Are dividends magic? Some investors seem to think so. I get it, dividends are easy to love. It's nice to think that you could live off dividend payments without ever needing to sell any of your stocks. But should your investment strategy focus on dividends? Dividend investing strategies generally either target companies that have high … Continue reading Is a Dividend Strategy Right for You?

I want to start by making it clear that this post is not meant to bash robo-advisors. They are not dangerous, and moving from high-fee mutual funds to a robo-advisor would likely be a big improvement in your personal finances. Their relatively low fees, ease of use and focus on index investing have been a … Continue reading Robo-Advisors – Are You Getting Value for Your Money?

Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) are not the most exciting product. They work sort of like savings accounts in that you deposit money and earn interest, except that the funds are generally locked in for between 1 and 5 years. On their own, they will likely generate much lower long-term returns than a diversified portfolio that … Continue reading Ladder your GICs

While most Canadians seem to think that housing is the best investment you could make, the main reason to own a home is because you need a place to live. As a pure investment, housing has a lot of undesirable qualities: it's expensive to buy and sell (realtor and legal fees, taxes);its value is tied … Continue reading The Real Reason to Own a Home, Aside From Needing a Place to Live

Canadians pay some of the highest mutual fund fees in the world. Morningstar’s Global Investor Experience Study reports that the average fee for the typical mutual fund in Canada is around 2%, compared to 0.6% in the US. It’s even worse for those who get their mutual funds from a commission-based advisor like you would … Continue reading High Mutual Fund Fees are Devastating