Getting Started

Equitable (EQ) Bank is committed to finding better, smarter ways of doing banking. EQ Bank manages more than $47B CDN in assets and has grown to become Canada’s seventh largest independent Schedule I bank, serving more than a quarter million Canadians by providing diversified personal and commercial banking services. They have become my day-to-day bank with a no-fee Savings Plus Account which offers 2.50% interest on your balance. I also use their no-fee EQ Bank Card which offers free cash withdrawals from any ATM in Canada, 0.5% cash back, and 2.50% interest. Their digital app makes it easy to bank from my phone.

Simplii Financial Cash-Back VISA credit card offers up to 4% cash back at restaurants, bars and coffee shops, and no annual fee. In addition, you earn 1.5% cash-back on groceries, gas and drugstore purchases, and 0.50% cash-back on all your other everyday purchases. I exclusively use this card anytime I order in, dine out with friends, or make a quick stop at Timmy’s.

Tangerine Money-Back credit card offers rewards on everyday purchases with no annual fee. You earn 2% cash-back in two 2% Money-Back Categories of your choice, and 0.50% cash-back on all your other everyday purchases. For example, the two categories I picked were groceries and gas, but they offer several more like home improvement stores, hotels, entertainment and restaurants. I exclusively use this card for all my grocery shopping to maximize the rewards.

Canadian Couch Potato is the complete guide to index investing, which goes into depth on both the theory and practice of index investing. Simply put – diversify broadly, keep your costs low, and stick to your plan over the long term. The podcasts (now defunct) features expert interviews, helpful tips for DIY investors, and answers to questions from listeners and blog readers. This was one of the first websites I used to shape my investing strategy.

Mr. Free at 33 is a nomad investor / blogger / frugal lifestyle advocate who achieved financial independence and retired in his early 30s by using dividend growth investing. Unfortunately, he moved his portfolio behind a paywall and began a monthly subscription where he cover stock analyses, market news, dividend updates, and the dividend growth investing strategy. But blog posts still have some useful tips. This was the original inspiration for my website.

Mr. Money Moustache is an index investing / sensible lifestyle blog that is run by a retiree who stopped working in his thirties and now writes about how we can all live a frugal yet badass life of leisure. He worked in tech-industry cubicle jobs throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s and retired in 2005. He achieved this by living a lifestyle about 50% less expensive than most of his peers and investing the surplus in very boring conservative Vanguard index funds and a couple rental properties. His website motivated my best friend to start index investing, and I followed a few years afterward.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. If you want to build a budget that actually works for you, and you’re ready to transform your relationship with money, then read this New York Times bestseller which has already helped millions of people learn how to develop everyday money-saving habits with the help of America’s favorite finance coach. If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

The Wealthy Barber by Dave Chilton. This was the very first financial planning book I ever read, and it was gifted to me by my grandfather. In this engaging tale set in hometown, Canada, our financial hero – Roy, the wealthy barber – combines simple concepts, common sense, and an insight into human nature to shape the shaggy financial affairs of Dave, Sue, Tom and Cathy. And he does it not by hectoring them about budgeting but by giving them a set of practical, east-to-implement guidelines.

The Wealthy Barber Returns by Dave Chilton. This updated edition of one of the biggest-selling financial-planning books will help you straighten out the complex twists and turns of personal finance on the road to monetary independence. Chilton shows you how to get rich slowly and steadily—even if your salary is average! Relying on his fictional assistant, Roy the barber, and healthy dollops of humor, Chilton shows how you can take charge of your money now and achieve future financial freedom.

National Bank Direct Brokerage will be my future online trading and investing platform. The main reason? They offer everything TD Direct Investing has, but with $0 commission fees. Investment strategies, webinars, tips and tricks, etc. And for the DIY investor cutting fees wherever possible is a must. As they say on their website, why pay when it’s free?

TD Direct Investing is my current online trading and investing platform of choice. It offers everything the DIY investor needs – innovative tools, different account types, investing education, and customer support but you pay for them dearly with their fees. After being a customer for years, I’ve moved most of my accounts away from TD Direct Investing and over to National Bank Direct Brokerage.

Khan Academy is a nonprofit website with the mission to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. This module covers stocks, bonds, and mutual funds – a great way to learn about different options for investing your money and saving for retirement.

PBS Two Cents is a weekly educational show about personal finance, tailored for millennials and Gen Z. Philip and Julia do a great job explaining concepts and have fun doing it – I highly recommend!