Alyssa Fischer
Should Millennials Pay Down Their Debt or Invest? 

Alyssa Fischer is the writer behind one of Canada’s top up and coming blogs over at MixedUpMoney.com.  Together, we explore the thought process behind whether you should tackle that pesky debt, or get that compound returns snowball rolling through investment.  Tune in to hear us compare paying down student loans, to building a housing down payment, and investing for retirement.  Learn what’s worked for us, and how to best determine what will work for you!

Barry Choi
Traveling on the Cheap – Don’t Pay More for Your Adventures Than You Have To!

You may have seen Barry’s face on the pamphlet in front of you on the plane, (not what to do if you get sick – the other one) on TV, over at his blog MoneyWeHave.com, and… well, Barry is pretty much every where!  If you want to travel – but dread getting the bill, this is the session you’ve been waiting for.  Barry has travelled all over the world while paying less than half of what folks normally shell out!

Stephen Weyman
How A Credit Card Genius Gets Their Credit Cards to Pay Them

Stephen Weyman just launched CreditCardGenius.ca and has been helping Canadians over at HowToSaveMoney.ca for quite some time.  Stephen is one of Canada’s foremost credit card gurus and he’ll explain how he makes thousands of dollars every single year simply by using credit cards to buy stuff he’d be purchasing anyway.  He’ll detail just what to look for in a card, how to compare various types of “points” vs “cash back” options, and which perks he looks at before a card makes it into his wallet.

Peter Hodson
Investment Returns That Will Make Others Green With Envy

Peter is the CEO of 5i research, owns Canadian MoneySaver magazine, and is the former Chairman of Sprott Asset Management – he might know a little something about choosing investments!  Given all the buzz about current trends in the field of leafy legalization, Peter gives us his take on possible investment opportunities in the burgeoning marijuana sector.

Robert Brown
4 Money Myths Canadians Fall For Every Time

Robert Brown is the proud author behind the brilliantly-named Wealthing Like Rabbits: An Original Introduction to Personal Finance.  Robert breaks down four of the most common ways that Canadians sabotage themselves in their quest to build a solid financial foundation.  Don’t miss one of Canada’s wittiest personal finance gurus bring his brand of rabbits, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones references to bear on our Summit.

Janine Rogan
Taxes: Why Everyone Should Start Their Own Business

Janine Rogan is the talented writer and CPA behind JanineRogan.com.  With all the recent news about the shifting corporate taxation landscape in Canada, small business owners need to stay on point in order to make sure their business is as streamlined as possible when it comes to tax season.  We’ll discuss some of the different options available if you choose to set up your own business, and why you should definitely consider taking advantage of business-related tax perks.

Sean Cooper
How to Burn Your Mortgage and Achieve Financial Freedom

Sean Cooper bought his first house in Toronto when he was just 27 and paid off his mortgage at 30 in 3 years. To celebrate, he lit his mortgage papers on fire – literally! Sean chronicles his journey to mortgage freedom in his new book, Burn Your Mortgage, which helps anyone—from new buyers to experienced homeowners—pay down their mortgage sooner and live well while doing it. Find out how to follow in Sean’s footsteps and enjoy financial freedom today, not tomorrow.

Martin Dasko
Do You Even Side Hustle?

The incomparable Martin Dasko brings his unique energy and honesty to the table as we discuss how to earn extra cash on the side. Martin takes us back to his first side hustle as a pre-teen, before dropping some insights gleaned from his time as a podcast host and longtime blogger (Studenomics.com).  If you want to learn how to earn more tomorrow – in addition to building wealth over the long haul – this is the one for you!

John Robertson
Rent vs Buy: The Ultimate Grudge Match

John knows how valuable simple is… in fact, he knows it so well that he wrote a book about it!  You can catch John over at HolyPotato.net and on the Because Money Podcast.  Tune in to find out why John happily rents his house and why he is quite likely to be better off in the long run because of that choice.  Are we in a housing bubble that’s about to pop?  Does John even care?

Tom Drake
Quick & Painless Wins for Young Families

Tom Drake is the Godfather of personal finance blogging in Canada (MapleMoney.com).  As a proud father of two energetic young boys Tom knows that both time and money can be in short supply for Canadian parents.  Join us as Tom takes us behind the curtain on how to instantly reduce baby/child costs, household expenses, tax liabilities, and how to get that college/university savings optimized.

Chris Enns
An Opera-Singing Farmboy On Making Personal Finance More Personal

Chris Enns is the multi-talented force behind RagsToReasonable.com.  He’s also on a one man mission to bring financial advice to folks who wouldn’t traditionally be able to afford such a service (or even know that it could benefit them).  Join Chris and I as we talk about the insights he has gleaned over the past few years as he has helped dozens of young Canadians navigate the modern gig/freelance economy.  Chris is brilliant at taking confusing concepts and breaking them down so that everyone can wrap their arms around them – oh, and he’s an opera singer!

Rob Carrick
Canada’s Addiction Epidemic: Housing and Real Estate

Rob Carrick is Canadian Personal Finance. Period.  If you don’t read his personal finance column over at the Globe and Mail, you need to reconsider your priorities.  Listen in as Rob paints a picture of a country and culture that has slowly drifted away from rationality when it comes to the favourite topic of middle-class dinner parties everywhere: housing and real estate.  While Rob points out that owning isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we might be too quick to dismiss renting – especially given the current market and future forecast.

Preet Banerjee
How Valuable is Your Financial Advisor?

Canada’s favourite racecar-driving personal finance expert lets us ride shotgun as he goes back to school and creates a way to quantify the value of financial advice.  Should you pay for financial advice?  It depends.  It depends on if you’re smart enough to watch this session and decide for yourself just how valuable financial advice is for you.  

Robb Engen
The 4-Minute Portfolio: The Lazy Efficient Man’s Investment Plan

Robb Engen is the man behind the award-winning Canadian financial blog BoomerAndEcho.com.  He is a reformed stock picker and is here to tell you how you can win big at the investing game without memorizing a bunch of acronyms or spending weekends knee-deep in quarterly reports.  Robb and I discuss why he switched over (saw the light?) and has never looked back!

Bridget Casey
What to Expect (Financially) When You’re Expecting

Bridget Casey is the CEO of MoneyAfterGraduation.com and was recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Young Innovators in 2016.  While she can still chat about stocks and MBA-ish topics with the best of them, Bridget’s newest focus centers around the happy, healthy, recent addition to her family!  (Congratulations!!)  Bridget will take you behind the scenes on her research and plans for her pregnancy, her child’s first year, and what financial preparations she has made in order to smooth out the massive life transition that is about to take place.

Desirae Odjick
How to Save a Five-Figure Down Payment (No Parental Help Required)

Want to buy a house, but don’t have family who can spot you tens of thousands of dollars? No worries – Desirae Odjick knows you can still save up a hefty down payment all on your own, and is here to show you exactly how. She bought her first house earlier this year after saving up $20,000, so she speaks from experience – and knows you can do it to. Get ready to bring (some of) your HGTV dreams to life, without giving up your lattes or your avocado toast.

Mike Heroux
Taking the Lump Sum vs Waiting for Your Pension.  

Mike is the founder of DividedStocksRock.com and has been a financial advisor for many years.  With so many Canadians switching careers much more frequently, the choice of banking your pension versus taking an attractive one-time payout when you leave your job can be difficult for a lot of people to wrap their head around.  Mike will explain what should factor into this decision, and how to optimize your choices going forward.

Frugal Trader (Million Dollar Journey)
My Million Dollar Journey: What I Learned Along the Way

As the anonymous author behind one of the oldest Canadian personal finance blogs on the web, Frugal Trader has been narrating his quest to achieve financial independence since 2006!  If you’re looking for a blow-by-blow account of exactly how someone builds a million dollar net worth – then don’t miss this session.  FT will show you how he saves, invests, and the secret personal finance sauce that he has been using for years.

Ellen Roseman
Four Ways to Instantly Protect Yourself From Conniving Corporations

Ellen has literally been helping Canadians protect themselves since before some of our panel was born.  As a columnist at the Toronto Star and acclaimed author, she has built up quite the fearsome reputation as a staunch advocate of consumer rights.  Tune in as Ellen reveals four quick wins for Canadians looking to protect their hard earned money!

Evelyn Jacks
Jacks’ Max Tax Savings

Canada’s most prodigious tax expert (Google: Jacks on Tax) tells us how to slice and dice your tax bill until it’s as small as it can be.  Learn little-used strategies and tactics to easily take control of your tax filing process, and save yourself a bundle in the process.

Andrew Hallam
Resisting the Pull of Mutual Funds

Andrew Hallam may have reached international fame behind his entertaining work Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth you Should Have Learned In School, but can he handle the hard sales pitch that our host is about to throw at him? When you lock two personal finance teachers inside a digital box, chaos will inevitably ensue.  Check this session out if you need to add some nerdy teacher humour to your day!

Mark Seed
The Ultimate Guide to Housing Down Payments in Canada

Mark Seed is the mastermind behind MyOwnAdivsor.ca, where he is saving and investing his way to a million-dollar portfolio and early retirement.  We’re going to break down everything you need to know to get into your first house in the most efficient way possible – and without any surprises along the way.  Find out where you should put your money as you save up that down payment, how much you should save, and what the heck CMHC is!

Jim Yih
Jim Yi drops by to fill in the blanks on how to retire happy. 

Jim gives us some rules of thumb for figuring out when to take CPP, what to expect from OAS, and how to smooth out your income streams to maximize your retirement lifestyle.  He also lets us in on some of the biggest client regrets that he has heard over this many years in the business.  If you’re preparing for retirement, you can’t afford to miss this session.

Jonathan Chevreau
Financial Independence While You’re Still Young Enough to Enjoy It 

Jon’s latest books Victory Lap Retirement and Findependence Day examine the reality of modern retirement.  Maybe your ideal retirement will include a 4-hour workday or even a 4-hour work week?  Today’s recent retirees are more apt to work while they plan, and play while they work.  Find out how Jon and others are enjoying fulfilling Victory Lap lifestyles.

Tea Nicola
What Does It Take to Retire?

The self-described metallurgical-engineer-turned-financial-advisor-turned-CEO of WealthBar is going to help us answer the question so many Canadians ask every day: What does it take to retire?  Notice the question isn’t as simple as “How much does it take to retire?”  Tea will take a look at everything from insurance needs to guidelines for figuring out your “magic number”.

Kornel Szrejber
Becoming Financially Independent Before My 35th Birthday

Kornel is not only the host of the BuildWealthCanada.ca podcast and a very successful entrepreneur, he is also one of the more humble and pleasant people you will ever met.  Kornel’s story isn’t one where he drops out of university to go to Silicon Valley.  Instead, he details how an upper-middle class Canadian professional can build wealth efficiently and systematically without some sort of huge “lucky break” along the way.

Andrew Daniels
How to Overcome Your Fear of Investing

Andrew Daniels is here to ease your fears about investing.  With so many sensationalized headlines out there today, it’s tough to blame people for being afraid of the big bad stock market and investing in general.  The truth is that your fear might be preventing you achieving the lifestyle you want – and achieving it as quickly as possible.  Join us as we talk about how to beat back these fears and rationally approach the world of investing.

Helena Liu
Why Your House Definitely Shouldn’t Be “The Best Investment You Ever Made”

Helena Liu and I filmed this session for the Canadian Investing Conference a few months ago.  If you think housing prices always go up, Helena and I have some cold historical data water to throw on those assumptions!

Dan Dickson
Why Online Banks are Disrupting the Giants of Traditional Brick and Mortar Banking

Dan Dickinson is the VP & Chief Digital Officer at EQ Bank and has been in the Canadian banking industry for nearly 20 years. Throughout his career, Dan has focused on the role technology plays in serving the customer, the employee, and the bank. We’re chatting today about how far online banking has come, and just how easy it is to take advantage of the unique benefits online banks have to offer.

Janine Rogan

The Tax Implications of Cryptocurrency (BitCoin) Investing

Janine Rogan is the talented writer and CPA behind JanineRogan.com.  The last few years has seen the world of cryptocurrencies such as BitCoin and Ethereum skyrocket… and then come back to Earth.  See Janine and I discuss the basics of how to invest in “Crypto” as well as the tax implications that you NEED to be aware of if you have money invested in blockchain currencies such as BitCoin.

Robert Brown

The Ultimate Grudge Match: TFSA vs RRSP

Robert Brown is the proud author behind the brilliantly-named Wealthing Like Rabbits: An Original Introduction to Personal Finance.  Rob and I put an end to the endless Canadian personal finance question of RRSP vs TFSA.  Don’t miss one of Canada’s wittiest personal finance gurus bring his brand of rabbits, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones references to bear on our Summit.

Stephen Weyman

The Best Credit Cards In Canada Today

Stephen Weyman recently launched CreditCardGenius.ca and has been helping Canadians over at HowToSaveMoney.ca for quite some time.  Stephen is one of Canada’s foremost credit card gurus and he’ll explain his top picks for credit cards in Canada right now – as well as detailing how to get the most free stuff from your everyday spending!

Tom Drake

How to Start an Online Side Hustle

Tom Drake is the Godfather of personal finance blogging in Canada (MapleMoney.com) and now makes more from his side hustle than he does from his day job!  If running a small business or freelancing some spending cash sounds enticing to you, don’t miss this session with someone who really has done it all when it comes to the online world.   

Mark Seed

What Changed When I Became a Millionaire

Mark Seed is the mastermind behind MyOwnAdivsor.ca, where he is saving and investing his way to a million-dollar portfolio and early retirement. Mark recently revealed that he and his wife have achieved “Millionaire” net worth status.  So – after reaching that light at the end of the tunnel how did it feel? The answer might surprise you…

Matt Matheson

How To Have “The Talk” With Your Kids

Are you raising a money genius? Most parents aren’t really sure. We usually close our eyes, try to pass on a few money lessons to our kids, then cross our fingers and hope for the best. This talk explores how parents can be intentional in teaching their kids about money, when they should start, what they should cover, and how to do it using fun, hands-on, effective activities for kids of all ages.  

Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung

How to Light a FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) Under Yourself

Canada’s two youngest retirees tell us how they got there in exact detail.  They reveal their shortcuts (Hint: There are no shortcuts – only hard work and a winning strategy) and how they managed to gain financial independence before their 32nd birthday despite living in one of Canada’s two most expensive cities!

Ed Rempel

Six Ways to Save Your Retirement From the Taxman

You will have a lot more tax saving opportunities after you retire than before. When you retire, it is completely different than when you are working. You can essentially determine the amount of income you will be taxed on once you retire. You can decide: How much you withdraw from your investments, how much you withdraw from your RRSP vs. TFSA vs. non-registered, how tax efficient your investments are, when you start your RRIF, work pension, and government pensions (CPP and OAS). These 6 best strategies will give you an idea of the flexibility you have to minimize your taxes with effective tax planning. You will learn how to setup your retirement in the most tax-efficient way.

Jonathan Chevreau

Spending & Financial Plans In Retirement

Jon’s latest books Victory Lap Retirement and Findependence Day examine the reality of modern retirement.  See how one of Canada’s most famous recent “semi-retirees” is approaching his retirement spending plan.  Learn how to approach OAS and RRIF variables, as well as our thoughts on some of the conventional numbers tossed around when it comes to Canadian retirements.

Sean Cooper

Today’s Canadian Mortgage Options

Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians. He bought his first house when he was only 27 in Toronto and paid off his mortgage in just 3 years by age 30. Sean’s helping others burn their mortgage, too, as an independent mortgage broker. For an unbiased second opinion on your mortgage, email SeanCooperWriter@gmail.com or call 647-867-3711. 

Kornel Szrejber

Real Stories of FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early)

Kornel is not only the host of the BuildWealthCanada.ca podcast and a very successful entrepreneur, he is also one of the more humble and pleasant people you will ever met. Kornel’s story isn’t one where he drops out of university to go to Silicon Valley. Instead, listen in as he takes you through their real-life case study of how he and his wife achieved financial independence by age 32, the lessons learned, the mistakes made, and the financial tips and tactics that you can use to help you on your journey towards financial independence.

Jim Yih

Retirement Drawdowns: How to Consume Your Nest Egg

The most commonly asked question after last year’s Summit was, “Why wasn’t their more info for soon-to-be retirees and recent retirees?”  Considering Baby Boomers have most of the assets in society – maybe it’d be a good idea to have someone talk about how to manage those assets!  We’ve responded by bringing retirement finance ace Jim Yi to breakdown a few rules of thumb you can put to use as you map out your retirement game plan.

Mike Heroux

How to Prepare for Retirement and Draw Down an Investment Portfolio

Mike is the founder of DividendStocksRock.com and has been a financial advisor for many years. After having helped hundreds of Canadians prepare for retirement, Mike knows a thing or two about balancing portfolios and risk as you venture into retirement.  Join us to hear more about income-producing and portfolio liquidation strategies.

Bridget Casey

Addressing Your Fear of Investing

Bridget Casey is the CEO of MoneyAfterGraduation.com and was recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Young Innovators in 2016.  As the creator of one of the most engaged investing communities in Canada, Bridget Casey knows how to help beginning investors and explain why investing doesn’t have to be overly or difficult.  

Desirae Odjick

Planning a Wedding Without Breaking the Bank

International Financial Blogger of the Year Desirae Odjick (HalfBanked.com) returns to the Canadian Financial Summit with her unique brand of awesomeness.  This time around she’s here to break down just how to enjoy your special day without paying for it for years afterwards. As a recent bride, Des uses her experiences to explain her tips and tricks.

Preet Banerjee

Tricking Our Predictably Irrational Lizard Brains Into Financial Success

Canada’s favourite racecar-driving, brain-surgerying, personal finance expert is back to discuss why most of our brains are built to fail when it comes to personal finance.  The good news is that by being aware of our “predictable irrationality” we can take steps to safeguard ourselves from… our selves. Everything from budgeting and investments to a wide array of other lifestyle choices will be affected by the advice on this episode – don’t miss it!

Rob Carrick

Should I Have All of My Money At One Bank?

Rob Carrick is Canadian Personal Finance. Period.  If you don’t read his personal finance column over at the Globe and Mail, you need to reconsider your priorities.  Listen in as Rob and I discuss the pros and cons of having all of your financial eggs in the same banking basket. We’ll detail how insurance works when it comes to everyday savings accounts, as well as investing accounts.  

Chris Enns

An Opera-Singing Farmboy On Making Personal Finance More Personal

Chris Enns is the multi-talented force behind RagsToReasonable.com.  He’s also on a one man mission to bring financial advice to folks who wouldn’t traditionally be able to afford such a service (or even know that it could benefit them).  Join Chris and I as we talk about the insights he has gleaned over the past few years as he has helped dozens of young Canadians navigate the modern gig/freelance economy.  Chris is brilliant at taking confusing concepts and breaking them down so that everyone can wrap their arms around them – oh, and he’s an opera singer!

Barry Choi

Stretching Your Travel Dollar

You may have seen Barry’s face on the pamphlet in front of you on the plane, (not what to do if you get sick – the other one) on TV, over at his blog MoneyWeHave.com, and… well, Barry is pretty much everywhere!  If you want to travel – but dread getting the bill, this is the session you’ve been waiting for.  Barry has travelled all over the world while paying less than half of what folks normally shell out!

John Robertson

Investing – The First Step

Looking for an ultra-simple place to start your investing journey?  Take the first step with Dr. John Robertson. You can catch John over at HolyPotato.net and on the Because Money Podcast.  Learn how to get over the initial barriers involved with investing, as well as understanding how risk works when applied to the world of investments.

Beau Humphreys
Addiction & Your Finances + What Is a “Consumer Proposal”?

Beau Humphreys is a Canadian Personal Finance Coach, Blogger at investwisely.ca and Host of The Personal Finance Show podcast. Beau wants to help people learn the basics of personal finance and help them organize and simplify their finances so they can focus on the things they enjoy in life. Beau crushed his 20 year gambling addiction, paid off his debts, and built up $100k in assets by age 35. He believes it’s never too late to turn your financial situation around.

Jordann Brown

A Millennial’s Roadmap to Homeownership

Is homeownership an important financial goal for you – but you’re not sure how to get from Point A to Point B? Jordann Brown, the creator of the personal finance blog MyAlternateLife.com, feels your pain. She became a homeowner at age 26, and her journey to homeownership (like those of many millennials) wasn’t easy. In this guide, Jordann walks you through the do’s and don’t of homebuying, so you’ll end up with a home you love and a budget you can live with.