I ran across an interesting stat from Zolo recently. It said that while 79% of Canadians are confident in their ability to make ends meet, 79% would run out of money within 3 months if they lost their job. There seems to be a contradiction there, so I asked my guest this week for her perspective. Romana King is an award-winning personal finance writer, a real estate expert, and the Director of Content for Zolo, the largest independent real estate marketplace in Canada. I sat down with Romana rec...
Dec 02, 2020•38 min•Ep. 127
If you’re anything like me, you’ve already begun to plan your first post-pandemic vacation. And if there’s one thing that COVID won’t change, it’s that travel will still be expensive, especially if you have a large family. Kevin Payne is a freelance personal finance writer and the budget and family travel expert behind Family Money Adventure. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four kids. He joins me this week to share tips on travelling with a large family and explain how he uses tra...
Nov 25, 2020•27 min•Ep. 126
Have you ever wondered how some people can walk away from their careers years, even decades, before the traditional retirement age? My guest this week did just that, almost twenty years ago. Today, he and his wife remain financially independent, having survived three separate recessions. Doug Nordman is the author of the book, “The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement” and founder of TheMilitaryGuide.com. He joins me on the show to share his financial independence story You ca...
Nov 18, 2020•39 min•Ep. 125
My guest this week is Sa El, the co-founder of Simply Insurance and a licensed Insurance Agent with over 11 years of experience in the industry. Sa joins me to discuss the differences between term and whole life insurance, and why insurance is so important for your family. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://maplemoney.com/124 This episode of The MapleMoney Show is brought to you by Willful. Did you know that 57% of Canadian adults don’t have a will? Willful has made it more ...
Nov 11, 2020•37 min•Ep. 124
Buying your first home can be a daunting experience. There’s so much to think about, from finding a realtor to getting approved for a mortgage. And it’s never been harder to save for a down payment. This week’s guest knows all about the home buying process, and she’s here to help make things a little easier. Lauren Haw is the CEO and Broker of Record of Zoocasa. This award-winning brokerage uses technology and a team of top real estate professionals to deliver full-service real estate to Canadia...
Nov 04, 2020•34 min•Ep. 123
Most investors see bonds as a safe place to put their money, but according to my guest this week, conventional wisdom may be deceiving. Ed Rempel is a popular blogger, fee-only full-service financial planner, and tax accountant, who wants to help you achieve financial freedom. Ed has spent the past 27 years helping thousands of Canadians become financially secure, and he joins us this week to explain why investing in bonds can actually put your portfolio at risk. You can find the show notes for ...
Oct 28, 2020•38 min•Ep. 122
Have you avoided investing in real estate because it seems too costly and complicated? My guest this week explains how you can own real estate in Canada’s biggest cities for as little as $2500. Khushboo Jha is the CEO of BuyProperly, a platform for fractional investing in real estate that makes it possible for regular folks to be real estate owners through fractional ownership of properties. In this episode, Khushboo explains exactly how fractional real estate investing works, and who should con...
Oct 21, 2020•27 min•Ep. 121
How much debt do you think you could rack up this weekend? It took my guest this week, 72 hours to spend $26,000. He’s here to tell us how it happened, but more importantly, how he got out of debt, using a simple, 4-step plan. Marcus Garrett is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author of the book, Debt Free or Die Trying. Marcus draws on both his professional and personal experience to help others build a plan to get out of debt. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://m...
Oct 14, 2020•34 min•Ep. 120
If you’re like me, you’ve spent plenty of money shopping online over the years, on sites like eBay and Amazon. But have you ever considered making money by reselling products online? That’s what this week’s guest does, and he’s here to tell us more about a very unique side hustle. Jason Butler is the owner of My Money Chronicles, a website where he discusses personal finance, side hustles, travel, and more. Jason graduated with a BA in Marketing, and has been featured in Forbes, Discover, and In...
Oct 07, 2020•26 min•Ep. 119
In recent years, the FIRE movement, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early, has found popularity with millennials across Canada and the US. But this extreme version of early retirement requires a very high savings rate for an extended period of time, which begs the question: Has the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the retirement dreams of FIRE enthusiasts? To find out, I reached out to Bob Lai, a popular FIRE blogger based in Vancouver. Bob and his wife are planning to retire early wit...
Sep 30, 2020•35 min•Ep. 118
Having the right insurance coverage is one of the most important aspects of financial planning, but most Canadians are underinsured. This is partly due to the fact that insurance can be complicated, so it can be difficult just knowing where to start. This week, I invited Lorne Marr of Hub Financial onto the show, to give us a better understanding of how life insurance works, and share some of the many factors that can affect insurance rates. With over 25 years of experience in the life insurance...
Sep 23, 2020•33 min•Ep. 117
Did you receive an income tax refund this year? If so, it means that you gave the government extra money during the year, only to see them pay it back to you without interest. Surely there must be a better way. My guest this week is a tax accountant who says he feels a moral obligation to speak out against the inherent flaws and needless complexities that define taxation in Canada. Neal Winokur is a CPA, blogger, and author of the book, The Grumpy Accountant. Neal dreams of a day when the Canadi...
Sep 16, 2020•39 min•Ep. 116
Is life more expensive when you’re single? To help answer this question, I invited Jackie Porter onto the show this week. Jackie is an award-winning financial planner, best-selling author, and speaker who has helped thousands of clients grow their net worth, build a fortress around their finances and keep more of their cash in their pocket! She is also co-author of the book, Single by Choice & Chance, so she understands very well the challenges single people face when managing their money. Y...
Sep 09, 2020•28 min•Ep. 115
Are you familiar with the concept of “making money while you sleep?” If not, chances are you’d like to be. Many would argue that there’s no such thing as true, passive income, but my guest this week would beg to differ. Rachel Richards knows a thing or two about generating passive income. She’s the bestselling author of “Money Honey” and “Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement”. Rachel quit her job as a financial advisor at age 27, and today lives off of $15,000 per month in passive income. This ...
Sep 02, 2020•26 min•Ep. 114
Are you feeling stuck in a rut when it comes to your career or your finances? It happens to a lot of us. The good news is that you have options, you can regain traction, begin moving forward, and build a life you love. My guest this week knows all about feeling stuck. Grant Sabatier is the founder of Millennial Money and author of the Financial Freedom Book. This is Grant’s second appearance here on the show, and he’s come prepared, with ways to help you get unstuck with your money and your care...
Aug 26, 2020•30 min•Ep. 113
How did you handle money in your college years? The label, starving student, has become cliche, but it’s a title that many of us know all too well. No matter what stage of life you’re in, if you’re struggling to manage your spending, my guest this week has some timely advice. Zina Kumok is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance. She's also a money coach who helps people pay off debt, build budgets and spend mindfully. In this week’s episode Zina and I talk about the money lessons sh...
Aug 19, 2020•24 min•Ep. 112
I talk a lot about ETF investing here at MapleMoney, but did you know that there’s more than one way to invest in an ETF? Kornel Szrejber is the host of the Build Wealth Canada Show, and has been featured for paying off his mortgage in only 6 years while still in his 20s, and becoming one of Canada's youngest retirees at the age of 32. He joins us this week to explain the three types of ETF investing, and how to know which one is right for you. You can find the show notes for this episode at htt...
Aug 12, 2020•33 min•Ep. 111
Did you know that if your neighbour wins the lottery, the chances of you going bankrupt increases by 2.4% for every $1000 they win? It’s an interesting statistic, and one that I get into with this week’s guest here on the MapleMoney Show. Kelley Keehn is a financial educator, and author of several books, including her most recent book, Talk Money To Me. Kelly and I sat down to discuss the very real struggle of keeping up with the Joneses, and why it’s so tempting to want the things our friends a...
Aug 05, 2020•32 min•Ep. 110
This week on The MapleMoney Show, the kids are taking over. Not quite, but they are the focus of this week’s episode. Anisa Kurji is the host of Kids Money and More, a finance podcast with a twist, because the target audience is young kids. In today’s episode, she explains how she got the idea for the podcast, and she shares some tips to help parents teach their kids about life and money at any age. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://maplemoney.com/109 Do you prefer to inves...
Jul 29, 2020•30 min•Ep. 109
If you’ve ever considered starting a side hustle as a way to make some extra money, you’re not alone. Thousands of people in Canada are finding ways to increase their income outside of their regular job. My guest this week is Jeff Proctor. He’s a co-founder at DollarSprout.com, a website dedicated to helping readers reach their maximum earning potential. DollarSprout covers side hustles, entrepreneurship, freelancing, and many money-making topics. You can find the show notes for this episode at ...
Jul 22, 2020•27 min•Ep. 108
Does the thought of making money in real estate seem out of reach? That’s what many people think whenever the topic comes up. But there’s an easier way to build wealth through the housing market using a trick known as house hacking. As my guest this week explains, with a little bit of money and lots of creativity, just about anyone can do it. Andrew Kerr bought his first home at 20 years old. Now in his thirties, he is a seasoned real estate investor and serial house hacker. He uses house hackin...
Jul 15, 2020•29 min•Ep. 107
If you asked a thousand online entrepreneurs how they make money, you’re bound to get a thousand different answers. That’s the premise behind this week’s episode of The MapleMoney Show. My guest this week is Michelle Jackson, a serial entrepreneur from Colorado who jumped headfirst into online business when she started her first blog in 2012. Since then, she’s made money as a coach, freelancer, and author, launched a number of digital products, as well as a successful podcast. According to Miche...
Jul 08, 2020•30 min•Ep. 106
Imagine landing a lucrative corporate job at the ripe old age of 24, only to quit seven months later to pursue a life of freedom. That’s exactly what Cody Berman did, and he joins the show this week to explain how he was able to walk away at such a young age. Cody is a serial entrepreneur who is always looking for the next exciting business opportunity. He is a co-founder of Gold City Ventures, a co-founder of The Financial Freedom Summit, owner of Fly to FI, and co-host of The FI Show. You can ...
Jul 01, 2020•31 min•Ep. 105
If you’ve ever left a job on bad terms, you may have experienced the fallout that can come with burning bridges during a career change. If you’re careful, however, the relationship doesn’t always have to end on a sour note. Joel Parker is a blogger, and founder of the Financial Freedom Community, where he guides people on their financial freedom journey. Joel started his own business after being laid off from his 9-5 job, and he says that much of the credit was due to his willingness to maintain...
Jun 24, 2020•24 min•Ep. 104
Have your finances been negatively impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis? Perhaps you’re still working, but wondering what you should be doing to solidify your financial situation. My guest this week is here to help. Tracy Bissett is a former banker turned entrepreneur. She educates young adults and small business owners through her weekly podcast, Young Money, as well as the teaching and delivery of financial courses, coaching and consulting. Tracy sits down with me to discuss some ways that ...
Jun 17, 2020•28 min•Ep. 103
If you’ve ever wondered whether there are limits to how much happiness money can buy, what better way to find out than to talk with someone who knows. That’s exactly what I did in this week’s episode of The MapleMoney Show. Doc G is a former high earning physician who gave up his practice to become a content creator. He now writes about personal finance and hosts his own podcast, called Earn and Invest. Doc G and I talk about financial independence, income identity, and we tackle the question of...
Jun 10, 2020•32 min•Ep. 102
It’s never been easier for Canadians to invest online. But does automated investing spell the end of the human investment advisor? My guest week doesn’t think so. Michael Allen is a Portfolio Manager at Wealthsimple. Michael has worked in the investment industry for more than 13 years, including the past 5 with Wealthsimple. Michael joins me to dispel some myths surrounding robo-investing and explain the recent surge of new investors in the current down market. You can find the show notes for th...
Jun 03, 2020•30 min•Ep. 101
Welcome to episode number 100 of The MapleMoney Show! To celebrate this milestone, I decided to invite back one of my very first guests on the show, the one and only J.D. Roth. J.D. is an accomplished personal finance writer, and founder of the popular blog,Get Rich Slowly. Last time he visited the show, J.D. shared with us some of his biggest money mistakes. This time around, I wanted to get his advice on the most important things we should do with our money. You can find the show notes for thi...
May 27, 2020•24 min•Ep. 100
North Americans read thousands of articles from various online sources every single day, which means that someone has to keep that content flowing. Much of the work falls to freelance writers, many of whom earn a good living keeping the rest of us entertained and informed. Miranda Marquit is a six-figure freelance writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, the Huffington Post, and the U.S. News & World Report, and she’s no stranger to The MapleMoney Show. Miranda joins me this week to talk ab...
May 20, 2020•34 min•Ep. 99
Recent events have placed a spotlight on people working online from home, but it’s a trend that’s been building for years. In fact, just about anyone can make money online if they can learn a few key skills. This week, I’m joined by Ashley Barnett, a long time freelance editor and creator of the brand new HitPublish course for bloggers. Ashley and I sat down to discuss why blogging is the perfect way to build the skills necessary to make money online, even if the blog itself doesn’t make money. ...
May 13, 2020•27 min•Ep. 98