Blog

First Time Buyer Programs
There are several First Time Home Buyer Programs. The best one is that clients receive up to $4,000 off their Land Transfer Tax when they buy a home. If two people are buying a home and only one is a first time home buyer then you will receive up to $2,000 off the...

CMHC and Genworth
CMHC, Genworth and Canada Guaranty provide mortgage insurance for people who buy a house with less than 20% down. Most people are familiar with CMHC and have never heard of the other two but CMHC has been working towards doing less business in recent years so the...

Credit Ratings
Regarding credit ratings, there is a lot of information out there but generally people who pay their bills on time will have a beacon score over 700 and have no issues getting a mortgage. People who have a lot of debt or are maxed out on their credit cards will lose...

First-Time Homebuyer? These Rebates, Credits Can Save You Money | HuffPost Canada
Canadians can save thousands of dollars with government programs. Purchasing a house in Canada is tricky at the best of times, but getting into the property market for the first time is especially tough. To help with some of the costs of buying your initial home,...

The Dangers of Canadians’ Home Equity Line of Credit
It’s no secret that Canadian homeowners have a longstanding love affair with their home equity line of credit (HELOC). However, this love has the potential to go sour through a variety of ways, leaving millions heartbroken. At the heart of this romance is a low-cost,...

Reducing Expenses on Out-of-Home Meals and Snacks
In this age of out-of-control debt, reducing expenses is a priority. A great place to start is with Canadians’ top financial guilty pleasure: eating out at restaurants and bars. Also included are coffees, and so-called treats, many of which are laced with sugar, salt,...

Lack of a Personal Goal leads Canadians to Overuse Restaurants
Upon reviewing the Capital One Canada study on Canadians’ financial guilty pleasures, it struck me that no one quoted mentioned a personal goal. When people lack a personal goal that represents what they want to be doing and who they want to become, it’s very easy to...

Consumer debt: 10 Tips for Getting out of It
You might be trying to get so creative that you’ve forgotten about some really basic ways to get/become consumer debt-free; or, maybe you’re stuck in a rut with just a few ideas, and you can’t seem to get the creative juices flowing. With that in mind, here's 10 great...

Manulife study: Avoid insolvency with an emergency fund
The article below outlines the importance of having an emergency fund or savings plan in place so that you are able to ride out a short-term financial storm. by Justin da Rosa | 25 Nov 2016 In its latest survey, Manulife Bank of Canada found that over 1/3 of Canadians...

Welcome
In this, my first blog post, I would like to give you an overview of what I would like to accomplish. In simple terms, I hope to: Educate, Inspire and Empower people to change the way they spend money. Teach them to pay cash for all their purchases, avoid using...