Weekend Reading: Money Bag Edition
Welcome to another edition of Weekend Reading. I continue to receive a ton of emails from readers and clients about investing, retirement, real estate, and more. I’ll answer some of those questions here in this special Money Bag column. We’ll look at investing in a rental property, rebalancing RESPs for older children, the limitations of…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Burning Questions Facing Retirees Edition
Retirees face a myriad of questions as they head into the next chapter of their lives. At the top of the list is whether they have enough resources to last a lifetime. A related question is how much they can reasonably spend throughout retirement. But retirement is more than just having a large enough pile…
Read MoreNo Stupid Investing Questions
I write a lot about investing and always try my best to use plain language and real life examples to explain investment strategies, describe different products, and identify best practices. But I fully recognize that investing is a foreign concept to many people, especially if you’re new to investing or have always handed over your…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Revenge Travel Edition
It has been 13 months since we’ve travelled anywhere outside of our provincial borders. Trips to Italy and the U.K. were cancelled and we’ve spent the past year cooped-up at home (for the most part) fantasizing about future travel plans. With vaccines now rolling out across the world there’s growing optimism that we’ll return to…
Read More4 Famous Wills in History (and What They Can Teach Canadians About Estate Planning)
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for the unexpected. Emergency planning has never been more top of mind for Canadians, and yet Willful research shows 57% of Canadians don’t have a will. End-of-life planning typically isn’t at the top of our to-do lists because it can be complex,…
Read MoreInvesting In Times Of Uncertainty
It’s easy to stick to your long-term investing plan when times are good. Indeed, if your investment portfolio had any U.S. market exposure at all over the past 12 years you’ve likely enjoyed nearly uninterrupted growth. Of course, there are always bumps in the road. Stocks fell sharply in a short period between February and…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: What’s Going On With Bonds Edition
Bonds are meant to be the ballast that helps smooth out volatility in your portfolio. They act as a cushion – the steady yet unspectacular asset class that balances the unpredictable movement of stocks. But a sudden decrease in bond prices has investors looking for answers. In short, bond yields are on the rise because…
Read MoreEngen’s Annual Letter To Householders
Inspired by the folksy wisdom in Warren Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire shareholders (scheduled for Feb 27, 2021), I decided to write my own letter. I don’t have any shareholders so this letter is written to my family, or my householders. Alas, I don’t expect anyone to make the pilgrimage to Lethbridge, Alberta for our…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Distracted Investors Edition
It’s easy for investors to get distracted away from their primary goals these days. Bitcoin is already up 94% year-to-date. The ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKK) has posted returns 19.45% so far this year. Meme-stock darling GameStop (NYSE: GME) is still up 133.68% on the year even after its historic rise and fall. Clean energy…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Retirement Heaven or Hell Edition
Retirement isn’t just about the numbers (have I saved enough, how much can I spend). It’s a new chapter in your life that can last 30 years or more. You need to consider what you’re retiring to, not just what you’re retiring from. That’s exactly what author Mike Drak explores in his latest book, Retirement…
Read More