Unconventional Wisdom

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...

♦Go Big or Go Slow: Why 10x Wealth Is Easier Than 2x♦

This title may be hard to believe, but it is a common theme in coaching for small business entrepreneurs. 

The concept is from the popular book "10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

Most of us think about incremental improvements in our lives, n...

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 is unfortunate.

It is easy to find better investments with ...

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 for 2 non-investment reasons.

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 podcast episode you’ll learn:

• ...

Most seniors start their CPP and OAS when they retire or at age 65, without evaluating the options. But many would benefit from delaying CPP until age 70.

Here’s how to figure out what’s best for you.

CPP and OAS offer cool opportunities to increase after-tax income, because seniors often have flexibility in choosing taxable vs. non-taxable income, and OAS comes with several “clawbacks” beyond...

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 podcast episode you’ll learn:

• Why should you ignore “CPP breakeven” calculations?

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 personalized roadmap for their financial life. Yet surprisingly, that’s often not the case, and it can have a huge impact on your future.

In my latest podcast episode yo...

You want to retire soon. 

What is the best way to set up 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 million portfolio. Is that safe?

I studied 146 years of investment history. The ...

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 most of us, they appear normal. 

You can’t really see how inadequate and funny many financial procedures are until you compare them to other fields.

“Quackery” is a...

This is a personal post and my first post with a request.

My wife, life partner and business partner, Ann Hetram, passed away unexpectedly from cancer 2 months ago. 

She received excellent care at Princess Margaret Hospital, which is the best cancer hospital in Canada.

In her honour, I am co-captain of a team in the Journey to Conquer Cancer walk to support research at Princess Ma...

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 Multi-Millionaire”.

We often hear that building wealth is...

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 by managing their money for maximum growth.

I’m not talking about a “get rich quick scheme”. I’m ...

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, but all the bills & life expenses mean they never build up enough of a nest egg to be secure. The Smith Manoeuvre is a strategy that ...

Are you one of those investors for whom things just seem to always work out well? 

Getting superior long term returns seems to take little effort. Whatever strategy you use seems to eventually work. You don’t spend much time or effort, yet most of the time you are feeling quite confident about your investments.

Or are you the type of investor who always seems to struggle? 

It seem...

When can I retire with the lifestyle I want?

That’s the #1 priority for our clients—based on my experience creating thousands of financial plans over the last 25+ years.

They want financial freedom.

It’s what we all really want. But you need a retirement plan to get there. It won’t happen on its own.

Creating your retirement plan is fun. It’s not about the money. It’s...

Have you ever wondered how much your donation really helps the poor? Or how much it really helps find cures?

Which charities help the poor the most for each dollar donated?

You can now donate to the most cost-effective charities in the world with Ed & Ann’s charitable foundation “Best Things First”.

In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn:

I am heartbroken. My wife, life partner & business partner Ann Hetram passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 30.

Ann was truly one of a kind — wise, intuitive, endlessly generous, and the heart of everything we built together. 

We shared our life, our work, our friends, and our dreams. We were together 35 years, and many years together 24/7, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Which is true?

1.The stock market is a gamble. Decent investment, but it may or may not make money for you.

2.The stock market is a reliable long-term investment. It should be the core of your long-term investments.

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 inves...