What Every DIY Investor Should Know Before Buying ETFs in Canada
Release Date: 05/21/2026
Build Wealth Canada Podcast
When we first start our do-it-yourself investing journey here in Canada, almost all of our focus is understandably on the accumulation phase. We are diligently saving, maximizing our TFSA and RRSP contributions, and figuring out the right asset allocation of low-cost index ETFs to grow our wealth. But what happens when you actually hit your number? What happens the day after you reach financial independence, and you can finally quit your job to design the exact life you want? People often think that it is all pure bliss, but for many of us, a whole new wave of anxiety sets in. Suddenly, you...
info_outlineBuild 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...
info_outlineBuild Wealth Canada Podcast
Today’s episode is going to be especially useful if you’re a Canadian DIY investor and you want to build an optimized, passive, low-cost portfolio, but you still have questions about some of the practical details. For example, should you just buy one all-in-one asset allocation ETF, or is there a benefit to buying the underlying ETFs individually? How much should you care about ETF trading volume? What does liquidity actually mean when we’re talking about ETFs? Should you use market orders or limit orders when buying ETFs? And if you’re an income-focused investor, what are the pros and...
info_outlineBuild Wealth Canada Podcast
As the markets hit all-time highs again, one of the things that has become top of mind for me personally is how to make sure that our investments are actually secure. If you're a long-term passive, total market index investor like me, then you've definitely seen your portfolio grow quite substantially over the years. With this, one begins to wonder: What can be done to ensure the security of those investments? In this case, I'm not talking about the volatility of the investments themselves, but rather how to ensure that our investment and other financial accounts do not get hacked, that...
info_outlineBuild Wealth Canada Podcast
In 2026, it is estimated that nearly half of all Canadian mortgages will be up for renewal. This involves over 1 million households here in Canada. Because of the change in interest rates, some of these households could see their monthly payments jump by 15% to 20% on average—and in extreme cases, even higher. That’s the bad news. The good news is that if your mortgage is coming up for renewal, the stress test requirements have likely changed since the last time you took out a mortgage years ago. You actually have more power than ever to leave your current mortgage provider if you find a...
info_outlineBuild 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...
info_outlineBuild 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...
info_outlineBuild 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...
info_outlineBuild Wealth Canada Podcast
Today, we have a Canadian guest who has literally done over 400 interviews with different personal finance experts over the years, many of which were specifically for Canadians. Today, I pick his brain on the common conclusions, best practices, and recurring advice he's heard after interviewing so many personal finance experts. My guest, Kyle Prevost, is also part of the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement and was able to hit his financial independence number at a very early age. I pick his brain on what safe withdrawal rate he has settled on and why, based on his extensive...
info_outlineBuild 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...
info_outlineToday’s episode is going to be especially useful if you’re a Canadian DIY investor and you want to build an optimized, passive, low-cost portfolio, but you still have questions about some of the practical details.
For example, should you just buy one all-in-one asset allocation ETF, or is there a benefit to buying the underlying ETFs individually? How much should you care about ETF trading volume? What does liquidity actually mean when we’re talking about ETFs? Should you use market orders or limit orders when buying ETFs? And if you’re an income-focused investor, what are the pros and cons of building your portfolio around dividends?
We also get into the active versus passive investing debate, why it’s so difficult for stock pickers and active managers to consistently beat the market over the long term, and how investors can think about risk when comparing traditional bonds with things like low-volatility ETFs.
Also as a Build Wealth Canada listener, we have a brand new free issue of Canadian MoneySaver magazine for you. The issue focuses specifically on ETFs here in Canada, I wrote an article for it as well, and you can get the digital version of the entire magazine for free by going to buildwealthcanada.ca/magazine.
Our Guests:
To help answer these questions, we have two great guests joining us.
First, we have Chris White from Canadian MoneySaver Magazine. Chris is also the Head of Research at 5i Research, and you may have heard him on CBC Radio or BNN Bloomberg.
We’re also joined by popular returning guest Danielle Neziol, who is a very experienced and passionate educator when it comes to DIY investing here in Canada, especially index investing using low-cost ETFs, which, by the way, is literally how I invest all of my own money. Danielle is one of the hosts of the ETF Market Insights YouTube channel, she’s a frequent speaker at industry events across Canada, and she works at BMO ETFs, one of the largest ETF providers in Canada so she incredible access to some of the best education, best practices, and resources when it comes to DIY investing here in Canada.
Disclaimer:
This content is sponsored by BMO Exchange Traded Funds.
This content is intended for information purposes only. Build Wealth Canada is compensated under this arrangement by BMO Exchange Traded Funds. The views expressed herein are subject to change without notice. The content contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment advice to any party. Particular investments and/or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to the individual’s investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance.
BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name under which BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. operate.
This podcast is for information purposes only. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice to any party. Particular investments and/or trading strategies should be evaluated and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance.
ETF and Mutual Fund portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice at any time. Index returns do not reflect transactions costs or the deduction of other fees and expenses and it is not possible to invest directly in an Index. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Any statement that necessarily depends on future events may be a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although such statements are based on assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations. Investors are cautioned not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. In connection with any forward-looking statements, investors should carefully consider the areas of risk described in the most recent prospectus.
Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in exchange-traded funds. Please read the ETF Facts or prospectus of the BMO ETFs before investing. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in unit value and reinvestment of all dividends or distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any unitholder that would have reduced returns. Exchange-traded funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
For a summary of the risks of an investment in the BMO ETFs, please see the specific risks set out in the BMO ETF’s prospectus. BMO ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase the risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.
BMO ETFs are managed and administered by BMO Asset Management Inc., an investment fund manager and a portfolio manager, and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal. BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name under which BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. operate.
“BMO” is a registered trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence..