Show Notes
What's the point of retiring early if you're not going to use that extra time to travel? This week's episode dives into how Bob and Nelson use travel hacking to save serious money on flights, hotels, and more. Bob shares how he used points to save a ton of money on a recent trip, including ways to accumulate those points quickly in the first place. We also look at some of the negatives, including how companies are constantly devaluing points and how it's harder than ever to get the really good deals.
More from DIY Wealth Canada Podcast
We know, we know. Bonds aren't a very sexy asset class. You're not about to impress a potential mate with your bond portfolio. They're boring and offer limited returns. But maybe things are changing. U.S. Treasury bonds are suddenly offering 5%+ yields, which is more than a lot of dividends. There's a certain appeal to putting all your money in Treasuries and heading to the beach. We discuss the pros and cons of that plan from a Canadian perspective, and offer a more balanced look at the role bonds might play in your portfolio -- including why they might be most valuable as a ballast, as a source of fresh capital to put to work when stocks are down. We also go over the dangers of chasing yield in the bond world, how what look like super generous payouts are riskier than they seem.
You want stocks? You got it! This week Bob and Nelson give our opinions on 10 different stocks, everything from U.S. tech giants to Canadian rails, plus thoughts on Enbridge, A&W, Intact Financial, Granite REIT, and more. Then, after that, we're tackling a subject every financially responsible parent has pondered at least once or twice -- just how do you raise money smart kids. We debate whether this important topic should be taught in schools, and what parents can do to give their children a leg up.
Get your library cards ready! This week on the pod Bob and Nelson discuss our favourite finance books, which will likely include some of your favourites -- and potentially some new ones, too. We also discuss one that is popular in the community, but is unloved by at least one of us. We're hiding deep in our respective bunkers just in case y'all get *real* excited about that one. Let us know in the comments which finance books you like. Bonus points for a little more obscure ones. We also tackle one of the great debates in finance -- should you invest a lump sum immediately, or dollar cost average over time? The experts say one thing, but we explore all the options.
Our first guest of season 2 is a good one. Bob and Nelson welcome early retiree John Champaign to the show to squash the various early retirement myths you see floating around social media. Do you really need $5M to retire? Will you be forced to kill time in front of the tv, just waiting to die? We put these myths (plus more!) to the test, and lean on John's experience as someone who retired early and stayed retired.
In this episode, Bob and Nelson look back at some of the lessons we learned from season 1, but we go even deeper. We talk about how important it is to write down your thoughts, so there's a record of what you were thinking when you make certain decisions. Then we dive deep into the topic of coast FIRE, pointing out the pros and cons of this intermediate step towards financial independence. It might be just the thing you're looking for if you're on your way to full financial independence, but want to take your foot off the gas pedal a bit. Finally we tackle Canadian banks. Are they overvalued? Should you be buying or selling today? We go through what we think of these wonderful forever stocks.