Posts by Robb Engen
Willful Review: Online Wills For $99
This is a review of Willful Wills, a digital platform where clients can create a will online for as little as $99. (Boomer & Echo readers will receive 10% off any Willful plan purchase by entering the promo code: Boomer.) Technology disrupts many industries by driving down costs and increasing accessibility. Just like how Netflix…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: What Market Volatility Edition
The first quarter of 2018 was a tough one for investors. It started on February 5th with the worst single-day point drop in history for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which fell 1,175 points that day. Indeed, market volatility was back and, according to some pundits, here to stay. Stock markets can be manic, prone…
Read MoreEndy, Casper, Bear: Three Online Mattress in a Box Companies Compared
How do you disrupt a mature, billion-dollar mattress industry? Take the mattress out of the store, put it online, and deliver it right to your door with a money-back guarantee. That’s exactly how a growing number of online direct-to-consumer start-ups led by Endy Sleep and Casper have begun to nibble away market share from traditional…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Get LIT(erate) Edition
Financial author Rob Brown, of Wealthing Like Rabbits fame, is on a cross-country financial literacy tour. His mission: target universities and colleges across the country and speak to post-secondary students, new graduates, and young alumni about the importance of financial literacy. There’s a lot of talk about developing and improving financial literacy curriculum in high…
Read MoreHow Families Can Get More Out Of The Canada Child Benefit
The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free benefit paid monthly to eligible families. It was introduced by the federal government in July 2016, replacing the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) and the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB). The Canada Child Benefit provides a maximum annual benefit of $6,400 per child under the age of six,…
Read MoreI Did The Math On Your Investment Fees And The Results Weren’t Pretty
A few weeks ago I invited readers to share their portfolio details with me so I could help ‘do the math’ on their investment fees. Many of you did, and the results weren’t pretty. From accounts loaded with deferred sales charges (DSCs), management expense ratios (MERs) in the high 2 percent range, and funds overlapping…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: For Brock Hirsche Edition
Just over two years ago Brock Hirsche, the 23-year-old captain of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It’s a disease most commonly found in men aged 15-35 and one that hit the Pronghorn family hard as three members of the program were diagnosed with testicular cancer within the…
Read MoreThe Misguided Beliefs of Financial Advisors
Critics of the investment industry, me included, often point to conflicts of interest that lead to higher costs and poorer outcomes for investors. Indeed, a 2015 study on mutual fund fees conducted by the Brondesbury Group determined that financial advisors who receive commissions from selling mutual funds are often biased in selecting funds that offer…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Dirty Money Edition
I recently binge-watched a six-part documentary series on Netflix called Dirty Money. Each episode digs into an egregious example of corporate corruption, from cars that cheat emissions tests, to crippling pay day loans, to the great maple syrup heist in Quebec a few years back. All six episodes are worth watching (unless you don’t feel…
Read MoreEngineering A Better Outcome For Investors
When I worked in the hospitality industry our hotel group placed a large emphasis on the profitability of its restaurants and catering departments. Considerable effort was made to drive overall food costs down while at the same time creating a sales culture that pushed the highest margin items to boost revenue. One of the most effective ways…
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