Real Money Talk - A fresh take on personal finance

Millionaire Teacher, Andrew Hallam, sits down with Jon Vassallo, VP of Partnerships at Ratehub.ca,  to discuss Andrew’s new book: Balance: How to Invest and Spend for Happiness, Health, and Wealth. The two discuss how to live a better life (money isn’t everything), how to align spending with values, and resolving anxiety around spending before diving into investments and socially responsible investing.    [0:00] intro[3:22] Money mistake or makeup - cat litter and ponzi schemes [9:12] What compelled you to write your new book, “Balance: How to Invest and Spend for Happiness, Health, and Wealth” [11:58] The 4 quadrants of success in life: money, relationships, health, purpose (Iki gai) [13:38] Do you have a favourite chapter in the book? What the research says about delaying gratification.[15:20] Daniel Kahneman - Reflective happiness vs. experiential happiness.  [19:10] What’s the first step to changing your money habits and getting your finances in order?How to align your spending with your values.  [23:51] How do we resolve anxiety around our spending? How will tracking my spending affect my social life? [28:50] Do you have a gratitude journal? Should we be journaling about gratitude? [30:35] What is one thing you’re feeling grateful for these days? [32:12] What’s the difference between ETFs and Active Mutual Funds? [34:52] The Spiva persistence scorecard: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/spiva/article/us-persistence-scorecard/ [36:55] We’re not designed to invest (and what we should do instead)[40:16] Does Andrew Hallam invest in Crypto? [42:22]   What is SRI (socially responsible investing)? Should we put money where our values are? Does SRI impact our happiness? [47:15] Why is Costa Rica such a happy country? [51:05] Rapid Fire Questions [58:37] Outro

Are you planning on buying a house in 2022? Is it a New Year's Resolution? Here's everything you need to know about buying a home from people that did it in 2021.  Jessica Moorhouse is an award winning blogger, podcaster, and an accredited financial counsellor in Canada. Ratehub’s Director of Insurance, Matt Hands, sat down with Jessica to discuss the home buying process. Jessica sold her townhouse and bought a new house in Toronto this year in the wild and crazy market. Matt decided to leave Toronto after buying his house in London, Ontario.  The two discuss the stress of buying a house, mistakes they made, how to save, how to find the best mortgage rates, and why working with professionals is critical to your home buying success.    [0:00] Intro [0:36] A brief history of Jessica Moorhouse (from student debt to blogging to home buying)   [2:30] MONEY MISTAKE OR MAKEUP   [6:57] We’re supposed to buy a house, right? We’re preconditioned to buying one, but why? Why do we buy homes? Toronto vs. Vancouver. Jessica talks about simply buying land because houses are too expensive, but buys a townhouse in 2016. You don’t have to buy a house.  [13:15] On housing affordability and choosing your lifestyle [13:43] Alterna Savings survey - scariest part of home ownership was saving up enough because goal posts keep moving.  [15:12] If you decided to stay a renter, what are you missing out on? Rent vs. buy  [17:50] Matt talked himself out of a property. What do we do about a non-buyer's regret? Maybe there are reasons you didn’t buy the place. Think beyond just the house.  [19:55] How do you save for a house? How much should go towards buying a house? What questions do you need to ask regarding high-ratio mortgages, insurance, registered accounts, etc.  [23:04] Did you tap into the first time home buyer's plan for your first home purchase? A loan you have to pay back.  [24:35] How can the government help first time home buyers? Affordability is the problem, not incentives. Housing prices just continue to go crazy.  [25:55] Fixed vs. variable rates - which one to choose? [33:45] How did you find the best mortgage rate? Online? Friends? Banks? [35:00] Why you should interview your financial representatives, agents, and brokers about mortgages and insurance [37:15] What are the hidden costs of home buying? Realtor fees, property taxes, land transfer taxes, and other closing costs.  [41:30] Thoughts and considerations about buying a house in the city vs. out of the city. Businesses must adapt to changing work culture.  [44:23] Let’s talk about bidding wars in your home buying journey. Emotional decisions.  [46:51] Bully offers and the need to be aggressive when bidding [48:00] On the value of a great realtor [49:31] Blind bidding in Toronto. How much do you actually want for the house? Houses being underpriced to drive prices up.  [51:00] The importance of making a list of everything you want in a home, including what you want in your future life.  [53:36] What is going to happen to the housing market? Will prices continue to rise? Will it go down? Will the bubble burst?  [54:42] I could’ve bought a house but glad I didn’t.  [55:12] Differences in generations on housing vs. stock market.  [57:25] Posted rates vs. finding the best mortgage rate for you   [58:31] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS What’s in your wallet? A book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it?What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with? If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to walk away from it all and live financially independent, never worry about money again?) What do you want to be known for when you die? Where can people find you if they have more questions?    [1:08:07] OUTRO

From the BC floods to the Wet Bandits flooding the basements in Home Alone—how does your home insurance work with natural disasters and climate change? What risks does Christmas pose to your house? What happens if your gifts get stolen? What do you do in case of a break-in? Do you really have to shovel your sidewalk? Do more fires happen at Christmas? What about hosting parties and serving alcohol? Director of Sales at RH Insurance (www.rhinsurance.ca), Morgan Roberts, sits down with Director of Insurance at Ratehub.ca (www.ratehub.ca), Matt Hands to answer all kinds of home insurance questions you never thought to ask before.  [0:00] Intro [1:35] Money Mistake or Makeup [4:45] On home insurance and flooding (especially with BC floods) [6:11] Will your rates increase when claims happen elsewhere? [9:07] What is overland water? What is sewer backup? Do you need it? How much does it cost to add to your policy? [13:00] Who to contact about changes to your home insurance policy?  [14:41] How does the insurance industry adapt and change to major weather related events and climate change? [16:30] When should you change your coverage limits? How often should you change them?  [17:10] If you do renovations, do you need to speak to your insurance broker or agent? [19:38] Do you have to use a restoration specialist provided by the insurance company? Or can you use your own contractors? [21:44] What is the average cap, or return, due to water damage in your home?  [22:45] Following a flood, do you have to submit a full list of everything you have and supply it to the insurance company for a full claim?  [23:45] Can you shop around if you find you're not getting enough coverage? What are the standards in the insurance industry? Compare home insurance quotes https://www.ratehub.ca/insurance/best-home-insurance-quote [25:47] If you have to rebuild, do you have to rebuild on your property or can you take your money and go live elsewhere? [27:40] Where do you stay while your house is being rebuilt? [30:43] What are acts of god? What's the difference between an act of god and a peril? [34:29] Is house maintenance still required when dealing with home insurance? How long can you be away from your house without checking on it? What about snowbird insurance? [36:38] What is covered when your home is broken into? Describe Home insurance for break-ins. Do you need extra contents insurance for an engagement ring? What should I communicate to my insurer? [40:51] What do insurance companies recommend to protect your home? during the holidays? Do you get discounts for security cameras? Do you need to shovel your sidewalk? [43:28] Does home or auto insurance cover someone slipping and falling on your property? How much extra coverage do I need and how much does extra liability cost? Does home or auto insurance coverage kick in if something is stolen from your car?  [48:55] Five wishes for 2022 [57:06] Outro

Ramit Sethi, author of “ I will teach you to be rich” recently tweeted out: 3 signs someone is financially sophisticated.  They know their numbers cold: Savings rates, asset allocation, debt payoff date, goals. Creative, even extravagant spending on the things they love. Not penny pinchers. They have a point of view. They actively work on their money psychology.    If you don’t know these numbers, you worry about spending (whether it’s too much or too little), and you avoid living your life because, ya know, money, well - I hope this short podcast will help.    November is financial literacy month in Canada. I could hit you with statistics on Canada's debt ratios, our salaries, and who’s budgeting or not, but we can save that for the written reports.    Instead, here are the 10 steps to financial independence. Wherever you are in your journey, explore each step on your own for more details. Sign up for newsletters, follow money influencers on social media, read Ratehub.ca’s blog, and if you immerse yourself in the subject, I promise you will get to where you want to be faster.    Knowing your money is good for your bank account, and your mental health will thank you even more. The problem isn’t having wealth, it’s when wealth becomes a source of fear, greed, and dictates how you behave. Wealth is a tool, so let’s sharpen our knives and cut the fruit fresh from the tree.    So, set the goal, practice the habits and you’ll achieve success. It’s all a journey. Take any small steps and you’re moving in the right direction.  Step 1: Paying off debt & negative net worthStep 2: Zero net worth - budgetingStep 3: A plan for your paychequeStep 4: Starting your emergency fundStep 5: Setting up sinking fundsStep 6: The value of your first 100kStep 7: FIRE: Financial independence, retire earlyStep 8: On housing - house vs. apartmentStep 9: Insurance on your wealthStep 10: Plan to die with zero

With vaccines rolling out for 5-11-year-olds, we may be nearing the end of the COVID pandemic.  It’s been a time of juxtapositions. The burnout of finally being able to work from home, social distancing with your closest friends and family, and the great resignation from a tenured job – change has been the only constant in our stay in place lives.  And now, the urge to splurge is on, treat yo’self. We’re tired of the puzzles, the paint by numbers, we want to revenge spend. According to a Bank of Canada survey, many Canadians expect to spend a lot more. Sure, almost 27% plan to spend more at restaurants, going to the movies, and other social get-togethers. And It’s kind of obvious another 21.5% of Canadians plan to spend more on travel. And why not? The average household savings rate went up to 13.10%, up from the 59-year average of 7.78%    But, with the cost of inflation, from the food we buy to the gas to heat our homes going up 5-20% - how do we stay in control while living the life we so desperately want?   Today on the show, I interview Cait Flanders. She used to splurge. She partied too much, she was maxed out financially, and, eventually turned herself into her own test subject to find her true self    She paid off 30k in debt, became self employed, and is now living a life true to herself. She documented her unravelling and subsequent rebuild in her best-selling book, The Year of Less. Then, in her next book,  The Joy of Opting Out she helps you walk the same path, or trail because, “doing the opposite of what everyone around is doing is difficult” as she says.  [2:25] Money mistake or makeup [4:10] Are we immune to what the media says? [5:51] Where should we start with new money habits? What was your process for spending less? [9:55] What needs to break before you start?  [12:00] Actionable tips to get started on yourself [18:11] Setting rules & challenging yourself [21:42] How to make the big decisions easier (paying off debt, saving for a home, preparing to quit) [26:03] How do you define your values?  [30:53] What is the joy of opting out? How is it different from the Joy of missing out? [35:43] Change travels with loss. How has embracing your changes enriched your life? [39:21] How do we know we're walking the right path? How do we know when to continue with our new challenge? [45:04] How do you stay on track and focused on your goal?  [49:20] Do you have regrets?  [52:49] Rapid fire questions [1:04:23] Outro

Not all car insurance is the same — car insurance quotes will vary by company, driver, car, and city. You need to research your situation to make sure you have the right coverage for yourself. We put together a list of how to get cheap car insurance now and in the future, whether you’re mid-policy or shopping around for new quotes this year. What is the average price of car insurance in Canada? BC - $1,832Ontario - $1,528Alberta - $1,316Saskatchewan - $1,235Newfoundland - $1,168Manitoba - $1,140Nova Scotia - $$891New Brunswick - $867Prince Edward Island - $816 Quebec - $717 *Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada Why do we care about the average? Public car insurance, where the government provides insurance, is in BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Note these provinces sit among the most expensive in the country. On the other hand, auto insurance in Quebec is the cheapest because it's a hybrid model – you buy your accident benefits (the health insurance portion, and most expensive part, of any car insurance policy) from the government. But you buy everything else from private insurers.   For the rest of the provinces, you buy your car insurance privately from whoever will give you really cheap car insurance. So, if you're asking where to get cheap car insurance, move to Quebec or Atlantic Canada. Still, even a postal code change within your city can reflect price changes due to many factors beyond your control, like theft, density, and proximity to the nearest collision-riddled intersection.   Also, we just want to show you the average, so you know whether you're getting cheap insurance or paying too much.   With that, on to how to find cheap car insurance.   1. Choose the right car to keep your insurance costs down If you want cheap car insurance, you should keep insurance costs in mind when you’re thinking about buying a car and even do some insurance price research before driving that car off the lot. Insurers consider a range of statistics when assessing how much to charge for coverage for any driver and car combination. For instance, car models frequently targeted by thieves may cost you extra to insure, as will rarer cars and fancy sports cars. However, a minivan is often one way to get super cheap insurance because of its association with families carrying precious cargo. You can use the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CLEAR table to discover which vehicles have low claims against them, translating to lower auto insurance rates. However, if you're not an Excel wizard, you can just compare car insurance prices by entering your postal code above. 2. Adjust your policy to reflect your needs Different drivers have different insurance needs, so find an insurance plan that caters specifically to you. There are four mandatory coverages, pretty well across Canada: Third-party liability - if you damage someone else’s property or injure themaccident benefits - if you’re hurt following an accidentuninsured auto - if an uninsured motorist hits youDirect compensation property damage (in most provinces) - so you only ever deal with your insurer regardless of fault. Your insurance company receives compensation from the other insurer. The minimum third-party liability (TPL) is $200,000 but is generally set at a default of $1 million. If you want really cheap car insurance, get the minimum. However, we do not recommend it. Many TPL claims go easily over $1 million, and you'll be paying that difference out of pocket. Accident benefits pays for your recovery after an accident for physiotherapy and medical expenses. It also pays for loss of income and funeral expenses. You can upgrade this portion to receive more income replacement (it's not much, depending on the province). Still, suppose you have quality health benefits at work (including long-term and short-term disability) and life insurance. In that case, you can reduce this to the minimum coverage. 3. Drop the optional coverages if you no longer need them If you have an old car, consider forgoing collision coverage.  Many drivers skip collision coverage if their old car is not worth repairing because it doesn't hold much value. Think of it this way, if you have to pay a $1,000 deductible to repair a car, that's only worth $500, you can drop collision. Put the savings into a new car fund. You can also forgo comprehensive coverage to get cheap car insurance. Comprehensive protects your car when it's not driving – bad weather floods your vehicle, or a tree falls on top of it, for instance. 4. Track your driving Consider usage-based insurance (UBI), especially if you're a student or a young driver. Young males typically pay much more than the average for car insurance due to stereotyping from insurance companies. UBI itracks kilometres driven and other stats like how aggressively you brake and accelerate, speeding, and how you handle turns. With this system — which you can monitor yourself on your phone — you can earn discounts for driving well. Many auto insurance companies like Intact, CAA, or Onlia offer UBI, either in-app form or a device installed in your engine, to monitor your performance outside generic statistics. 5. Shop around and get quotes When shopping for car insurance, do not take anyone's word that they're the best deal for you — you need to find that out for yourself. Do your research. Don't assume the most prominent company is the best, just because they spend the most money on advertising to tell you they're the best. You may not have heard of some great insurance companies. You can use our car insurance quoter to analyze what different insurers will charge you. Or consider also doing it the old-fashioned way and visit an insurance broker to help you find the best fit for you. Make it an annual tradition because companies change pricing all the time.    6. Keep a good driving record Collisions (that are your fault) and driving convictions make your insurance rates go way up – and they stay on your insurance record for years. Drive safely, drive sensibly, and obey the road rules (don’t speed, don’t text and drive, don’t drink and drive, etc.). Drivers with the best records over long periods pay the lowest rates. 7. Ask about ways to get discounts on car insurance If you’re still wondering how to save money on car insurance, call your insurance provider or broker. Many insurers may be able to offer discounts. Are you a member of any professional organizations or affiliation groups (e.g. union or alumni), ask if they have discount relationships with any insurers. 8. The bundling effect on your policies You may get discounts if you bundle insurance plans together, for example, by having your auto and home insurance with the same carrier. If you drive multiple cars, you can get a multi-line discount by insuring them all with the same company. 9. Make your payments on time, all the time Don’t miss a payment. For one, it can lead to NSF fees and overdraft charges. Your insurer now has to chase you down for payment, which can increase your rates in the future.   A missed payment can hurt your credit score, too. 10. Install winter tires Quebec requires winter tires or face penalties and fines. For the rest of car insurance in Canada, you can get a 3-5% discount by installing winter tires. That level of discount won't pay off your winter tires, but at least you'll stop in time in the snow and avoid the skiing down the road helping to avoid expensive claims, thus saving you money.  11. Pay premiums annually, not monthly If you pay your premiums up front for the year or half-year, you may get a small cut of the savings from administrative fees. 12. Consider increasing your deductible The deductible is the initial amount you pay on any claim before the insurance company will jump in and pay the rest. Increasing your deductibles can be a way to lower your premiums. But that also means you're paying more cash as a deductible payment if or when you crash your car. 13. Take an accredited driving course Especially useful for new drivers, an accredited driving course will make you a better and safer driver while also resulting in a discount from many insurance companies. 14. Install anti-theft devices Many new cars have immobilizers installed already. But any anti-theft device for a car, from steering wheel locking devices to GPS tracking devices (e.g. Lojack), may earn you a car insurance discount. If not, it prevents a comprehensive car insurance claim for theft which could raise your rates. 15. Don’t use your car I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, know this, in COVID, when everyone was working from home, many Canadians called their insurance company to say, “Hey, I’m driving less,” and as a result, saw a discount. The less you’re on the road – walking, cycling, or taking transit to work – the more money in your pocket. The Bottom Line If you want cheap car insurance, follow the steps above. They are easy to do and may result in immediate savings. You can also move since location is a factor – Brampton car insurance costs more than car insurance in Toronto – but that’s harder to achieve. If you’re 25 & under, you’ll pay more, but that’s hard to change. Finally, you can swap your car out for one that’s cheaper on car insurance, but that may be cost-prohibitive.

Part 2 of 2  [0:00 - 1:36] Intro [1:37 - 4:10] What is a stock? What is an ETF?  [4:11 - 4:51] How much is an ETF? What is MER? [4:52 - 5:49] What is a mutual fund? [5:50 - 6:15] What are underlying holdings? [6:16 - 7:00] What is a portfolio?  [7:01 - 8:51] What is a globally diversified portfolio? What is asset allocation? [8:52 - 9:55] What stocks or ETFs should I buy?  [9:56 - 11:15] How much money should I be investing? What percentage of my income should I be investing? [11:16 - 11:57] Active investing vs. passive investing [11:58 - 12:49] What is passive investing? [12:50 - 13:39] What is couch potato investing? Model portfolios [13:40 - 15:29] How do I buy VGRO?  [15:30 - 16:29] What is a stock symbol? [16:30 - 16:44] Who is Vanguard? [16:45 - 18:12] Understanding the key statistics, words, and charts on any stock or ETF [18:13 - 19:26] Limit order vs market order [19:27 - 20:19] Buying in Canadian or American stocks and the price differences [20:20 - 21:26] Why is my stock price an estimate? What is a snap quote?  [21:27 - 21:59] Tyler buys his first ETF (VGRO) [22:00 - 22:44] What are ECN fees? [22:45 - 22:49] Tyler has a portfolio [22:50 - 24:31] Timing the market vs. time in the market (investing vs. active trading) [24:32 - 26:07] Lump sum investing vs. dollar-cost averaging [26:08 - 26:55] Tyler buys VXC  [26: 56 - 29:19] Do you believe an ETF will come back if it's down? Risk assessment when buying ETFs [29:20 - 29:44] Tyler buys VCN [29:45 - 30:18] Should I have more equities and stocks when I'm younger and more bonds when I'm older? [30:19 - 31:09] Tyler buys VAB to complete the Vanguard couch potato portfolio [31:10 - 32:49] What is a dividend stock?  [32:50 - 33:14] Tyler buys Sunlife stock [33:15 - 34:49] How are dividends paid out? What is DRIP? [34:50 - 36:59] Tyler buys Apple stock and discusses why you should invest in certain stocks. Apple is in USD - what you need to know. Commission fees.  [37:00 - 38:32] Investing is not a video game, it's your money. But it's easy. Don't feel intimidated.  [38:33 - 38:54] Tyler buys Enbridge [38:55 - 39:44] How stocks are sorted on Questrade and why you should research before you buy [39:45 - 40:59] Identifying meme stocks and how to manage your way around or through them.  [41:00 - 42:03] Tyler and Scarlett look at GME as a stock. Identifying a risky stock.  [42:04 - 43:36] Looking at Google stock. What is a stock split? [43:37 - 44:27] What to do after you invested? [44:28 - 53:29] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS What's in your wallet? What's a book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it? What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with? If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to walk away from it all and live financially independent, never worry about money again?) What do you want to be known for when you die? [53:30 - 54:15] Outro

Part 1 of 2 This is a Questrade Walkthrough for their sign-up process to answer any and all questions you encounter along the way. If you're scared to invest, we answer all your questions to settle your fears.  Senior content strategist, Tyler Wade sits down with Questrade's director of investment products, Scarlett Swain to walk you through getting an account with Questrade. He asks all the questions you may have about the sign-up and registration process so you can start investing and buying stocks and ETFs on QUestrade's brand new, built-from-the-ground-up platform released Monday, September 27th.

Unless you have the cash to pay off your balance in your first mortgage term, you’re likely part of the 36.3% of Canadian homeowners who carry a mortgage and must renew it at the end of their term. 1. Consider your financial goals 2. Start to shop around early 3. Ask for a better mortgage rate 4. Get a rate hold 5. Give yourself time to switch lenders You can compare rates at ratehub.ca Visit this blog: 5 mortgage renewal tips

Wil Reynolds (seerinteractive.com) turned down $50 million dollars to buy his company. Why he did it is one of the most valuable lessons of personal finance you will ever hear.    He had his number to walk away. He had the opportunity at life-changing money. He wrote  “My house is enough, my cars are enough, my kids’ private school is enough, my vacation fund is enough. I’ve seen enough of the world. My rainy day fund is enough, my take my parents on vacation fund is enough, my buy a small house for my in-laws to move near their grandkids fund is enough. There is no more “Life-changing money” for me. I’ve lived a life well within my means, so what do I do when I’m content?    What would you do? Well, start by listening to this episode to get your ideas.    [0:00] Intro    [2:44] MONEY MISTAKE OR MAKEUP    [5:41] How did your childhood upbringing affect who you are today?    “I live in fear of getting used to more and more shit that separates me from most people’s reality, you should too, that is how you start going from “if I could only have a million, to nah I need a billion)”   [7:42] On the struggle of teaching kids financial hardship   [9:39] On the value of mixed residential neighbourhoods   [11:25] How do you avoid the trap of nothing is ever enough?    [13:26] On the value of cars   [14:42] How do you find your number? How do you know how much you need to walk away from it all and retire comfortably?    [17:50] On the importance of getting to you your “why” of money. Why do you need money? What purpose does it serve you?    [18:55] What would you tell your younger self about money?    [21:46] On not levelling up your lifestyle (especially when you’re a millionaire)   [23:46] On the urge to splurge after a long time of COVID restrictions   [26:31] How much do outsiders influence our money decisions?   [29:48] What was it like turning down $50 million dollars?   [34:50] How do your employees feel now?   [41:37] Why do you give so much without expecting anything in return? How is it so innate for you to give so much money?    [47:39] An example of how kindness solves anger   [49:04] Why perspective is fundamental   [50:59] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS What’s in your wallet?  A book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it?What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with? If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to walk away from it all and live financially independent, never worry about money again?) If you had no obligations and no shortage of money, what would you spend your time doing? What do you want to be known for when you die?    [1:06:18 - 1:07:12] Outro

Buying vs. Renting is an age-old debate. Our parents think it's a simple decision: Buy! Don't waste your money! It's a good investment! But that was 50 years ago when you could buy a house for a reasonable amount of money and pay it off.  Here's a link to our blog: https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/rent-vs-buy-canada/ House prices are surging, home affordability is extremely challenging.  We need to look at lifestyle factors CommuteAccess to culture and amenitiesMobility & stabilityFamily and friendsMaintenanceCosts We also have to look at financial factors  Renting is (generally) cheaperYou can build equity in your homeRetirement planning Then, let's look at the math Rent vs. buy calculator - https://lautorite.qc.ca/en/general-public/calculators-and-tools/calculators/buy-or-rent-a-residence/ But also, the 5% rule (we explain it in the show and on the blog) You're not wasting money if you rent. Having a roof over your head is a necessity.

Bridget Casey talks about stagnant wages, gender pay gaps, wealth inequality, the immorality of billionaires, FIRE, Coast FIRE, and the importance of your first 100k (sixfigurestockportfolio.com and moneyaftergraduation.com) She’s brutally honest, vulnerable, and puts the cash in the Kardashians. She’s been featured in Time magazine, Forbes, Macleans, MoneySense, Globe and Mail, Yahoo Finance, BNN, CBC and of course, Ratehub.ca   Find her on Instagram and Twitter @bridgiecasey    [0:00 - 2:44] Introduction [2:45 - 4:46] MONEY MISTAKE OR MAKEUP [4:47 -  6:06] How should we think about money? How do we get to that ideal money mindset? What is the ideal mindset?    [6:07 - 12:00] What are ways you can earn more money?    [12:01 - 19:59] We often associate money with our self-worth, our identity, our jobs - this person makes more than me, so therefore they are better than me. How can we achieve a level of comfort in our money decisions? How can we disassociate money from our self-worth and be ok buying things? If we are what we value, how should we define value?   [20:00 -22:28] Why do men want to mansplain money to you? Women have a place in money and are allowed to take up space and share their expertise in this field.    [22:29 - 24:55] How do we close the gender pay gap? How do we close the gender wealth gap?   [24:56 - 26:44] What political policies would you like to see in place to help close the gender pay gap?    [26:45 -  39:44] LEVITY BREAK The Poverty line is set arbitrarily low by governments & economists to gaslight people who are struggling to survive into believing that they do not deserve social safety nets because they do not need them.  Please explain.    “What we think sustains our current economic system: Hard Work.  What actually sustains our current economic system: unpaid labour of women at home, white supremacy, the patriarchy, generational wealth, environmental destruction, failure to implement a fair tax system, and war.” Bridget, why did you post this? Give me the underlying message behind it all.    I don’t get people like bezos. If I had a billion of dollars, I would impulsively start fixing shit. Homeless vets? I don’t think so. Hungry children? Not on my watch. He could be Batman, what a waste. AND CNN’s headline - World’s largest tax avoider takes joyride to second place.  Can you provide some insights into why people are commenting in such a way?    If you bought a Tesla model S in 2012, your $77,000 car would be worth approximately $40,000 today. If you had invested the same $70,000 in Tesla stock, you would have over $7 million today. [39:45 - 40:30] What is FIRE?    [40:31 - 41:41] What is Coast FIRE?    [41:42 - 42:59] Have you hit Coast FIRE?    [43:00 - 44:59] Are you going to work until you’re 65?    [45:00 - 45:50] What is the 4% rule?    [45:51 - 47:04] What is geographic arbitrage?    [47:05 - 51:09] On the value of your first $100,000   [51:10  - 54:11] What is the easiest way to your first $100,000?   [54:12 - 56:12] How do I start DIY investing?    [56:13 - 1:04:42] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS What’s in your wallet?  A book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it?What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with? If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to walk away from it all and live financially independent, never worry about money again?) If you had no obligations and no shortage of money, what would you spend your time going? What do you want to be known for when you die?    [1:04:43 - 1:05:32] Outro

Consider why you want to switch banksAssess your needsOpen a new accountRedirect automatic payments and depositsBegin using your new accountClose your old account   Compare chequing accounts:https://www.ratehub.ca/chequing-accounts Compare savings accounts:  https://www.ratehub.ca/savings-accounts Here's the how-to switch banks checklist template and the bank account switch form: https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/how-to-switch-banks-in-canada/

Morgan Roberts is a multi-award-winning car and home insurance broker. She’s been selling insurance for nearly ten years and was recently appointed the director of sales at Ratehub Inc.’s brand new brokerage - RH insurance (https://www.rhinsurance.ca).     [1:13 - 4:13] MONEY MISTAKE OR MAKEUP - Canadian tire returns, buying too many clothes, juice cleanse QUESTIONS [4:14 - 6:18] Why did you switch careers for insurance?   [6:19 - 7:08] What do you love about being an insurance broker?    [7:10 - 8:29] What’s the top skillset for an insurance broker?   [8:30 - 10:04] What are the secrets to being a great broker?    [10:05 - 12:24] Why should Canadians care about insurance?   [12:25 - 13:33] Why aren’t Canadians more hands-on with their insurance?   [13:34 - 15:15] A little bit about tenant’s insurance   [15:16 - 16:44] How much contents insurance do I need?   [16:45 - 17:40] Comparing cell phones to insurance   [17:41 - 18:26] A car insurance mistake you might be making   [18:27 - 21:11] The one thing people forget to ask to get cheaper insurance   [21:12 - 22:06] What is telematics? What is sewer backup? What is overland water?    [22:07 - 29:21] Myths and misconceptions about car insurance Let’s get into some truths and falsehoods about car insurance.    Will my insurance company find out about a ticket or car accident? Do I need to ask if I can drive for Uber or deliver food? Does my postal code impact my insurance rate? Does how much you drive affect your insurance rate? Do speeding tickets under 15km affect my insurance rate? Do my car insurance rates go up after a claim? Who determines fault in an accident? Does car insurance follow the person or the car? With usage-based insurance, will my rates go up for bad driving?    [29:22 - 32:39] What does the future look like for car insurance?    [32:40 - 38:24] What are some mistakes people make with their insurance?    [38:25 - 47:24] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS   What’s in your wallet? A book everyone should read?  What was your first job and what did you learn from it?What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with?  If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to walk away from it all and live financially independent, never worry about money again?) What do you want to be known for when you die?   [47:25 - 48:18] Outro

What is a balance transfer?How do balance transfers work?The role of balance transfer offers.Remember, balance transfer offers are only available for a limited time.New purchases on a balance transfer card are subject to a higher rate.So, Is a balance transfer worth it?How does a balance transfer affect your credit score? We wrap it up with what you should look for when choosing a balance transfer card. Find the best balance transfer credit cards here: https://www.ratehub.ca/credit-cards/balance-transfer

Lorne Marr (founder of https://www.lsminsurance.ca) is a life insurance expert with nearly 30 years of experience and earning a number of sales and service awards along the way, including one from the prestigious MoneySense Magazine. He founded LSM Insurance in 1998 and quickly grew it into one of Canada’s leading life insurance brokerages. He is also a Certified Financial Planner. Ratehub's director of insurance, Matt Hands, and I spoke with him about his entrepreneurial journey, life insurance myths and misconceptions, practicing gratitude, and MUD coffee.  For more information about life insurance visit https://www.ratehub.ca/insurance/life   [0:00 - 1:17] Intro [1:17 - 1:18] Money Mistake or Makeup - Lawncare, Tesla, and delegation [5:54 - 10:06] Why did you get into the life insurance industry? [10:07 - 14:15] What was it like launching LSM insurance? [14:16 - 16:20] Would you recommend becoming a life insurance broker as a career? [16:21 - 17:50] Did you have a lot of doubters when you were starting out saying you shouldn't be doing this? [17:51 - 19:36] What is Mud Coffee? [19:37 - 22:44] Lorne's morning routine [22:45 - 24:45] Life Insurance Myths and Misconceptions [24:50 - 25:50] Is term life more popular than whole life insurance?  [25:51 - 27:29] How much life insurance do you need? [27:30 - 29:20] When do you need life insurance? [29:21 - 30:41] Is life insurance income or asset protection? [30:42 - 32:16] Are Canadians underinsured with disability and critical illness insurance? [32:17 - 33:30] Should you use life insurance as an investment vehicle? [33:31 - 34:40] Should you max out TFSA and RRSP before using life insurance as a tax shelter? [34:41 - 37:00] CASE STUDY: a young couple, two kids, mortgage, average income - what kind of life insurance policy do they need? [37:01 - 38:20] Using life insurance stacking to ensure the best protection [38:21 - 41:10] Do life insurance brokers make money with permanent life insurance policies? [41:11 - 43:52] Do life insurance brokers still have a place in the tech-fuelled insurance era? [43:53 - 46:31] Why did you decide to sell LSM to HUB financial? [46:32 - 1:00:00] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS  [1:00:01 - 1:00:56] OUTRO

$1 million used to be enough money to set you up for life, but those days are long gone. In this Knowledge Bank episode, we take a look at the factors that’ll determine if you can afford the average mortgage on a 1 million dollar home. We cover what a million dollars looks like in today's economy and what your down payment needs to be. We go over why CMHC won't help you and discuss your debt service ratios - both gross debt service ratio and total debt service ratio (don't worry, they'll all make sense) and ultimately - whether or not you should max out your affordability.  Can you afford a million-dollar home? Let's find out.  You can find the blog here: https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/can-i-afford-a-million-dollar-home/

David Trahair has written several books on personal finance. He’s a speaker, a personal finance trainer, and a chartered account with over 18 years of experience handing out free knowledge and budgeting templates on his website (https://www.trahair.com). His most recent release is The Procrastinator’s Guide to Retirement - How to retire in 10 years or less.    A huge shift in how to save for retirement is to track your expenses as a percentage of your income. We ask him about that, his book, and much more.    [0:00 - 1:47] Intro    [1:48 - 8:36 ] Money mistake or makeup - Amazon returns, the importance of psychology in your spending   [8:37 - 14:03] What’s the inspiration for the book? Why is it important for Canadians? Are we falling behind due to rising costs?   [14:04 - 20:32] ] Why is tracking your spending so important for retirement? How do you make it a habit?     [19:04 - 31:00] RRSP vs. TFSA vs. Mortgage - which one do we pay into first? How do we evaluate where to spend our money?    [31:01  - 34:27] Do we need an emergency fund? Or can we just use a line of credit? Emergency fund vs. line of credit - what are your thoughts?   [34:28 - 36:14] A quick primer on predicting interest rates   [36:15 - 42:33] Why is a fee-only financial advisor  with a discount brokerage the investment style gaining in popularity?   [42:34 - 47:51] With ETFs, do we still need a financial advisor?    [47:52  - 53:51] How do we measure our stock performance? Is a robo-advisor enough?    [53:52 - 57:34] Should we still be investing in GICs?    [57:35 - 1:01:00] CPP and OAS aren’t enough to afford long-term care. Should we be taking more risky investments, cut spending, reduce expenses and cut our lives off to not live in squalor in retirement?    [1:01:01 - 1:06:48] RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS  What’s in your wallet? A book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it?What is a commonly held belief about your industry or space that you passionately disagree with?  If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say?  What’s your number (to retire, how much you need?) Where can people find you if they have more questions?    [1:06:49 - 1:07:39] OUTRO

There's a rule of thumb to know how much you can afford. It's the 20/4/10 ratio – a standard set of 3 rules to help make your car-buying decisions easier. How much should you put down on a car? How long should you finance a car? And how much of your salary should go towards buying a car.  Read the blog for more: https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/how-much-car-can-you-afford/

Wealthsimple tax expert, Caroline Corbeil and Ratehub.ca's VP of finance and Operations, Jen Pollock, quickly answer your top tax questions to put you at ease and set you up to file your own taxes online. We promise it’s much easier than you think. We’re going to eliminate whatever fears you may have about filing income tax in Canada. For more info, visit https://www.ratehub.ca [0:00 - 1:24] INTRO    [1:25 - 4:30] Money mistakes special edition - Tax mistakes made by tax experts (and Tyler’s tax mistake)   [4:31 - 4:55] When are taxes due in Canada?   [4:56 - 5:17] Are due dates different if you’re self-employed.    [5:18 - 5:44] Can I file my own tax returns?   [5:45 - 5:55] How long does it take for me to file my own tax return?   [5:56 - 6:11] How long will it take CRA to process my return?   [6:12 - 6:49] What happens if I don’t file my tax return?   [6:50 - 7:29] How does the CRA know if I have income or owe taxes?   [7:30 - 7:50] If the CRA knows my information, does it automatically populate if I file my taxes online?   [7:51 - 8:52] How do I know how much taxes I have to pay? Is there an easy way to guess how much taxes I have to pay?    [8:53 - 9:33] How do marginal tax rates work? Is all my money taxed at a higher rate?    [9:34 - 11:57] Filing taxes in 2021 for the 2020 tax year are very different. What changes do we need to consider with working from home? What if you own or rent your home?   [11:58 - 13:01] What about people who were laid off? What about the people that applied for CERB? [13:02 - 14:27] Is there anything people should be thinking about if they’ve been self-employed this year? Like side hustles? Driving for Uber? How do I report self-employment income?   [14:28 - 15:33] What are standard tax credits? What can I claim? Medical expenses? Charitable deductions? How do those tax credits and deductions work?    [15:34 - 16:19] Are there any tax credits that aren’t well known? Anything new this year?   [16:20 - 17:01] Any other ways to reduce the taxes you owe? How do RRSP deductions work?    [17:02 - 18:14] Could I deduct household expenses in future years?   [18:15 - 18:51] What about provincial differences? Will I mess that up?    [18:52 - 19:26] Are there changes to the capital gains tax? Can you tell us what capital gains tax is and how it works?   [19:27 - 19:59] WIll capital gains tax change? Will they increase taxes on principal residences?    [20:00 - 22:14] What about if I rent out my basement? What are the tax implications of renting out my basement to a tenant?   [22:15 - 22:26] What about if I Airbnb my apartment?    [22:27 - 23:59] Can married couples file taxes separately in Canada? Can we share deductions and tax credits?    [24:00 - 29:06] Rapid Fire Questions - What’s in your wallet? A book everyone should read? What was your first job and what did you learn from it? What is a commonly held belief about your industry you passionately disagree with? If you had one tweet that everyone in the world would read, what would it say? What’s your number to retire? Where can people find you if they have more questions?    [29:07-29:58] OUTRO