Stress Test

Stress Test is returning for its third season of pandemic personal finance. Join The Globe's columnist Rob Carrick and editor Roma Luciw as they delve into more of the topics impacting your wallet one year into COVID-19 lockdowns. On deck this season: negotiating salaries, kiboshed weddings and the thing everyone’s talking about — how hard it is to buy a house. Listen to the trailer and catch up on previous episodes now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you getting financial help from your parents or family? Do you feel guilty or embarrassed about it? If the answer is yes, you are far from alone. In the final episode of this season of Stress Test, we look at data showing the surprising extent to which parents are going to help their adult kids financially, and how this assistance has become more common in the pandemic. We hear from a 26-year-old Torontonian who is relying on money from her parents to make ends meet amid the instability of the last year. Plus, Roma speaks to Natasha Knox, a Vancouver- based financial planner about the underground parental economy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feeling beaten down by work? In this episode, we talk about young adults who crave financial independence and are willing to save and invest aggressively to gain that freedom. Rob and Roma discuss the practicality of the F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement and why it looks more appealing than ever amid COVID-19. Plus, we hear from Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung, a 38-year-old couple that retired a few years ago early and have stayed financially independent, even in the pandemic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do you feel you’re not really “adulting” unless you own your own place? Are you embarrassed to admit you’re still a renter? Rob and Roma take on the long-standing narrative that says property ownership is the best path for everyone and map out a route for financial success as a renter. We hear from a millennial who has found the loft of her dreams and has chosen to embrace renting for good. Plus, fellow renter and financial consultant Preet Banerjee shares his advice for how renters can end up with a comparable amount of wealth as a homeowner, in addition to a great lifestyle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yeah, we know. New Year’s Resolutions have a bad rep. But what better time to reassess your financial health than in Year Two of a global pandemic? In this episode, Rob and Roma talk money goals and share some personal finance resolutions you might want to consider. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When it comes to food, the pandemic has transformed our spending habits. But are we saving money? How have we replaced restaurant and bar spending? Are meal kits and online grocery shopping here to stay? In this episode, Rob and Roma dig into the world of food – and share what they’ve been doing differently over the last 9 months. Plus, an Ottawa-based 31-year-old tell us why she’s jumped on the food-box-trend. And Rob and Roma speak to Sylvain Charlebois, The Food Professor, about how our eating habits have shifted, why food prices will keep climbing and how Canadians can save money at the grocery store. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Has being in lockdown made your condo feel like a shoebox? Are you thinking about giving up on downtown living for more space in the suburbs? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we look at the why some young adults are abandoning city living for smaller communities with lower house prices... and more space. We hear from a 34-year-old who left Toronto for a bigger home in southern Ontario’s wine country. Plus, Rob and Roma speak with Pascal Chan, a millennial who works at the Canadian Real Estate Association, about where people are moving, why and what you should think about if you’re considering doing the same. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

High rent and house prices have many young Canadians moving in together early to share costs. But what happens when one’s a spender and the other’s a saver? And what if one partner makes significantly more money, or has more debt? In this episode, Rob and Roma discuss how couples can avoid money blowouts. We hear from a 30-something Toronto-based lawyer who started dating his girlfriend during the pandemic. The couple is now looking at options for moving in together. Plus, Rob and Roma speak to Liz Schieck, a certified financial planner who has helped plenty of young couples navigate the pitfalls and challenges of joining their finances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Credit scores put the personal in personal finance. They’re your entire life as a borrower compressed into one number. But what qualifies as a “good” score, and why do these numbers bounce around all the time? What can be done to improve a bad score? Rob and Roma are back together (but apart) in their makeshift podcast studios (because, well, pandemic) for another season of your favourite personal finance podcast. In this episode they get answers to your credit score questions from Julie Kuzmic of Equifax Canada. Plus, we hear from Keith Emery, the co-CEO of Credit Canada Debt Solutions, about how people wind up with a bad credit score in the first place. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stress Test is back. Join The Globe’s personal finance team, columnist Rob Carrick and editor Roma Luciw, for another season of delving into the topics that impact the wallets of Canadians between the ages of 20 and 40. Listen to the trailer and season one now and subscribe to get season two in your feed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.