11 Ways to Start Saving Money Now | CI Direct Investing
There’s lots of reasons to learn how to save money. Many of them became a reality in the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic changed lots of people’s financial...
Just say no to mortgage insurance
When you’re buying a new home, the experience can be a daunting one. There’s a ton of paperwork and some very legal, very serious looking documents to sign....
3 Days with a Vancouver Couple Who Plan to Retire at 35
Are you familiar with the FIRE movement? Financial Independence, Retire Early is all about living an extremely frugal lifestyle, socking away the money you save and putting it...
How to Keep Your Financial Resolutions this Year
One of the all-time most common New Year’s resolutions is to save more and spend less. But about 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by mid-February. You’ve...
Thoughtful Giving: 6 Generous Gift Ideas That Aren’t Things
If you’ve ever visited a mall in the days leading up to December 25th, you know how intense the holiday shopping season can be. One third of all...
These 5 apps will help you get your personal finances in shape
For many people, managing your money means simply checking your bank account every month and paying your bills. That’s a great starting point. But if you want to...
3 Ways to Set Your Kids Up for Financial Success
The kids are back in the classroom and leaves are starting to turn — change is in the air. Now is the perfect time to start a new...
Should I borrow to invest in an RRSP? It’s not the smart-money thing to do
Every year around RRSP contribution season, this question seems to pop up: should you borrow to invest in an RRSP? The idea can look good on paper when...
Managing household expenses. Tips from Rubina Ahmed-Haq
A little while ago, one newsworthy survey showed that most Canadians would have trouble managing their household expenses if interest rates went up. Well, rates have indeed climbed. The cost...
Women who are on the money
When you look at Canadian money, you’re probably looking at Queen Elizabeth’s graceful smile. But when it comes to Canadian women who aren’t royalty on our money, Viola Desmond has...
Artificial Intelligence. Can a machine invest better than a human?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just ask a computer, “what should I invest in?” In theory, sure. But given the current state of artificial intelligence, I...
How to retire and fill 40 hours a week
“Can you believe it, honey? Friday’s my last day at work! Time sure flies. I can’t wait to start spending all of our free time together!” Did this...
Thrifty and Thoughtful Gift Ideas for the Holidays
Doing some last-minute holiday shopping? The urge to spend is almost irresistible. Saving money might be the furthest thing from your mind. But around holiday time, I try...
Simon and Martina Living the Dream on YouTube, Investing for Real Life
CI Direct Investing is a robo-advisor that aims to make investing easier for all Canadians. In our Investing for Everyone series, we’re sharing inspiring stories from our clients about how...
Finances for Freelancers in the Gig Economy
For freelancers, understanding finances, taxes, etc. can be more confusing than for people who hold down a regular 9 to 5 job. That’s a big problem. In the USA, “Gig workers are...
Bright Lights, Big City. How One Young Entrepreneur is Making his Future Happen Right Now
CI Direct Investing is a robo-advisor that aims to make investing easier for all Canadians. In this Investing for Everyone series, we’re sharing inspiring stories from our clients about how they’ve turned...
Yes, You can Transfer Your RRSP or TFSA and Unlock Your Small LIRA
OK, maybe they don’t like you. Maybe you got audited and the Canada Revenue Agency found something fishy. Maybe someone who actually works at the CRA (a spurned lover,...
How to Grow a Business Geographically
Canadians are a pretty entrepreneurial bunch. As of late 2015, there were 1.17 million employer businesses across the country. As you might expect, a lot of CI Direct Investing's clients are...
Questions you might want to ask your financial adviser
Putting Investors First Month (thanks, CFA Institute) also happened to be a month where many Canadians got a financial windfall in the form of a tax refund. Were...
How First Time Home Buyers Can Get into the Housing Market
CI Direct Investing's Life & Money section offers practical advice for Canadians at every stage of their financial journey. Today we look at a hot topic: how first...
How Entrepreneurs Cash In. Debunking 3 Common Myths Around Business Exits
How would a $400 million payday sound to you? (It sounds pretty darn good to us.) Maybe you caught the news last month about the Hyatt brothers’ sale of...
Financial freedom through saving like it’s 1982
Back in 1982, Canadians typically saved 20 per cent of their disposable income. But since that stand-out year, personal savings in Canada has been steadily declining. Last year, Statistics Canada...
Money Diary: My First Month on a Budget
Nobody wants to be on a budget, but the reality is we have a finite amount of resources–a.k.a. money–and infinite ways to use it. Budgeting is a way...
Your Brain on Money: Why Saying “No” is So Hard
On a lunch break I wander into a clothing store to browse–not buy. I spot a sweet sweater with a price tag of $130. The sweater is well...
Money Diary: My Spending Vices
"Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are." – James W. Frick. This quote makes...
The great debate. fixed vs variable rate mortgages
Banks make a lot of money off mortgages. But consumers are getting savvier. They're not just going to their local bank branch. Now they're shopping around for the...
Are the Joneses Really Wealthier Than You?
We all have that friend. That one who clogs up our Facebook feed with constant reminders about how luxurious their life is. If is isn’t their million dollar...
4 Tips to Protect Yourself From Investment Fraud
Fraud happens to other people... right? We don’t believe it can happen to us. We also believe fraud involves only involves things like identity theft to access credit....
How Safe Is Your Money
Companies go out of business all the time. It happens. And when we are about to entrust our life saving to a financial company, we may want to...
11 Tips for first time home buyers
Buying your first home is a complicated and often confusing affair. There is much to know, legal issues to face and many mistakes can be made. We've compiled...