We had a fantastic trip and now that all the bills are in, I can tally up the cost. What I’m really interested in doing is comparing the actual cost to my estimated cost. I can’t help it – I like to know if I did a good job J I estimated a total cost […]

Many of us have never known ‘normal’ let along high mortgage interest rates although it wasn’t that long ago that 6 or 6.5% was the norm for a 5 year mortgage. When I started working at the bank (in the mid 90’s) the rates were closer to 10%!   How much difference would a 1% […]

If a client asked me that question, how would I respond? That’s easy – I’d suggest they check their plan! Our plan has 4 key objectives: RSP and RESP Savings Extra Mortgage Payments Big Trip Savings Other Big Item Savings The majority of RSP and RESP savings is achieved through regular monthly savings incorporated into […]

The weather in Vancouver was gorgeous today and spring flowers have been popping up everywhere. You may wonder what on earth that has to do with money – in fact working on your finances might be the last thing you thought of dealing with today! The parallel is this – planting seeds today means beautiful […]

Between our recent vacation, new snow tires, dental surgery and some holiday gifts the big bill has arrived early this year. I always assume that it will come after the holidays and although that one might be big too, this feels a bit of a shock.   In one way, it’s a good thing because […]

I think most of us enjoy the little thrill that comes from a Halloween scare. My kids like to be surprised by just the right amount of ‘boo’ or mechanical spider lunging toward their feet as they cross the threshold. What really frightens them though is the unknown, the uncertain and the down-right scary – […]

It gets back to the old question of needs versus wants. Layer on the ease of obtaining credit and the complexity of today’s world, and we collide with this simple question. We are often able to buy the things we want such as cars, homes and furniture on credit without saving for them first. Which […]

Organizing childcare is a challenge whether you’re returning to work or it’s school break. It’s one of the most important support systems if you’re a working parent but also one of the most difficult to get! Do you know how much childcare costs your family each year? I think we’d all be surprised when we […]

No one said it’s going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy but if getting rid of your mortgage is number one priority for you, then it can be done.   There are 2 strong motivating factors to pay off your mortgage as soon as possible:     No more mortgage payments = more of your […]

Whether you rent or own…we pay a premium to live in Vancouver. The question is – what can you afford to pay? The recommendation is that you do not pay more than 32% of your gross (before taxes) monthly household income towards housing. This calculation includes the housing payment (principle and interest or rent) plus […]