I’m a huge fan of robo advisors, and BMO’s robo advisor: SmartFolio is no exception to that. If you’re not familiar with robo advisors the basic idea is that you will determine your overall risk tolerance, and that BMO will set you up with an automated portfolio using big broad index funds that spread your investment risk out over thousands of companies and bonds. For example, the average Canadian 45-year old investor might fit pretty well into a portfolio that is 60% equities and 40% b...| Million Dollar Journey
An RESP, or Registered Education Savings Plan, is a registered tax-deferred investment account designed to help pay for a child’s education. In other words, RESPs are the best possible way to pay for your child’s eventual college and/or university bills! RESPs are eligible for government grants (re: Free Money) of up to $7,200. In this post, we’ll fill you in on all the basics of RESPs, from how (and where) to set up an RESP, and how to maximize your RESP contributions. What is an RES...| Million Dollar Journey
With the government having launched the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) in 2023, more first-time home buyers should really be looking to take advantage of the tax-free benefits of the FHSA in 2024. The idea is obviously to make it easier for Canadians to buy their first home. In addition to the more straightforward benefits, there are a couple of unique ways that you can use your FHSA account. It’s also important to get the details right (especially when combining your FHSA with a partner...| Million Dollar Journey
When I initially wrote this article about building RRSP wealth in your 30s, 40s, and 50s, my goal was to create an easy visual that illustrates just how much you would have to begin saving today if you wanted to be a millionaire “tomorrow” (when you retired). Five years later, the data stands up pretty well. I’m happy to say that my personal RRSP is well on the way to million-dollar status! Now, the more relevant question might be, do you actually need a million dollar RRSP to retire? W...| Million Dollar Journey
What is Wealthsimple? Wealthsimple was founded back in 2014 by Michael Katchen, Brett Huneycutt and Rudy Adler. I gotta say that I really liked the company more in its first few years than in its current iteration. For the first five years of its existence, Wealthsimple was solely focused on the product that is now known as Wealthsimple Managed Investing. Some people called this a “robo advisor,” others called it a “automated wealth manager” – whatever you wanted to call it, Wealths...| Million Dollar Journey
Why Justwealth? As I’ve updated my Justwealth review over the years, they have risen from a solid-but-not-elite option to the best robo advisor in Canada. How did they do it? By focusing on what matters. Frankly, while Justwealth has made great strides in the way their website looks, they still aren’t the most aesthetically-appealing option out there. They aren’t taking your money and paying a giant team of coders to make and update some beautiful app or clever TV marketing campaign. ...| Million Dollar Journey
There is a TON of investment advice out there. Some should only be taken into consideration after a thorough investigation and planning. Some - like contributing to a TFSA - is just sound advice that should be acted on quickly. The reason? Two words: tax free. That is not something you hear often, and that’s why we want to help you start contributing to your TFSA as quickly as possible to achieve maximum money saving and investment earning results. If you turned 18 on or before 2009...| Million Dollar Journey
Canada’s best robo advisors are an excellent investing solution for the many folks who are intimidated by the thought of buying and selling shares on their own - but who don’t want to pay the outrageous mutual fund fees that come with the traditional investments recommended by banks and credit unions. There is incredible value in automatically taking a piece of your paycheque every month and automatically turning it into a diversified investment portfolio. Way too many of us hesitate to g...| Million Dollar Journey