Hey Reader ♥, I need to tell you something embarrassing. I contributed $0 to my TFSA in 2025. Zero dollars. And I'm a CPA who's been managing my own investments for over 20 years. Here's what happened: Twenty years ago, when I started investing, there was only one choice: the RRSP. The TFSA didn't even exist yet—it wasn't introduced until 2009. So I did what every "responsible" person was told to do: I maxed my RRSP. Every year. Every chance I got. I learned about compound interest....
29 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader ♥, I logged into my CRA My Account last month to check something, and there it was staring back at me: $0. This is the actual amount I contributed to my TFSA all of 2025. My unused TFSA contribution room has been sitting there, barely touched, while I’ve been dutifully maxing out my RRSP for years. If you’re a personal finance junkie reading this, you’re probably cringing. And honestly? You should be. I’m a CPA. I literally advise people on their finances for a living. And I’ve...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader ♥, I came across something this week that's been sitting with me, and I wanted to share it with you. My friend Nechelle over at Her Future Wealth wrote a reflection on a YouTube video that stopped her in her tracks. It's called "55 and Broke: The Conversation Nobody Wants To Have" by Sheila Hammond. Sheila's story is raw and real: laid off in her mid-50s, nearly two years without work, trying to rebuild from a place that doesn't fit the neat financial scripts we've all been taught...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader ♥, I almost missed it. The Bank of Canada announced their rate decision today, and my inbox didn't explode. My phone didn't blow up. Social media was... quiet. Because nothing changed. The rate held at 2.25%. And here's what I've learned after years of watching people's financial decisions: The biggest mistake you can make during a rate hold is assuming nothing's happening, so you should do nothing. Let me explain why this matters more than you think. What a Rate Hold Actually...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader ♥, We're four weeks from the end of 2025, and I know what you're thinking about: holiday shopping, family gatherings, surviving December. Here's the thing: you're probably not thinking about taxes right now. But I am. Because I know what happens in April when first-gen professionals realize they left thousands on the table—money that could've gone toward supporting your family, building your wealth, or actually taking a break. The moves you make in the next four weeks aren't about...
2 months ago • 8 min read
Hey there Reader ♥, The holiday shopping has started, and I'm already seeing it everywhere: the lists, the sales, the pressure to buy the perfect gifts for everyone. And if you're a first-generation professional, there's an extra layer nobody talks about. You're not just buying gifts—you're trying to prove something. I did it for years. Expensive gifts for my mom to show her sacrifices paid off. Generous gifts for extended family to demonstrate I "made it." Over-the-top gifts for my nieces...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader ♥, Black Friday is in two weeks, and I know what's happening. Your inbox is already filling up with early access deals, and somewhere in your mind, you're doing the math. Can I afford this? Should I buy this? What if Mom needs help next week? What if there's a family emergency and I just spent $200 on myself? I used to do the same thing. I'd skip Black Friday entirely, telling myself I was being "responsible." Then I'd watch everyone else enjoy the sales while I felt resentful...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader ♥, If you are in the GTA, you probably woke up to its first snowfall this week. Clean, fresh, everything covered in white—until you actually have to deal with it. Then reality hits: the driveway, the sidewalk, the car, the shoes by the door. Debt repayment advice feels the same way. Clean and simple on paper: snowball method, avalanche method, aggressive payoff strategies. The advice is mathematically sound. It's also completely useless if you're supporting multiple generations....
3 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader ♥, Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney releases his first federal budget. The headlines are already written: "tough choices," "sacrifices," a deficit double what was projected last year, and cuts to operational spending while investing billions in defence and infrastructure. The government's calling it a "generational budget" for "ruptured" economic times. But here's what won't be in today's budget: any acknowledgment that millions of Canadians are managing budgets that support...
3 months ago • 5 min read