Top Investing Mistakes: Common Analytical Errors Canadian DIY Investors Make
Release Date: 01/13/2026
Essential Money Lessons from the Doctor Who Wrote the Curriculum
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
What are the most critical personal finance pillars that have the greatest impact on our financial wellbeing? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Steph Zhou, the creator of the mandatory financial literacy curriculum for medical students at the University of Toronto. Dr. Steph shares the core components she identified through her research that have the greatest impact on our financial well-being. What You Will Learn in This Episode The Core Pillars of Personal Finance: Discover the critical components of financial literacy that we should all focus on mastering. The Power of Expense...
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4 Mortgage Rule Changes That Give You More Power in 2026: Fixed vs Variable, Stress Test Changes, Should You Break Your Mortgage?
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
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Build Wealth Canada Podcast
One of the most common questions I get, and honestly one of the biggest sources of anxiety for anyone nearing financial independence is: "How much can I spend without running out of money once I quit my job and start living off my investments?" It’s one thing to see a big number in your investment account; it’s another thing entirely to hit the "withdraw" button and start taking money out. Research, and my own experience shows that many Canadians end up underspending. They live a smaller life than they need to simply because they don't have a structured process they can trust. Some blindly...
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Top Investing Mistakes: Common Analytical Errors Canadian DIY Investors Make
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
With the new year kicking off, investing is top of mind for many of us, especially with all the new contribution room that many of us just received in our different registered accounts here in Canada (TFSA, RRSP, RESP, FHSA). Now before we decide what to invest in with our contributions this year, I thought it would be wise to look into: -What are some of the major and common mistakes that Canadian investors make when they do their own analysis on which investment to buy? -When we are looking to compare two investments, whether it’s a mutual fund, or an ETF, what is the process that we...
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David Chilton: Safe Withdrawal Rates, ETFs, & Finding Purpose Before and After Financial Independence
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
One of my favourite types of interviews is when I get to interview someone who has hit their financial independence or retirement number early, and then picking their brain on how they got there, what worked well for them, what didn’t, what mistakes they could have avoided, and learning what makes them feel happy and fulfilled both before and after hitting financial independence. Well this time, I got to do this with one of the most famous personal finance experts in Canada, David Chilton, who, as you may know, was also one of the dragons on Dragon’s Den. Dave’s bestselling book, The...
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The Canadian Guide to Index Investing & Rethinking Your "Safe" Money
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
In this episode, my goal was to make it relevant for both types of listeners: First, for those who are just getting started in do-it-yourself investing or are looking to transition to becoming passive index investors instead of trying to beat the market by stock picking or owning expensive actively managed funds. We’re going to build a strong foundation for you here to help you get started, such as discussing what it actually means to be a total market index investor, and what the research says about passive index investing versus actively trying to pick investments that will beat the...
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The One Habit Every Financially Independent Person Shares
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
Links to speak to today's guests: Thuy Lam: Alanna Abramsky: After conducting hundreds of interviews over the past 10 years with different financial experts and those who have been able to hit their financial independence number early, one of the common themes and best practices that I’ve noticed emerge time and time again is that those who are wealthy actually track their spending. At the end of the day, knowing what you spend every year on essential expenses versus discretionary expenses like vacations and fun activities lets you actually forecast with pretty good accuracy how much you...
info_outlineWith the new year kicking off, investing is top of mind for many of us, especially with all the new contribution room that many of us just received in our different registered accounts here in Canada (TFSA, RRSP, RESP, FHSA).
Now before we decide what to invest in with our contributions this year, I thought it would be wise to look into:
-What are some of the major and common mistakes that Canadian investors make when they do their own analysis on which investment to buy?
-When we are looking to compare two investments, whether it’s a mutual fund, or an ETF, what is the process that we should follow to make sure that we are doing appropriate and thorough due diligence?
-Are we paying near the low-end vs the top-end of the spectrum when it comes to fees? What would be considered a “high” fee vs a “low” fee for the Canadian investor?
-Are there other charges or fees that we should be mindful of in addition to just looking at the MER for an ETF or mutual fund?
-How to properly compare investments that we are considering?
We go into all that and more in this episode. Enjoy!
Resources Mentioned:
ETF Guide: What I Invest In and Why?
Disclaimer:
This podcast is sponsored by BMO Exchange Traded Funds. Build Wealth Canada is compensated under this arrangement by BMO ETFs.
This communication is intended for information purposes only. This update has been prepared by Build Wealth Canada and represents their assessment at the time of publication. The comments contained do not necessarily represent the views of BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM). The views expressed by the host and the interviewee are subject to change without notice as markets change over time. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment advice to any party. Investments should be evaluated relative to the individual's investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance.
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