When you look around, it’s easy to see how much need there is in our world. But how do you increase your charitable giving when life seems to be getting more expensive every year? For the past 15 years, Bob and Linda Lotich have shared their best money lessons on their award-winning blog, SeedTime, and the SeedTime Money Podcast. They recently wrote a book, titled Simple Money, Rich Life. Bob and Linda joined the show this week to explain what led them to start “giving their age” as a...

More people than ever are making money by starting online businesses. But while it might sound simple, online entrepreneurship comes with its own set of challenges. This week’s guest is here to help you find the courage to build something online and fire the haters. After becoming financially independent at 32 years old, Jillian Johnsrud turned her personal and professional experience towards a creative life. She is a popular public speaker, teaches online classes, is a coach, and a writer....

If you’re of a certain vintage, like me, the name CBC Street Cents is sure to trigger memories from adolescence. The popular Canadian TV show, aimed at teenagers, originally aired on CBC Television between 1989 and 2006. Streets Cents is making a comeback, but this time, it’s not on TV. This week, I sat down to chat with two of the lead content creators for the new Street Cents: Carley Thorne and Mercedes Gaztambide. Carley Thorne is a designer, and comedian. She has spent time at Toronto’s...

Money can be complicated, even for the experts. It’s why my guest this week hires a financial planner, even though he was a financial advisor for more than 15 years. He joins the show to share some outside-the-box money tips, including how to win at insurance, the value of timelining your goals, why focusing on risk tolerance is a problem, and why you, too, need a financial planner. Joe Saul-Sehy is the co-host of the popular Stacking Benjamins podcast, and co-author of the book called...

Why are so many people afraid to ask for help when they’re having money trouble? What about opening up to a spouse or partner about their shared finances? My guest this week shares the 3 steps you can take to make talking about money easy. Want to know more? Don’t miss this episode! If you still think of wealth as a numbers game, you haven’t met Michelle Arpin Begina. An Advisor, Author, and Speaker, Michelle has taken her own money story and transformed it into a passion for financial...

What kind of investor are you? With the advent of technology and the emergence of low cost discount brokerages, more Canadian investors are taking a DIY approach with their money. Does that mean that financial advice no longer matters? Sheldon Brow is the founder & CEO of Fintech platform Pocket Finance. He’s passionate about empowering clients with full and fair disclosure, inclusion, and bridging gaps to financial guidance and deeper client engagement. He’s also an open banking...

Do you consider yourself to be good with money? The truth is, we have all struggled to manage our finances at some point. In fact, according to this week’s guest, there are four different ways that people struggle with money. The good news is that you can train yourself to overcome your weaknesses. Jessi Fearon is a personal finance writer and coach who seeks to challenge, encourage, and equip women to take the steps they need to achieve financial freedom. Jessi is the author of the book,...

If you’re not currently investing your money, what’s preventing you from getting started? Are you worried about the risks involved? Do you lack the know how, or are personal circumstances, including your current financial situation, getting in the way? My guest this week understands the barriers that stop people from learning to invest, because she’s been there. Keisha Bailey is the industry powerhouse behind the Profit Jumpstarter brand and is an experienced Financial Strategist, Investment...

Have you ever avoided checking your credit card balance because it was too stressful? According to my guest this week, it’s human nature to push away the hard things in life. Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce your financial stress and gain flexibility with your finances. Emily Guy Birken is a Plutus Award-winning freelance writer and the author of five books including Stacked: Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, written with Joe Saul-Sehy. Emily joined me this week...

Have you thought about downsizing your home to reduce expenses? Or maybe you’ve been saving for a down payment on your first house, while watching the real estate market continue to rise, making you feel left behind? What if you considered something more extreme to meet your housing goals while helping your finances? Michael Bartz is an actor, podcast producer and host, as well as an environmentalist. In 2017 he took a big step to lowering his environmental footprint by building his own...

You’ve heard of Bitcoin and possibly the blockchain, but what about NFTs and how they might become a major part of our metaverse future? Today, we’re going to hear about how you can purchase these digital items that you truly own and can resell, hopefully for a profit. Mike Damazo is a video creator for Cult of Money, as well as his own channel, MDNFT. He is incredibly passionate about the NFT space, as well as cryptocurrency and DeFi in general. He’s also is known as BAYC #916, based on an...

Have you ever been accused of being a shop-a-holic? Maybe it’s a title you’ve given yourself. People often get teased for the shopping addiction, not realizing that sometimes, the addiction may be real. Sara Rose Danesi, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and author of the blog, FITE addiction. Dr. Danesi writes about her personal struggle with shopping addiction and process for recovery as she pursues Financial Independence. She strives to empower others to experience the freedom of...

Do you feel like your life needs more balance? Sometimes, in our pursuit of a better job, or more money, we lose sight of what really matters. We search for happiness, but then realize that financial or career success might not be making us any happier. My guest this week is here to talk about balance: How to invest and spend for happiness, Health, and Wealth. Andrew Hallam is one of the world's most prolific personal finance speakers, having spoken at corporations and organisations in more...

When it comes to personal finance, 2021 was another year to remember, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Interest rates remained low and government COVID supports continued for the most part. But inflationary pressures hit hard, and Canadian families from coast-to-coast felt the impact from increased prices on everything from vehicles to gasoline and groceries. For the 3rd consecutive year, Rob Carrick of the Globe and Mail joins me to discuss economic and personal finance trends in...

Have you wondered whether it’s better to go with a fixed or variable mortgage rate? And where should you go to get a mortgage - through your bank or through a broker? These are the questions thousands of Canadian home buyers are asking every day. My guest this week is a mortgage lending expert who can answer many of these questions. Jacob Perez is an Ontario-based real estate investor & mortgage agent. Jacob started investing in real estate at just 23 years old. Since then, he’s built a...

Do you find yourself going broke every Christmas? Do you feel yourself losing control over your spending? If so, you’re not alone. Thankfully, my guest this week is here to help. Lauren Greutman is a financial coach who has appeared on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and Good Morning America, sharing simple, easy ways families can take back control of their money, live within their means, and create the happier life they’ve always dreamed of. I sat down with Lauren to find out how...

Here on the MapleMoney show, we’ve covered stock and real estate investing, but never in the same episode. But that all changes this week. Cody Yeh is my guest, and he’s here to explain how he combines real estate, stocks, and stock options to compound the growth of his investments. Cody is a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan who came to Canada at the age of 18, went to university as an engineer, and eventually left his white-collar job. He’s now a real estate investor and a Stock &...

For most of us, price is the driving factor behind our spending decisions. But should we be looking deeper into the things we buy? My guest this week joins the show to explain how we can use our wallets to affect change in the world around us. Tanja Hester retired early from a career in political and social change communications to devote all her time to purpose-driven projects. Tanja is the author of the award-winning book, “Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way”, called...

We’re all familiar with different types of insurance - home insurance, health insurance, car insurance - but what about stock insurance? Jerremy Newsome is my guest this week, and we’re talking about a subject that we haven’t tackled before here on the show - options trading. Options can be complicated, but Jerremy does a great job of breaking things down and making a complex topic much easier to understand. According to Jeremy, options are a type of insurance contract, plain and simple. Is...

Can an insurance policy form part of your investment strategy? It’s one of the many questions I wanted to ask my guest this week. Gregory Rozdeba is the co-founder and President of Dundas Life, a digital insurance brokerage that uses technology to make life insurance simple, accessible, & personalized for Canadians. Greg joins me on the show to discuss the various types of insurance you can buy, and explains when an insurance policy might make sense as an investment. You can find the...

One of the great things about financial independence is having the ability to shift priorities when your plans change. My guest this week was on the journey to early retirement, but something changed. Mel Dorion is the blogger and creator of Modest Millionaires. She discovered FIRE early in her career & crafted a 10-year plan for her family to reach financial independence by 2025. In 2021, she made the decision to slow things down, by leaving her career as a public servant and spending...

Have you been the victim of credit card fraud? If so, you’ve felt the anger, and even embarrassment that can come with it. This week, I spoke with someone who knows first hand how it feels to be a victim of fraud. Kari Norman is the author and creator behind the personal finance blog, Money In Your Tea. She has a background in Economics and is now self-employed, providing association management and bookkeeping services. Kari joins me on the show to tell her story, and to share some tips on...

Have you ever been tempted to buy a stock based on advice from a friend or an article you read online? Maybe you went ahead and bought that hot stock. Unfortunately, those types of stories don’t usually end very well. But that doesn’t mean you should stay out of the market. My guest this week is Joseph Hogue, of Let’s Talk Money YouTube fame. Joseph is a Chartered Financial Analyst with a 20-year background in venture capital and wealth management. I sat down with Joseph at FinCon, in...

Grocery prices have been in the headlines lately, but it’s not a good news story. For various reasons, inflationary pressures are causing prices to rise for many household items, including the food in your fridge. Thankfully, there are ways you can fight back. Bob Lai is my guest this week. He and his wife are dividend investors who also know a thing or two about how to manage higher prices at the grocery store. Bob runs the personal finance blog Tawcan and has spent a lot of time...

You don’t have to be an expert to invest, but if you want to invest using leverage, some advanced knowledge is required. This week, I sat down with the Money Mechanic to discuss how he and his wife invest with leverage to get ahead financially. For the unfamiliar, Money Mechanic is the host of two Canadian personal finance podcasts, FI Garage and Explore FI Canada. He's a helicopter mechanic by trade, but an investor at heart. He loves talking about anything money and is passionate about...