I was recently interviewed by Business News This Week about one of the most common questions Canadians ask me as a financial planner: “When can I retire with the lifestyle I want?” It’s the question that comes up again and again, yet the real issue isn’t when you can retire—it’s how you can create and… The post “When can I retire with the lifestyle I want?”: Toronto Financial Planner Ed Rempel Answers the Most Common Question Amongst Canadians appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
Owning a home is unaffordable for many people today. Here is some good news! If you rent, you can grow your wealth as fast or faster using the same 2 ideas that benefit homeowners. Tenants have several major advantages over homeowners for wealth building. Many homeowners think their home is their best investment. But that… The post Why Renting Could Be Your Secret to Smarter Wealth Building appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
The National Post asked me to review the retirement and financial situation of Kate*, a 65-year-old who recently relocated to Alberta after a costly divorce wiped out her savings. She’s determined to rebuild her life and finances, but she has questions: “Can I realistically buy a house, or is renting my best option? How do…| Ed Rempel
Wait. Don’t people say, “Your home is your best investment? For many people, their home may be their only major investment. For them, that old conventional wisdom might be true. But that is unfortunate. It is easy to find better investments with dramatically higher long-term returns. Despite the lower returns, homeowners on average are wealthier… The post How to Make Your Home a Good Investment appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
Are you ever confused by all the different titles that financial planners and advisors use? What types of advice and services do they offer? Which one offers what you are looking for? When you have real worries or questions about your money, “who you gonna call?” Who is the super-hero of advice? In my latest…| Ed Rempel
Most seniors start their CPP and OAS when they retire or at age 65, without evaluating the options. The truth is that many seniors would benefit from delaying CPP until age 70. Here is how you can figure out what is best for you. The government pensions, CPP and OAS, are full of cool opportunities… The post Should I Delay CPP & OAS Until Age 70? – Complete Answer with Real-Life Examples (Updated) appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
The National Post asked me to review the retirement plan of Douglas*, a 66-year-old from Ontario enjoying a modest, comfortable lifestyle with his wife in their debt-free $900K home. He’s getting conflicting advice: “Should I start withdrawing from my RRSP to grow my TFSA and non-registered investments — or just let everything keep growing?” With…| Ed Rempel
Hey! I’m Ed Rempel. I’m the main Wise Guy on this site. I am a financial blogger, fee-for-service financial planner and tax accountant with a ton of real life financial planning experience. Get FREE financial advice simply by clicking Get Started below. If you’d rather not do it all yourself, contact us to see how…| Ed Rempel
The most common CPP question I am asked is: “Is it smart to take my CPP early?” The answer to this question is different for investors than non-investors, especially growth-focused investors like most of our clients. In my latest video, podcast episode, and blog post you’ll learn: This is an updated post based on 2025… The post Should I start my CPP early? – Real-Life Examples (UPDATED) appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
Honoured to be awarded #14 in Top Personal Finance Podcasts in Canada by MillionPodcasts I’m thrilled to share some exciting news—Unconventional Wisdom has been named one of the Top 100 Personal Finance Podcasts in North America by MillionPodcasts. We started it just 2 years ago! Even more exciting? We’re currently ranked #14 in Canada and… The post Top 100 Personal Finance Podcasts in Canada: Ranked #14 by MillionPodcasts appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
The National Post asked me to review the retirement plan of a mid-career couple from Ontario, Kathy and Trevor, who are trying to simplify their finances and meet some big goals before Kathy retires at 55. Kathy is 50 and Trevor is 53. They live in the GTA and have two adult children about to…| Ed Rempel
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra What do you call a financial planner that does not plan finances? I know that sounds funny. But it is an important topic to understand. Most people assume that when they hire a financial planner, they’re getting a… The post Why Don’t Most Financial Planners Plan Finances? appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
You want to retire soon. What is the best way to setup your retirement income to give you the maximum cash flow that will reliably last the rest of your life? Many financial planners use the “4% Rule”, which says that you can, for example, withdraw $40,000/year rising by inflation for life from a $1…| Ed Rempel
“You gotta be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, otherwise you might not get there.” – Yogi Berra How can you tell whether financial advice you receive is real financial advice or financial quackery? Much of what happens in the financial industry is financial quackery, but because the common methods are familiar to… The post Financial Advice or Financial Quackery? appeared first on Ed Rempel.| Ed Rempel
How can your life really be different if you focus on maximum wealth-building principles? It’s not about the money. It’s about your life. This story is an extreme version of the life of an ordinary person managing his money exceptionally. The concepts are in my last post, “Rempel Maximum – 5 Steps to Becoming a…| Ed Rempel
Remember the show “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Are you the kind of person that wants to build some serious wealth? Live an exceptional life? Be financially free? I don’t mean just a comfortable amount. I mean a lot – like being a multi-millionaire. The truth is, average people can become very wealthy just…| Ed Rempel
The Smith Manoeuvre – Is your mortgage tax deductible? The Smith Manoeuvre is an efficient strategy to use equity in your home to invest for your future without using your cash flow. It converts your mortgage over time into a tax deductible investment credit line. Most Canadians are searching for a feeling of financial security,…| Ed Rempel
Which is true? To invest effectively for your future, it is vital to be confident in your investments. Here is the historical data to give you a clear picture of what long-term investors can expect. By the end, you’ll have a clearer answer to the big question: Is the stock market the best way to…| Ed Rempel
For years, conventional wisdom has preached the benefits of diversifying between stocks & bonds and gradually shifting to safer investments as we age. But what if these widely accepted strategies are fundamentally flawed? A newly published, high-quality study is flipping the script on traditional investment advice, making a compelling case for a 100% equity strategy…| Ed Rempel
