Blog

Is Now a Good Time To Invest?

Posted on: June 21, 2023

By Karin Mizgala,
co-founder and CEO Money Coaches Canada

Non-Registered Investment

In the conversations we’ve had with our clients in recent weeks, there is certainly concern and questions about the market and economic fallout from COVID-19, high inflation, and rising interest rates as central banks respond, but most are staying the course with their investment plan.  

And perhaps that’s the point. They have an investment and financial plan. While no one could have anticipated the timing and severity of the pandemic and its economic after effects, our clients do have a plan (that is based on realistic rate of return assumptions) that takes the ups and downs of the market into consideration. They have the comfort of knowing that the investment and financial decisions they have made so far are based on a full analysis of their goals, values and their personal and financial circumstances.   

During the depths of the pandemic, a client of my colleague Sheila summed it up: “we are grateful we have had your guidance for so long and can focus on health instead of worrying about money at a time like this”.

In fact, we’ve had more questions from clients about whether this is a good time to invest with money they have sitting in cash.     Continue reading →

Posted in Money Coaching


Better Coaching through Collaboration – The Money Coaches Canada 2023 Conference

Posted on: June 14, 2023

An undeniable advantage of working together as a team – as we do at Money Coaches Canada – is the opportunity for on-going collaboration and mutual learning.

In May the Money Coaches Canada team assembled to review what we do – and more importantly, WHY we do it – and how we can grow as financial coaches to better meet the needs of our varied clients and guide them along their lifelong financial journeys. This year we gathered on beautiful Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.

We thought we’d share a few pictures of the team and the breathtaking and inspiring view from our conference venue. Continue reading →

Posted in Money Coaching


The Value of Financial Advice

Posted on: May 17, 2023

By Jenny Reimer, CIM, CFP®
Director, Financial Planning

We’ve all seen the commercials and maybe even read an article that attempts to measure the value of financial advice. Simply put, most people who work with an advisor build more wealth over time. Research shows that this is due to a combination of appropriate investment strategies, better savings habits, and coaching to avoid costly mistakes.

investment management

As Money Coaches, we have seen there are also significant intangible benefits to seeking out personalized financial advice and putting it into action. Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning


Decluttering Your Money and Taking Control

Posted on: April 19, 2023

By Karin Mizgala,
co-founder and CEO Money Coaches Canada

From January to April most Canadians are knee deep in financial paperwork. With tax and RSP season almost behind you, you may be left wondering what to do with all the financial paperwork that has accumulated over the months or in some cases years.

The question of what to keep, what to toss and how to stay on top of financial paperwork comes up a lot with my clients. With the movement toward digital financial records, it can be easier to be organized and less cluttered with paperwork.

Now is a great time to check-in on your financial management systems and to implement these easy ways to simplify and stay in control!

Here are a few financial tasks and organizing tips that you might want to check off your list before you kick back and relax into summer mode. 

Continue reading →

Posted in Budgeting and Cash Flow, Money Coaching




Workcation: 5 Things you need to Know when Living and Working on the Road

Posted on: March 15, 2023

By Karin Mizgala, CFP®
Co-founder and CEO Money Coaches Canada

living on the road

Wayne and Karin with their rig

To say that my husband Wayne and I are quite different is an understatement. He’s an artist and I’m a financial planner. Say no more! However, the one thing we are in perfect agreement on is that we love road trips. Any chance we get, we hit the road and often use this opportunity to dream and set goals and intentions for our life together.

Over the years one of our big dreams was to buy an RV and bring our home with us on our adventures.

We hit a few roadblocks when the time came to make this a reality. I had envisioned a little cozy 20-foot van and he had his sights on a Willy Nelson celebrity bus to the tune of $300K+. With my financial planner hat on, I quickly kiboshed that idea.

We (ok I) set a budget and started shopping. Wayne had always wanted a big red truck, so we settled on a modest truck and travel trailer to see if this life was for us.

While Wayne is a retired history prof, I’m still several years away from retirement so a big consideration was whether it was possible (or even desirable) to work on the road. I knew that, at least in theory, I could work from anywhere but was it doable in practice?

If you’re considering working on the road, here are a few of the lessons that we learned so far with some input from my intrepid traveler colleague Steve Bridge: Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Working on the road




The Secret to Financial Happiness in Challenging Times

Posted on: December 14, 2022

By Karin Mizgala, CFP®
Co-founder and CEO Money Coaches Canada

improving relationship to money

The end of a year is often a time for reflection. What are we thankful for? What challenges did we face last year? What do we want from the coming year for ourselves, our family and our community? Often the short answer is that we want to be happy. We want those we love to be happy especially given the challenges of the past few years.

A simple, common word that can be hard to explain, because while Webster’s dictionary may define it as ‘having, displaying, or marked by pleasure or joy,” ultimately, we must each define how we achieve happiness for ourselves. Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Money Coaching, Relationship to money


The Hidden Benefits of Improving your Financial Literacy (and four steps to help you get there)

Posted on: November 16, 2022

By Jenny Reimer, CIM, CFP®
Director, Financial Planning

November is Financial Literacy Month and there’s reason to celebrate. Canada has one of the highest financial literacy rates in the world (1), with a recent survey finding that 68% of Canadians are financially literate (2). That also means there’s lots of room for improvement! At Money Coaches Canada, we are passionate about increasing every Canadian’s financial literacy. We know that making the right financial decisions can have a positive impact on so many other areas of our life: our relationships, our self-confidence and our health, just to name a few.

Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Literacy


A Surprising Challenge in Retirement: Spending What you Worked so Hard to Save

Posted on: October 19, 2022

By Jenny Reimer, CFP®
Director, Financial Planning

pensions canadaMaking the psychological shift from saver to spender can be surprisingly difficult for many new retirees. We often meet with clients who are hesitant to draw down their investments and who feel overwhelmed by all the choices they need to make to live off their savings in retirement. We came across this insightful article from CNN that discusses why it can feel uncomfortable to spend your retirement savings and how you can make it easier on yourself.

Here are a few of their top tips:
Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Retirement savings


Find A Coach