Robb Engen
Creating the Perfect Retirement Budget

Canadians approaching retirement are often wondering about how much they need to save before they should feel confident in setting a retirement date. There’s no way to answer that question without first crafting a retirement budget. Robb Engen has helped hundreds of Canadians plan their retirement, and has studied both the math and the psychology around crafting the perfect retirement budget. 

Tune in to learn about all of the common variables that we’ve found most Canadians need to answer before they can truly say they have a retirement spending plan in place. Determine how much you can spend from your nest egg, whether you should depend on pension income, and learn what spending generally looks like in retirement for most people we talk to.

Sandy Yong
Insights on Being a Full-Time Freelancer

Sandy Yong is a personal finance writer and editor, TEDx and Keynote Speaker, and the award-winning author of The Money Master. She’s also an avid real estate investor owning several rental properties. 

Last year, Sandy discussed how she started a side hustle and juggled her full-time job. Sandy has now transitioned to a full-time freelancer and discusses what led to the move, the challenges shes faced, and what others should do if they’re considering a similar path.

Ed Rempel
7 Best Ideas to Optimize the Smith Manoeuvre

The Smith Manoeuvre allows you to make interest on your mortgage tax-deductible, but not many people know about it. Joining me now is Ed Rempel is a fee-for-service financial planner and tax accountant with some ideas on how to optimize the Smith Manoeuvre.

Ellen Roseman
What I Learned from 15 Years of Facilitating an Investing Club

Ellen Roseman has been thinking and writing about Canadian personal finance for four decades, and has been a DIY investor for most of that time as well. Over the last 15 years, she has been facilitating an investment club where the participants meet to exchange financial wisdom. Tune in to hear about the club’s greatest hits, and perhaps what they’d do differently if they were starting from square one again. Find out how to choose an investment club or maybe even start one of your own!

Rob Carrick
How Gen Z Can Face Financial Challenges on the Horizon

Rob Carrick is a personal finance columnist for The Globe and Mail. In this chat, Rob discusses how Gen Z and Gen Alpha will face unique financial challenges. From real estate to a potential recession, here’s how younger people can prepare themselves

Becca Mintz
Equipping Canadians for Success

With a turbulent economy, many Canadians are facing financial challenges. Joining us is Becca Mintz, Vice President and Head of Customer Acquisitions at Capital One Canada with how Capital One is equipping Canadians for success.

Jonathan Chevreau 
How I Handled My Personal RRSP to RRIF Transition & Why I Decided on a Partial Annuity 

After many years of writing about RRSPs, RRIFs, and annuities, Jon Chevreau and his wife Ruth reached a key decision-making point this year and had to decide how they wanted to handle the RRSP to RRIF transition (along with Ruth’s smaller LIRA holdings). Tune in to hear how to handle the mechanics of that RRIF decision, as well as why Jon and Ruth decided to annuitize a portion of their retirement nest egg. If you’re DIYing your RRSP portfolio and want the step-by-step details on how a DIY RRIF is going to work, then this is the session for you!

Mike Heroux
Dividend Growth & Your RRSP/RRIF in Retirement

Mike Heroux is not only Canada’s Dividend Expert, he’s also a former High Net Worth Financial Planner - so he knows his way around multi-account planning! In this session we look at how the decisions you might want to make when it comes to managing your dividends as you approach retirement.

While we touch on non-registered accounts, we go in-depth on retirement planning for folks who have all (or almost all) of their investments within their RRSP and TFSA. Learn why RRSPs are definitely NOT a “rip off” like some “experts” are claiming these days. As always, Mike gives some great tips on how to select dividend stocks - and *spoiler alert* dividend yield isn’t even one of the main numbers he looks at!

Maria Smith
Setting a Financial Foundation

Maria Smith from Handful of Thoughts is stopping by to explain why all the details and investing knowledge in the world won’t help if you don’t get your financial foundation right. Maria shares essential but often overlooked aspects of personal finance and why they matter to you. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your existing strategy, Maria will provide you with actionable insights to help you create a strong and sustainable financial foundation worth building on.

Mark Seed
A Cash Flow Case Study for Today’s Part-Time Retiree

Mark Seed is one of Canada’s preeminent DIY retirement planning experts. Since his real-life illustrated case study was such a hit last year, we brought Mark back to look at another case. This case is near and dear to Mark’s heart, as it looks at a couple that is planning to semi-retire at a fairly young age - but as part of the plan, they wish to work part-time until they hit “full retirement”.

We discuss just how prevalent this “new normal” of a gradual transition from full-time employment to “full-stop retirement” is becoming, and visually explain some of the options today’s retirees have when it comes to planning their future cash flow. Tune in to watch how to tax-efficiently plan an early retirement using part-time work (aka: “Coast FI”) and get the most out of a balanced lifestyle earlier in life.

Penelope Graham and Lisa Hannam
Canada's New Mortgage Rules in 2024

Kornel Szrejber
Are RRSPs a Rip Off? (Scam?!)

Kornel is coming in hot this year to discuss a question that keeps popping up on more and more social media: Are RRSPs just a big scam to grab your tax dollars in retirement?

Tune in to learn if you should be using other types of accounts for investing your money, and how to determine if those internet influencers are being honest about the utility of RRSPs in 2024.

We’ll also cover if a spousal RRSP is right for you, and if life insurance is really a superior after-tax product to a plain RRSP account full of index funds.

Dr. Stephanie Zhou
The Pros and Cons of Incorporating

Dr. Stephanie Zhou is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto where she created the financial literacy curriculum and is the Director of Addiction Medicine at Sunnybrook Hospital. She immigrated to Canada and grew up in subsidized housing, which led to her investing in education and housing initiatives through philanthropy. She’s a nationally invited speaker on personal finance and runs a popular financial education blog on Instagram and Youtube called Breaking Bad Debt.

Whether you’re a high net worth individual or have high income, Dr. Stephanie will discuss the pros and cons of setting up a corporation. Plus, she’ll discuss how recent changes to tax laws will affect your decision.

Parween Mander
The Financial Expectations of Children of Immigrants

Parween Mander is an Accredited Financial Counselor-Canada® & Trauma of Money Facilitator. In this chat, she talks about the financial expectations of children of immigrants. From using tax-friendly accounts to setting boundaries, these are the tips that children of immigrants need to know.

Ed Rempel
How to Easily Outperform Financial Advisors, Robo-Advisors & Index Investors

Many Canadians use Financial advisors, robo advisors or invest on their own with index funds. However, there might be an easy way to outperform them all. Joining me now is Ed Rempel is a fee-for-service financial planner and tax accountant with how this is possible.

Nathan Kennedy
Real Money and Career Advice for Young Professionals

Nathan Kennedy is one of Canada’s top financial content creators. In this conversation, he shares how young professionals need to be realistic about their career prospects and how they can earn more money by investing in themselves.

Lexi Miles Corrin
Is Investing in a Franchise Worth it?

Many people are interested in owning a franchise, but aren’t sure if it’s the right fit for them. Lexi Miles Corrin, Founder + CEO of WAXON Laser + Waxbar shares insights on how to find a franchise partner that works for you and why more women are becoming franchise owners.

Lexi Miles Corrin is an inspiring and empowering entrepreneur. The Founder and CEO of WAXON Laser + Waxbar is committed to empowering everyone who walks through those doors: from clients, to employees, to franchise owners. Over the past decade, Lexi has grown WAXON into a successful franchise with more than 20 locations across Canada. She is a mentor and leader, leading with authenticity, consistency, and vulnerability. She founded her business on women empowerment and furthers that vision by giving back to the One Girl Can organization. She is dedicated to supporting their mission and making a positive impact. Her growing business also includes South, a line of intimate skin care products. As the mother of four children, Lexi shares what it truly takes to “have it all” through keynotes, podcast, and media appearances, such as BNN Bloomberg, and as co-host of the popular “We Go There” podcast. Lexi champions women in pursuit of their dreams, showing them how to build confidence, grow wealth, and forge their own path.

Michael McCullough
Top Canadian ETFs for This Year and Beyond

With so many ETF options available, it can be hard for investors to know what to put into their portfolios. Consulting editor Michael McCullough looks at the makeup of the ETF market and will share, based on MoneySense’s ETF All-Stars Report, the ETF products Canadians could consider buying.

Court @Modern FImily

Strategically Choosing Where to Live in Canada for Early Retirement

After Court and her wife Nic hit financial independence at an age when many Canadians are still putting together their first downpayment. In past years we’ve talked to Court about the investing side of her family’s journey to FIRE, but for this session I wanted to focus specifically on the crucial decision about where to live in Canada (and in what type of accommodation).

Obviously a massive part of every Canadian’s personal financial situation is how they choose to pay for housing. This decision can mean more than all of the other small “savings hacks” and “top money tips” put together! Learn why Court chose to live where she does, and hear us discuss what sort of trade offs exist when choosing where and how to live in Canada. Court also shares her personal budget figures for her family of 4, and how they can afford to life the financially-independent life while being so young.

Tracy Ma
Is a Cottage Worth it?

Tracy Ma is a speaker, investing nerd and founder of Financial Nirvana Mama.  She hosts a youtube channel called 'Financial Nirvana Mama' to mentor investors, business owners and professionals go from self doubt to investing with confidence so they ultimately engineer their best life. As a former environmental engineer and mother of twins, she's been featured in popular publications, Moneywise, TD Direct Investing, Moneysense, Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine, and much more.

Purchasing a cottage is a major decision, and sometimes, it is passed down to siblings. In this chat, Tracy discusses whether purchasing a cottage is worth it and what hurdles there may be when inheriting a cottage. Plus, she talks about the Home Buyer’s Plan and Tax-Free First Home Savings Account and how it can work for you.

Thuy “Twee” Lam
Retirement Planning for Single People Without a Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Every year we get questions from folks who don’t fit the “average couple” that we always talk about as the basis for retirement planning. What about if there is no partner to income split with, and no pension plan to think about? Thuy “Twee” Lam joins us to explain what strategies she has seen work successfully for singles  when it comes to both the accumulation and the decumulation stages of life. While the reality is that the tax code is slanted towards those who have a spouse, there are ways to optimize a retirement for a household of one!

Hannah McVean
Why your retirement may be different than you think

Most discussions around retirement focus on how much you need to save to retire and how much you can withdraw from your investments each year. These are dilemmas that the financial industry and aspiring retirees both strive to simplify. The problem is there is no universal method to determine these answers, and the guidelines may overlook other important considerations.

Hannah will discuss topics including sequence of returns risk, risk tolerance changes in retirement, retiree asset allocation, life expectancy and longevity planning, saving too much for retirement, and retirement planning for singles and couples.

Brenda Hiscock
Getting the Most Out of a Spousal RRSP

With Canadian tax rates on high income earners climbing to over 50%, understanding how to use spousal RRSPs to lower your taxable income can make a huge difference. It can also give you a lot more flexibility as you head into retirement. Finally, if you have children under the age of 18, spousal RRSPs might be even more important, as lowering your taxable income can dramatically increase your CCB payment! Getting ahead is often about optimizing the things in personal finance that you can control (as opposed to obsessing over stock market returns). You can control lowering your tax bill as much as legally possible!

Erin Allen
ETFs 101 and Beyond

Exchange Traded Funds or ETFs have become increasingly popular for investors over the last decade, but what exactly is and why are they so trendy? Erin Allen, Vice President, Online Distribution, BMO ETFs shares everything you need to know about ETFs.

Dale Roberts
Navigating the Retirement Risk Zone

Dale Roberts is back to explain how he approaches “The Retirement Risk Zone” - the time right before and right after someone chooses to retire.  We look closely at the historical worst case scenarios - the worst times you could have chosen to retire - and how those retirees would have fared in the years to come as they took money out of a quickly-diminishing investment portfolio.  

Dale goes into how to build a “Retirement Wall” for your portfolio’s safety, as well as different types of glidepath strategies, asset allocation tradeoffs, and 4% rule adaptations.  He also gets into how a fee-only financial planner might work well with an overall DIY investing strategy.  If you want confidence that your retirement plan can survive the Retirement Risk Zone, don’t miss this one.

Meghan Chomut
Managing Rental Properties as You Approach and Enjoy Retirement

Meghan Chomit is THE go-to for folks who have (or want to have) an income property.  She speaks from personal experience, and has helped dozens of people get into and manage properties.  Meghan addresses the possibilities of perhaps selling properties as you age, as well as the tradeoffs around keeping rental units as part of an estate plan.

You’ll hear us chat about the unique challenges of balancing retirement and landlord duties, as well as a discussion of the new 2024 capital gains tax rules.  We finish with a quick hitter on managing real estate within a corporation.

Ed Rempel
Retiring Right Before, or during, a recession – Debunking Sequence of Returns Risk

Many older Canadians fear retiring right before a recession. Joining me now is Ed Rempel, a fee-for-service financial planner and tax accountant who will discuss how you can protect yourself as you approach your golden years.

Kyle Prevost 
4 Signs You’re NOT Retirement-Ready

Summit co-host Kyle Prevost has interacted with hundreds of Canadians this year as a result of launching Canada’s first ever online course aimed at preparing for retirement in the Great White North. Join him as he uncovers the most common errors that he sees Canadians making every day as they prepare for retirement.

Are you driving towards a vague retirement destination - but aren’t aware of your blindspots and how they might affect your golden years? Learn from other people’s mistakes as Kyle presents ways to take off the blindfold, set the cruise control, and make sure you get to retirement-ville on time and in one piece!

Stephanie & Gillian from Our Freedom Years
Why We Decided to Leave Canada for Singapore - and then Come Back!

Before they were nomadic world travelers Stephanie and Gillian were two Toronto residents who wanted to get out and see something new. Benefit from the lessons that they learned as they made the big jump from being Canadian residents, to finding jobs in Singapore, and the benefits they enjoyed of severing their Canadian residency (no Canadian taxes!) in order to fully embrace their new Singaporean life. 

But after six years of the expat life, Stephanie and Gillian decided to make their way back to Canada. Find out why (and how) they decided to come back home and why they have now decided to live in small-town Canada for six months a year. Stephanie and Gillian explain how they traveled and looked at many different countries on their quest for the perfect place to call home - and then decided they knew where the best fit was all along.

Finally, we wrap up with the top 3 coolest places that the ladies have visited over the past year. Given that they spend several weeks in most places they visit, their travel guides are a go-to resource for many experienced travellers!

Nancy Grouni
Should I Pay Myself With Dividends or Salary From my Corporation?

Due to a lack of understanding about how corporate and personal income taxes work together, there is a lot of misinformation out there for small business owners. CFP Nancy Grouni takes us through the step-by-step process of how corporate profit gets transferred to our personal spending accounts - and how a dollar of dividends gets taxed vs a dollar in salary. See Nancy’s detailed spreadsheet, and how different corporate profit levels affect calculations.

Finally, Nancy details exactly what we need to know about income splitting opportunities when it comes to our corporations, as well as why CPP contributions are not something that small business owners should avoid.

Jason Maule
How Do I Sell My Business So That I Can Retire?

The big day doesn’t look too far into the future anymore. You’ve worked hard, reinvested profits, built something to be proud of… but now you want to retire. When a teacher or a nurse wants to retire, they can go to their union and discuss what their monthly pension will look like. Small business owners don’t have that opportunity. Tune in to get the details on how to structure a small business sale so that you get to keep as much of the purchase amount as possible after taxes. We’ll discuss the main variables that you should be aware of - and the further in advance you know, the better prepared you can be!

Jason Heath
What do the new capital gains rules mean for me?

In 2024 the Trudeau government announced new changes to how capital gains were treated in Canada. The bad news is that if you have a lot of money invested outside of your RRSP and TFSA - or you have money invested within a corporation - you could be looking at paying more taxes. If you own real estate other than your primary residence (like a cottage or a rental property) this could affect you too. The good news is that the tax laws were structured in such a way that careful planners can avoid much of the new tax. Tune in to make sure that you’re one of these careful planners!

Andrew Dobson
Is Investing Within My Corporation a Good Idea?

Is it better to take the money out of my corporation - pay the income tax - then invest within the RRSP and TFSA. Or, is it a better idea to keep the money within my corporation, invest there, and take the money out later when I’m in a lower tax bracket?

Investing within a corporation is a complicated topic. There is no way around that. That said, for a lot of folks who make enough profit within their corporation that they are able to invest for the future, getting these decisions right can mean paying tens of thousands of dollars less in taxes. Learn how to intelligently talk to your corporate accountant in order to create your own long term plan - or where to get started with your own corporate tax efficiency. We’ll show you how taxes work on investment gains within a corporation, whether they’re from dividends, capital gains, or interest.

Lisa Hannam and Jaclyn Law
Is the Canadian Securities Course Worth It?

Ryan Kurtz
Should You Set Up a Holding Company (HoldCo)?

Max Farley and James Gauthier
ETF portfolio comparisons

Robo-advisors have become incredibly popular over the years, but not all have had similar returns. Max Farley, Head of Marketing at Justwealth and James Gauthier, Chief Investment Officer at Justwealth go over the returns of some of the top rob-advisor firms and banks. The results may surprise you.

Dan Kent
How to go from mutual funds to DIY investing

Learning how to buy stocks in Canada may seem complicated, but it’s easier than you think. From what is a stock to figuring out a stock investing strategy, Dan Kent, owner of stocktrades.ca shares everything you need to know about investing in stocks for the first time.

Erika Toth
Director, Institutional & Advisory, Eastern Canada, BMO ETFs

Erika brings to the table experience in investment analysis, portfolio construction, and trading of equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, options, ETFs and mutual funds. She is known for her attention to detail and consultative approach in providing support and education to advisors and portfolio managers. Erika is a CFA charter holder and has obtained several licenses with the Canadian Securities Institute in derivatives and options trading. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (double major in Finance and Marketing) from John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal.

Bipan Rai
Managing Director, Head of ETF & Structured Solutions Strategy

Bipan Rai joined BMO Global Asset Management in 2024 and currently serves as Head of ETF Strategy. He is responsible for delivering strategic research for the ETF and Structured Solutions team. He is highly regarded for his macroeconomic insights as well as his knowledge of market structure for various asset classes.

Mr. Rai‘s focus is on fundamental macro research and the implications for the ETF space. That includes economic, monetary and fiscal policy analysis alongside following developments in the funding and liquidity spaces. With his experience and capabilities, Bipan brings the existing and potential market environment into context for investors and where BMO GAM ETFs can bring value to everyone’s investment requirements in the near, medium and long term.

Prior to joining BMO GAM, Mr. Rai spent 13 years as a top-ranked strategist at a large Canadian dealer. He has won several awards for his research from various publications (Greenwich Survey, Bloomberg) and is a regular contributor to global business media outlets (BNN/Bloomberg, CNBC, WSJ). Mr. Rai holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Aerospace Engineering) from Toronto Metropolitan University.