just sitting idly in cash. You need to put that RRSP…
Read MoreIntroducing A New DIY Investing Course
It’s finally here. A do-it-yourself investing course for regular people who want to save on fees and complexity by using a low cost, all-in-one, automatically rebalancing ETF. I want to help investors move on from paying 2% MER for a balanced mutual fund at their bank. I want to help new investors set up a…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Finances in Flux Edition
Regular readers know that I update and post my net worth twice a year, including a year-end summary. They should also know that I didn’t post an update at the end of 2022. It’s not because I’m embarrassed that my portfolio suffered losses for the first time in recent memory. That’s a feature of financial…
Read MoreThe Beginner’s Guide To RRSPs
More than sixty years after the federal government introduced the Registered Retirement Savings Plan as a vehicle to save for the future, RRSPs still remain one of the cornerstones of retirement planning for Canadians. In fact, as employer pension plans become increasingly rare, the ability to save inside an RRSP over the course of a…
Read More3 Investing Headlines To Ignore This Year
Last year was brutal for both stocks and bonds. In the middle of the year, during what turned out to be the market bottom (and inflation peak) I suggested you stop checking your portfolio. This comes from the analogy that your portfolio is like a bar of soap; the more you touch it the smaller…
Read MoreMy Investing And Trading Activity This Year
Investors face countless distractions every year. Whether it’s fear of missing out on this year’s top performing asset, or fear of your existing portfolio losing money, these distractions are designed to make you want to take action (and likely part you from your money). Meanwhile, a successful investment plan is all about setting up a…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Happy Holidays Edition
Welcome to another edition of Weekend Reading! I’m on holidays but I wanted to share a quick update and thank you to all of my readers and clients for your support this year. I started this blog back in 2010 during what I’d call the height of popularity for personal finance blogs. Today, the preferred…
Read MoreHow To Think About Retirement Planning
We all need to think about retirement planning at some point in our lives. Relying on rules of thumb like saving 10% of your income or withdrawing 4% of your savings can get you part way there. But it’s also important to think about what retirement will look like for you. When will you retire?…
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