The Canadian Money Roadmap

Send us Fan MailOn this week's episode, Evan and Sam discuss key reasons to file your taxes, the relationship between taxes and financial planning, and discuss ways to use your tax refund to optimize saving. Schedule an intro call for the Cedar Point Pathway retirement planning process - 2 Spots open in April 2026📝Financial Foundations Scorecard - See how you score in the areas of cashflow & spending,  saving & investing, debt & risk protection, and retirement readiness. Instant feedback and recommendations on how to improve your finances.🌳 Connect with Evan and Cedar Point Wealth | Services and Pricing

A practical roadmap for juggling family spending and retirement across three life stages. Topics include protecting income with insurance, tracking budgets to avoid runaway debt, and agreeing on how to support kids with clear terms. There is also discussion about prioritizing family experiences, planning legacy choices, and communicating charitable intentions.

Listeners hear rapidfire Q&A on market volatility, retirement savings targets, and when to adjust risk near retirement. They debate the value of a 1.9% investment fee versus alternatives and benchmarks. Housing’s impact on retirement needs and tradeoffs between short‑term choices and long‑term goals also come up.

Discussion of recent market volatility tied to conflict and rising oil. Examination of diversified portfolio performance year-to-date versus single-index moves. Exploration of how bonds and diversification smoothed losses. Consideration of risk tolerance and the costs of selling during downturns.

Sam, frequent co-host and evidence-based investing advocate, brings clear takes on portfolio construction. They challenge relying on past returns alone. Short conversations cover diversification, fees, turnover, concentration, and how these factors shape a more resilient portfolio.

A lively discussion about whether current trends amount to an AI bubble. They compare modern headlines to famous historical manias and explore what fuels speculative frenzies. The conversation covers how technologies can outlast crashes, where to find public AI exposure, and why diversification and disciplined plans matter more than timing.

Clear breakdown of Canadian retirement programs like CPP, OAS and GIS and why they matter for retirement planning. How CPP contributions, benefit levels, indexing and claiming timing affect income. Rules for OAS deferral and the income-tested clawback. How TFSA withdrawals and portfolio spending interact with benefit eligibility and GIS thresholds.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Evan examines the pros and cons of RRSP loans—borrowing money to contribute to your retirement savings. He notes  while RRSP loans offer tax deductions and lower interest rates, most people would be better off avoiding them due to the costs, risks, and limited flexibility of leveraged investing.Schedule an intro call for the Cedar Point Pathway retirement planning process - 2 Spots open in April 2026📝Financial Foundations Scorecard - See how you score in the areas of cashflow & spending,  saving & investing, debt & risk protection, and retirement readiness. Instant feedback and recommendations on how to improve your finances.🌳 Connect with Evan and Cedar Point Wealth | Services and Pricing

Clear breakdown of Canadian retirement income accounts like RRIFs, LIFs and PRIFs. How and when accumulation accounts convert to income accounts. Rules for minimum withdrawals and when maximum limits apply. Provincial differences, unlocking and hardship exceptions, and tax withholding mechanics.

Clear rundown of six Canadian investment account types and how they differ. TFSA flexibility and tax-free growth get a spotlight. RRSP rules, deductions and eventual taxation are explained. Locked-in pension rollovers and employer profit-sharing plans are covered. Disability savings plans and non-registered account tax rules are also discussed.