Unconventional Wisdom

For more than 20 years, Unconventional Wisdom has been where I share financial planning ideas, strategies, and lessons I've learned from helping Canadians build better financial lives.

Today, I'm excited to introduce someone who has been a key part of our team for the last 8 years: Sabiha Mukadam.

Many of you may not know Sabiha, but she works...

Every week, someone tells me they want to retire by 40.

My first question is always the same: why?

The FIRE movement promises freedom decades earlier than traditional retirement. 

Online, it's often presented as a fairly simple formula: save aggressively, invest consistently, and escape the workforce early.

But in Canada today, is FIRE actually realistic — or has it q...

Gas prices are up from about $1.30/litre to $1.75/litre across Canada this year. 

There is conflict in Iran. Markets are reacting to geopolitical uncertainty once again.

So what should investors actually do during times like this?

Should you move more conservative?

Or is reacting emotionally what hurts investors most?

In my latest video, podcast episode a...

You've worked hard, built up a few million dollars, and now you're seventy-five, retired, and staring at your portfolio wondering — do I really need to keep riding the stock market rollercoaster? 

Or is it finally time to play it safe?

That's the multi-millionaire's dilemma, and it's a lot more common than you might think.

We have seen it many times. Far more money than you will s...

Last week, I revealed my longevity journey, introduced some of the explosive developments, and why we may be able to start living significantly longer within the next 10–20 years.

Living with health and vitality past age 100 could become common.

What happens to your money if that happens?

If we live 20 more years, can we actually be retired for those 20 years?

How muc...

Is it really possible to live with health & vitality past age 100? 

I am on a longevity journey to try to achieve it.

In my latest video and blog post, I will explain what I have learned & experienced so far and why I believe humans routinely being healthy past 100 is in our near future.

You will learn:

• How did Ed...

Taxes are far more complex today than they were 10 years ago — and 2026 adds another layer.

There were not many headline changes this year, but several could meaningfully affect your retirement plan, home buying strategy, and long-term tax planning. Complexity is becoming the real story.

In this post and video, you'll learn:

• W...

Should you really reduce stocks and increase bonds as you get older?

That's been conventional wisdom for decades.

A new international study using long-term data from 39 developed countries challenges both of those assumptions. 

The researchers found that a globally diversified all-equity strategy outperformed traditional stock-bond portfolios not only for growth, but even for reti...

What Canadians Are Really Asking About Money Right Now

In this one-off episode, I reflect on the topics listeners have engaged with most over time, and what that reveals about the financial decisions people are really grappling with.

From retirement timing and government benefits to understanding risk, evidence-based investing, and long-term tax strategies, these themes point to a clear desire...

Ever wondered how you can get the money out of your RRSP with a minimum of tax?

RRSP/RRIF Meltdown Strategies can allow you to withdraw from your RRSP or RRIF with little or no tax.

However, there are some tricky complications, several options, and these strategies are not for everyone.

In my latest video for the Canadian Financial Summit you'll learn:

In a recent video for the Canadian Financial Summit I talk about who the poor and wealthy are and how they got there.

Today, we're diving deeper into one crucial aspect: how the wealthy became wealthy? 

Can their strategies work for you?

Over the years, I've seen the full financial picture of thousands of Canadians and read countless studies on wealth building. 

While...

Imagine checking your investments after a brutal market crash like during Covid with the March 16-20, 2020: -18% week. Your balance is down 32%, and panic sets in. 

But what if I told you the biggest rebounds, like the +12% surge the very next week almost always follow? 

This isn't luck; it's a pattern that makes stocks more predictable (and rewarding) than the 'random walk' myth suggests.

You've probably heard the conventional wisdom about retirement stages: the "go-go" years right after you clock out, full of adventure and travel; then the "slow-go" phase where things wind down due to age and aches; and finally, the "no-go" period of quiet homebound days. It's a neat little narrative, peddled by financial planners and lifestyle gurus alike.

But what if I told you it's mostly a myth? That "...

Ever been terrified by those retirement calculators showing a scary chance of running out of money? 

That's Monte Carlo simulations at work—spinning wild "what-if" scenarios that often paint a doom-and-gloom picture far worse than reality.

In my latest video, we'll debunk why most of these simulated failures could never happen in real life, how they push you toward boring bond-heavy portfolios...

Your investments may grow a bit each year, but have you wondered about how some people grow major wealth? Instead of growing 10%, how can they be 10 times larger?

Many ordinary people build up millions of dollars, without having a high income or inheritance.

How does that happen?

It's because real wealth doesn't grow linearly.

It grows exponentially — through compound...

What is the meaning of life? What truly makes it worth living?

How can having a meaningful life help you become financially independent?

It comes down to responsibility. Choosing what you want to be responsible for gives your life structure, direction and purpose. It's also the same mindset that can help you become financially independent.

In my latest podcast episode you'll learn...

Being worried about a market crash right after retiring is a major fear for many people both before and after taking the plunge. I often hear these anxieties:

"I'm scared to retire even though I have enough money in every projection. What happens if there is a market crash right after I retire?"

"We just retired, but are hesitant to spend money in case we have a market crash."

You...