Posts by Robb Engen
5 Ways To Avoid Monthly Bank Fees
I’ve banked with TD my whole life but while I consider myself to be a fairly loyal customer that doesn’t mean I’ll blindly accept blatant fee grabs without fighting back. That’s exactly what happened two years ago when the big green bank announced changes to its chequing account fees and minimum balances. Their basic chequing…
Read MoreMillennials Don’t Get The Latte Factor
Financial author David Bach introduced the Latte Factor as a metaphor for all the small indulgences we regularly treat ourselves to that add up over time. It wasn’t meant to single-out Starbucks as the main culprit for our financial woes, but somehow millennials feel the need to stand up for their beloved coffeehouse and defend…
Read MoreHow To Think About Money: Book Review and Giveaway
I love a good personal finance book so when A Wealth of Common Sense blogger Ben Carlson mentioned that his favourite book of the year was Jonathan Clements’ How To Think About Money, I had to check it out. The book is full of common sense advice and financial wisdom, but Clements goes beyond the ubiquitous ‘pay yourself…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: You Know What Really Grinds My Gears Edition
Two Globe and Mail articles got my personal finance blood boiling this week. First up, a seemingly innocent article suggesting an advisor can help investors make sound decisions and stick to their plan. Nothing wrong with that. But read on and you’ll find this piece, which reads like a bad ad for money coaches, makes some baffling…
Read MoreOur Top Credit Card Picks For 2017
Credit cards are a fact of life and depending on your point of view they’re either a necessary evil or a useful tool for building credit and earning rewards. We prefer the latter, which is why I’m always on the lookout for the best credit card offers. But with seemingly hundreds of credit cards on the…
Read MoreInvestment Return vs. Investor Return: How Did Your Portfolio Stack Up In 2016?
It’s been two years since I sold all of my Canadian dividend stocks and switched to a two-ETF investing solution in my RRSP. I love the hands-off approach, capturing market returns minus a very small fee, plus the instant diversification of owning thousands of stocks from around the world with just two funds. The downside…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: More Books To Give Away Edition
We had such an incredible response to our Victory Lap Retirement book giveaway last week that I thought we should run another book giveaway contest! This one is easy. We’re using Rafflecopter once again to collect entries and the winner will receive his or her choice of books from the bookshelf of my own personal finance home library…
Read MoreUsing Monte Carlo Simulations In Your Retirement Planning
Wouldn’t it be nice for our retirement planning purposes if stocks consistently gave us eight to 10 percent returns each year? After all, that’s what stock markets have delivered on average over the very long term. Indeed, between 1935 and 2016 U.S. stocks returned 11.4 percent annually, Canadian stocks returned 9.6 percent annually, and international…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Happy New Year Edition
A new year means new resolutions and goals, many of which will surely be related to improving our finances. So whether it’s paying off that credit card balance, starting to save for retirement, finding the courage to ask for a raise, or circling your retirement date on the 2017 calendar, my mom and I would…
Read MoreVictory Lap Retirement: Book Review and Giveaway
There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests postponing retirement – even by just one year – can lead to a longer, healthier life. The reality is that we’re living longer and saving less. Something has to give. But another year or two spent pushing paper in a cubicle is probably not the holy retirement…
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