Are you struggling with debt that you can never seem to pay off? If you don’t create a plan for your money, you’ll struggle to pay off debt regardless of your income level. My guest this week is here to help. Ashley Patrick is the founder of the blog, Budgets Made Easy. Ashley and her husband paid off $45,000 of debt in 17 months. I sat down with Ashley this week, and she explained how they managed to become debt free, and you can do the same by following a similar plan. You can find the show no...
Jun 30, 2021•34 min•Ep. 156
One of the most difficult jobs a landlord has is finding the right tenant for their rental property. And the screening process can be just as hard for the person who’s applying as it is for the landlord. My guest this week has created a tool that makes the entire process easier for both the landlord and the tenant. He joins me to discuss how it all works. Chad Guziewicz is Co-Founder of Rentify, an instant screening tool used to verify tenant application data by landlords and property managers a...
Jun 23, 2021•31 min•Ep. 155
Can you live without internet? No, this isn’t an episode about cutting the cord, it’s what I had to do for half a week thanks to a damaged cable. Unfortunately, I couldn’t record a new episode without my connection to the outside world, but I did use the time to select an early episode that I think will inspire anyone that may have lost their job over the past year or more thanks to Covid. Way back in episode three, Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income was kind enough to join me on the show to di...
Jun 16, 2021•24 min
Do you feel like you’re following the rules you’ve been taught about money, but you’re still not getting ahead? Sometimes it’s best to have a contrarian approach. Ken Greene is a financial advisor and founder of Greene Finance & Insurance. Ken joins me this week to explain why it’s important to not only think about the future when it comes to your money, but to also enjoy today. Ken tells the story of how he managed to recover from many early financial mistakes, by making a major life change...
Jun 09, 2021•47 min•Ep. 154
In Canada, real estate investing has yielded solid returns for many years, but is the current housing market making investors nervous? After all, the last thing you want to do is buy an investment property in a housing bubble. Eric Chang is my guest this week. He’s been investing in real estate for over 10 years, purchasing his first rental property at age 24. He now owns a portfolio of rental properties in Southern Alberta. Eric joins me on the show to discuss, among other things, how real esta...
Jun 02, 2021•46 min•Ep. 153
The very mention of emerging markets is enough to make nervous investors twitch. After all, the asset class has long been synonymous with risk in investing. In this week’s episode, I dive into the subject of emerging markets with my guest, and what he has to say might surprise you. Kevin Carter is the founder of EMQQ, an ETF that focuses on Internet & Ecommerce companies in, you guessed it, emerging markets. Kevin is a diehard value investor and Buffet fan but also a believer in indexing. Hi...
May 26, 2021•31 min•Ep. 152
No doubt you’ve seen the headlines surrounding cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most recently, Dogecoin. And now, NFTs are all the rage. But do you really understand how any of it works? My guest this week is here to lay it all out for us. Courtney Stephen is a pro athlete with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, but after listening to my interview with him, you will find out that he is much more than an athlete. Though he has played over 100 games as a pro in th...
May 19, 2021•43 min•Ep. 151
The problem with only listening to one perspective on a topic is that there may not be a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s certainly the case when it comes to your personal finances, which are indeed personal. On the show this week, I chat with Mark Seed, founder of the Canadian personal finance blog, My Own Advisor. Mark is saving and investing his way to a million dollar portfolio using low-cost ETFs and dividend-paying stocks. Mark joins me to talk about financial independence and early reti...
May 12, 2021•30 min•Ep. 150
Most Canadians have been grounded from travel during COVID-19, but behind the scenes, credit card companies have been making plenty of changes to their travel rewards programs. Barry Choi is a personal finance and travel expert based in Toronto, who makes frequent media appearances in Canada and the U.S. He joins me this week to explain what’s going on in the world of travel credit cards, and share some tips on how to maximize your rewards. You can find the show notes for this episode at https:/...
May 05, 2021•34 min•Ep. 149
Are you one of the thousands of Canadians who has made money investing in real estate? If so, chances are you’ve owned a rental property or flipped houses. But how about investing in mobile homes? That’s our topic this week, here on the MapleMoney Show. Rachel Hernandez is an author and real estate investor. As a former business-to-business sales executive for Fortune 500 corporations, Rachel has extensive training in the area of sales and marketing. With over a decade of experience, she spent s...
Apr 28, 2021•31 min•Ep. 148
Travelling with small children can be exhausting, especially as a single parent. With your kids requiring so much of your attention, a fun trip doesn’t always feel like a vacation for the parent. However, with the proper preparation, and a little travel hacking, your next trip can be both affordable and relaxing. Ben is a money and travel writer who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also runs a travel blog The Thrifty Wanderer, co-hosts the Just One More Trip podcast, and helps run the Freelance...
Apr 21, 2021•34 min•Ep. 147
How are you and your partner doing when it comes to money issues? Are you on the same page, or do you have different views on how you spend your money? If you fall into the latter category, my guest this week is here to help. Dan Hinz is the financial coach behind Adulting With Money. For eight years, Dan has taught couples how to unite–not fight–over money whether they want to crush debt faster, buy a house sooner, or just want to get on the same page. He joined me this week to talk about his f...
Apr 14, 2021•31 min•Ep. 146
Is it better to buy a home or rent? The topic is debated often in the personal finance community. While I tend to lean towards the buying side of the equation, my guest this week makes a strong argument for the flexibility of renting. Gwen Merz is a 30-year old Millennial and founder of the blog, Fiery Millennials. A few years ago, Gwen tried her hand as an entrepreneur, buying a multi-unit rental property, which she also lived in. Eventually, she sold the property and decided that renting was a...
Apr 07, 2021•36 min•Ep. 145
How would you rate your decision-making ability when it comes to your investments? Do you count score by keeping track of the number of times you’ve been right or wrong about a particular investment? My guest this week says that most investors struggle because they fail to understand how their own behaviour is impacting their decision-making. Chris Belchamber has been an investment professional since 1984. His latest book, Invest Like the Best, is available on Amazon. He sat down with me to disc...
Mar 31, 2021•23 min•Ep. 144
How do you react when you hear the word frugality? Does it have a negative connotation? Do you equate it with being cheap, or having a scarcity mindset? My guest this week explains what frugality is all about, and shows us how we can develop an abundance mindset. Aaron Nannini founded the website, Cash Uncomplicated, and is the author of a book by the same name. Through his blog and his book, he helps people achieve financial harmony while maintaining their lifestyle and happiness. You can find ...
Mar 24, 2021•27 min•Ep. 143
What does retirement look like to you? Whether it’s five years away or fifteen, at some point most of us will stop working our regular jobs and find ourselves with a lot more time on our hands. But retirement in 2021 looks different than it did when our parents stopped working. And a different retirement requires a different approach. My guest this week is Eric Brotman, CEO of BFG Financial Advisors with over 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor. He is also the author of multiple books on...
Mar 17, 2021•26 min•Ep. 142
How many hours are you working every week? Do you sometimes feel as though your career is getting in the way of your ideal lifestyle? What if there was a way to balance the two? This week’s guest is making her 3rd appearance here on the MapleMoney Show. Miranda Marquit is a successful freelance writer. But success for Miranda doesn’t equate to making more money or landing the most prestigious jobs. Instead, she leverages the flexibility that freelancing offers to design her ideal lifestyle. You ...
Mar 10, 2021•30 min•Ep. 141
According to a study by Prudential Financial, 50% of LGBTQ+ people only have one banking product, while 66% of non-LGBTQ+ folks have at least 2 banking products. This statistic indicates a disparity with how the queer community engages with financial products, and it forms the topic of this week’s episode. With their writing and speaking for DebtFreeGuys.com, their microblog, DebtLasso.com, and The Queer Money® podcast, David Auten and John Schneider help queer people live fabulously, and not fa...
Mar 03, 2021•33 min•Ep. 140
Over the past two years, I’ve lost over 40 lbs using a technique called intermittent fasting. My guest this week is the one who got me hooked on the idea in the first place. He joins me to discuss what makes intermittent fasting so effective, and the parallels between physical and financial fitness. Martin Dasko has been obsessed with personal finance and physical fitness since he was a teenager. These days he runs two websites dedicated to each subject, owns several businesses, and travels when...
Feb 24, 2021•34 min•Ep. 139
One of the biggest mistakes we make with money is not paying more attention to our finances at a young age. After all, who wants to worry about saving for retirement when you’re in high school or college. At that age, money is meant for fun, right? My guest this week is a Chartered Professional Accountant who has a passion for financial literacy. He believes that the education system has done a disservice to our youth by omitting important financial concepts from school curriculums. Doug Allan h...
Feb 17, 2021•31 min•Ep. 138
Today on the MapleMoney Show, we’re stepping into the wild world of bitcoin. If the whole subject of cryptocurrency seems confusing or downright scary, you’re not alone. Thankfully, my guest this week is here to dispel some bitcoin myths and help you feel more comfortable about buying and selling digital currencies. Mitchell Demeter Is the President of Netcoins, a cryptocurrency trading platform. His vision is to make it easy and accessible for anyone to buy, sell, and understand cryptocurrency....
Feb 10, 2021•25 min•Ep. 137
In the past, I’ve been pretty tough on blogging as a side hustle, because I know how long it can take to make money. Every once in a while, however, a guest joins the show and reminds me that with some hard work, and perhaps a little luck, just about anyone can turn a website into a real business. Spencer Haws can be found blogging and podcasting at NichePursuits.com where he shares what he learns about building niche sites, SEO, and much more. Spencer quit his corporate job in 2011 because his ...
Feb 03, 2021•26 min•Ep. 136
Are you getting close to retirement age? If not, perhaps you have a parent who has recently retired or is planning to. If either of these situations apply, this week’s episode is for you. My guest this week is Vivien Sharon, a Toronto-based realtor who specializes in working with Boomers, helping them downsize from home to condo living. Having downsized her own home, Vivien has the experience needed to guide clients through the entire process. She’s even written a book on the subject. You can fi...
Jan 27, 2021•35 min•Ep. 135
Do you find yourself in a constant struggle in an area of your life? It could be your job, your financial situation, or a difficulty in a personal relationship. If so, keep listening, because my guest this week is here to help. Karl Staib is the founder of the Dig to Fly Method and author of Bring Gratitude. He trains people to turn their struggles into stepping stones. He has been featured by Forbes, NPR and Zen Habits and has worked with great companies such as Philips Global, Southwest Resear...
Jan 20, 2021•34 min•Ep. 134
Every parent wants the best for their children, which is why we teach them how to manage money properly. And while we sometimes get mixed results, the truth is that it’s a lot cheaper to make mistakes with money when you’re 12-years old. My guest this week had an excellent example to follow as she was growing up. That’s because Carol Pittner’s parents became financially independent before she turned 10. And when her dad retired early at age 41, Carol witnessed firsthand the benefits of saving mo...
Jan 13, 2021•42 min•Ep. 133
For many, 2020 has been a year to forget, either from a health standpoint, a financial one, or both. But while most of us are ready to put the year behind us, it’s always a good idea to take time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Joining me this week for a 2020 Year-In-Review is Rob Carrick, of the Globe and Mail. If you ask me, few Canadians have a better pulse on what’s happening with the finances of average Canadians, and the Canadian economy as a whole, which made Rob the perfec...
Jan 06, 2021•28 min•Ep. 132
Whether it’s paying down a mortgage, credit card debt, or saving for retirement, the financial decisions you need to make day in day out can be challenging. No wonder it can sometimes feel as though you’re losing the game when it comes to managing your money? Rob Townsend is the CEO and Portfolio Manager at Camber Co., an independent wealth management firm serving high net worth Canadians. Camber creates financial dashboards so people can visualize complex finances all in one place and be empowe...
Dec 30, 2020•39 min•Ep. 131
COVID-19 has shaken up millions of Canadians daily routines, many of whom find themselves working from home and having to adjust to weeks and months of self-isolation. Gloria is my guest this week. She’s a CPA from Toronto with a passion for financial literacy, pastries, and the outdoors. Gloria also recently started a podcast, called Miss FINDEPENDENT, to spread the word about financial independence to other young Canadians. She joins me to discuss what’s it’s like working from home during the ...
Dec 23, 2020•16 min•Ep. 130
There is no shortage of online entrepreneurs who will tell you that if you buy their course, or listen to their webinar, you’ll be on your way to instant riches, quitting your job, and following your dreams. Sound too good to be true? My guest this week did quit his job for the laptop lifestyle, but it didn’t happen overnight. Robb Engen is the personal finance blogger behind Boomer & Echo. He left his corporate career last year to focus on his blog, freelance writing, and his fee-only finan...
Dec 16, 2020•31 min•Ep. 129
The pursuit of financial independence requires discipline to save aggressively, but if you’re not careful, a frugal lifestyle can lead to self-deprivation. This is why the phrase, "enjoy the journey", should always extend to your finances. Diania Merriam is the founder of The EconoMe Conference, an event centered around financial independence, also known as the "Ted Talks" of the FIRE movement. Diania joins me on the show to talk about the importance of building flexibility into your finances Yo...
Dec 09, 2020•35 min•Ep. 128
