All Posts By

Daniel

Investing

EQ Bank: Not Your Parents’ Bank.

When was the last time you stepped into a bank? For us, trips have become increasingly few and far in between. Don’t get me wrong; I have fond memories of my dad walking me into a branch to open my very first account as a wee lad. I used that account for decades with an unwavering- yet unfounded- loyalty, believing that I was using the best service in the business. Until, I discovered, I wasn’t.

As the years came and went, fees increased, services were reduced and attractive promotions only applied to new customers. The day of reckoning came when said bank, which shall rename nameless, raised the minimum balance waive fees. It was the last straw. I closed my account, canceled my credit card and took my business elsewhere- to a bank with no fees.

Enter the new kid on the block, a new online bank with no fees and 3% interest: EQ Bank.

EQ Bank, Who?

EQ Bank is owned by Equitable Bank, the 9th largest federally regulated Schedule 1 bank with 14 billion in assets under management. Funds up to $100,000 deposited are covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), just like the rest of the big banks. Except for the fact that they are offering something that the big banks are not:

The EQ Bank Savings Plus Account

The EQ Bank Savings Plus account is an interesting take on ye regular ol’ bank account, in that there is no defined distinction between chequings or savings. It’s a savings account that you can use for your everyday transactions. With it, you get:

Pros:

  • 3% interest rate on your entire balance, calculated daily paid monthly.
  • 5 free Interac e-Transfers per month
  • Unlimited transactions (deposits, bill payments, fund transfers)
  • Mobile app with mobile cheque deposit
  • No minimum balance
  • No monthly fees
  • Secure online chat.
  • 24/7 Customer service support based in Canada.

Cons:

  • No debit card or ATM access (more on this later).
  • No joint account
  • Not yet available in Quebec

Related: Comparing Canadian Chequing Accounts

EQ Bank is also taking a different approach on the savings front; account holders can open an unlimited number of sub-accounts for specific savings goals.

Wait, there’s NO Debit Card?

You read that right. There is no debit card issued with the account. That also means you can’t take cash out at an ATM and you can’t pay for anything in store using this account.

Why on earth would they do that? Debit cards, payment processing and ATM agreements all cost money, which according to to EQ Bank, means less savings to pass along to its customers.

The account is designed to help customers reach savings goals and is supposed to be used in conjunction with or as a companion to existing banking situations. Deposits and withdrawals are handled through Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT), typical for online banks, which take a couple business days to clear or can be done through the free Interac e-Transfers.

The Last Word

A bank account with no debit card isn’t going to be for everybody, but could be of interest to anyone looking for a place to park short term savings.

Nonetheless, the world of online banking come boils down to a single word: Trust. Could you, would you, should you, trust your money with an online financial institution with no physical infrastructure?

Only you can decide. It may just not be for your parents.

Is EQ Bank worth a test drive?

Investing

Our Investment Returns for 2015

2015 marks the third year in which I’ve been tracking our portfolio’s rate of return across all of our investment accounts. Our investments are held in TD e-Series index funds across registered mutual fund accounts. To borrow from Tim Ferris: “Investing is the act of allocating resources to improve one’s quality of life.” In his opinion, if an investment has an amazing return of 20% yet keeps him up at night, the speculative future gain is not worth the time and effort.

Investing in index funds comfortably diversifies our investments among 1664 companies spread across industries and geographies. It also comes at a low cost and requires a minimal effort to maintain. To calculate our return on investments, I’ve taken to the habit of using the approximate time-weighted rate of return calculation using a monthly Modified Dietz method. Without further ado, read on for a breakdown of our investment returns for 2015.

“Investing is the act of allocating resources to improve one’s quality of life.”

The RESPs

It’s been four calendar years since we first began investing in little brother’s education. We started the year at a balance of $10,806 and deposited the requisite $2,500 to trigger the Canadian Education Savings Grant (CESG) contribution of $500. For the sake of calculation, I factored in the CESG as a contribution, rather than investment gain, which resulted in a total rate of return of 9.59% for the year.

Little Sister’s account was opened and funded towards the end of September and was sitting at $3,141 at year’s end; good enough for 6.23% growth over three months.

Combined, the total rate of return on our RESP investments works out to a 9.65%.

The TFSAs

One of our goals for 2015 was to maximize the $5,500 contribution to both of our TFSA accounts. When the government announced an increase to the contribution limit for the year, we contributed $10K to one account and the $7K to the other.

Across two accounts, the total rate of return on our TFSA investments in 2015 was 9.62%.

Related: The Beginner’s Guide to the TFSA

The RRSPs

We have four RRSP accounts between the two of us. We contribute to our company defined contribution plans, where contributions are matched up to a set percentage of our salary. We each also have a RRSP account with the bank, though mine was opened as part of an ongoing experiment.

At the beginning of 2014, I invested $1,000 in an account alongside several prominent bloggers to see how the passive indexing approach using TD e-Series funds compared to other styles of investing. At the end of the first year, it grew to $1,133 and was good enough for a 3rd place finish among 20 participants. As of 2015 year end, the account sits at $1,295.62. It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on the account and will serve as a good reminder of how much $1,000 can grow as the years continue.

Across four accounts, the total rate of return on our RRSP investments in 2015 was 10.30%.

Related: The Beginner’s Guide to the RRSP

The Last Word

Including fees, our investment return for 2015 was 9.91%.

The portfolio was able to post a gain for the year despite the slump in oil prices, greek crisis and giant fluctuations due to swings in the chinese market. This growth can neither be attributed to superior timing or skill on our part, but rather an understanding in a fundamental tenet of our capitalist economy- that the market will continue to grow over time.

That’s not to say that our portfolio will experience positive growth every year. There are inherent risks after all but a broadly diversified, low cost portfolio paired with the right behaviours to weather the ups and downs are the best tools to keep our financial future on the right track.

How did your investments perform in 2015?

Lifestyle

30 Financial Milestones to reach by Age 30

With my birthday fast approaching, I thought it’d be fun to check in on the 30 financial milestones to reach by age 30 that have been floating around the internet for a while. How many of these did I manage to check off the list? Read on for my shocking confessions!

1. Financially independent of your parents. That ship sailed a while ago- pretty much right out of school. We worked off $30K in student loans, paid for our wedding and put together a down payment with our own hard earned cash. Emily did live with her parents for almost two years after graduating as we saved up to get hitched. I, on the other hand, had the good fortunes of crashing in a basement apartment of a rooming house. It was cheap ok? Good times all around.

2. Debt free. Technically, the mortgage is debt, so no. That said, credit cards are paid off in full each cycle and there aren’t any other loans to speak of.

3. Out of overdraft. What’s overdraft?

4. Established good credit history. At last check, ye ole credit score was hanging out at 782.

5. Have $25,000+ saved for retirement. Check and then some.

6. Started an investment portfolio. We started investing with TD e-Series index funds shortly after the birth of Big Brother. It’s great knowing that my portfolio will continue to grow over the long term without having to keep an eye on the market.

We don’t have an emergency fund.

7. Established an emergency fund. Yes, we did have a traditional emergency fund but we now take a little bit more of an unconventional approach. We’re comfortable with our habits and our financial health so we have our emergency savings  invested in the TFSA.

8. Properly insured. Health: check (thanks Canada). Life: check. Content and car: check. Disability: hmmm, maybe we should look into that?

9. Maximizing employer benefits. We participate in our company defined benefit contribution plans where contributing a percentage of our income is matched by our employer. Use it or lose it.

10. In the habit of tracking your spending. I use a combination of spreadsheets and You Need a Budget a.k.a. YNAB (referral link) to track our spending and net worth.

11. Done with impulse purchases. Apparently, I’m a robot and have no impulses. Just ask Emily.

12. Willing to spend where it counts. Korea, Brazil, or that time we took off to tour Asia. I’ve been called all sorts of crazy for not paying for mobile phone data, but it’s tradeoffs like these that enable our jet setting ways.

13. In the habit of regularly checking your credit report. Once a year. Like clockwork.

14. On top or ahead of all your monthly bills. Paid in full. Also like clockwork.

We use credit cards for almost everything.

15. At least one big splurge you saved up for and paid in full with cash. Wedding, car and travel aside- Laser. Eye. Surgery. Best $4,500 I ever spent. I diligently saved my monthly allowance and sold off a bunch of my prized possessions (ciao, xbox) to pay for it. I did not, however, pay for it in cash; you don’t get travel reward points for that, silly. I paid with a credit card and cleared the balance at the end of the month.

16. An understanding of personal income taxes and how to minimize what you pay. UFile is my friend. Maxback does all the work for me. Ok, admittedly, I could do better.

17. Diligently saving for a big purchase. See #12. or #15.

18. A clear direction of your career. I’m still sorting out what I want to do when I grow up. Astronaut, rock star or pro football (soccer to you, weirdos) player.

19. A profitable side income. TBD. Side hustles abound. Whether they’re profitable is another story.

20. A positive, growing net worth. We kids are alright.

21. A BHAG for your finances. Big Hairy Audacious Goal? Where do I start? Raise $10K to build a health clinic in Nigeria. Save 50% of our income. That’s a bit of a stretch, because daycare, but give it a few years and maybe we’ll hit it. Got your binoculars? You’re looking at some form of entrepreneurship with what looks like location independence off in the distance.

22. An understanding and a plan of how your money will deliver the lifestyle you want. We’ve carefully considered the trade offs we’re willing to make to live the lifestyle we want. Living in a smaller space helps us avoid being house rich and cash poor. It’s not without its perks: Chatime is just around the corner.

23. So over measuring your finances against that of your friends. I find it helpful to focus on the things I can change rather than thinking about things that are out of my control.

We’ve never had cable- not even growing up.

24. Less consumption-oriented. One of the lessons we’ve gleaned from our travels is how people can live contently with little. Wealth isn’t defined by material possessions and we’re working to break the curse of excessive consumerism.

25. A healthy relationship with credit cards. Sure, if an addiction to travel rewards is healthy. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, credit cards get paid off every month.

26. A regular contribution to charity. We’re fortunate to lead incredibly blessed lives, and I believe it is on us to be a blessing to those around us. If I’ve learned anything from my 3 year old, it is to give- and give freely. Like the man named Picasso once said “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

27. If you’re part of a couple, a healthy way of sharing money with your partner. We have combined finances and use a joint bank account- that works for us. No matter the situation, transparency and trust are paramount; we are working towards the same goals, after all.

28. A commitment to putting free or cheap before convenient. We haven’t eaten out in over two months. I don’t mind; Emily is a chef extraordinaire. She, on the other hand, has been known to gaze longingly at pastries through pane glass windows.

29. Done paying unnecessary fees. After years of keeping minimum balances avoid banking fees, I switched to no-fee banking a few years ago and invested the balance. Cable television is also an unnecessary fee. Yeah, that’s right. I said it.

30. An understanding and appreciation for the reality that money is only a tool of exchange, and not worth obsessing over. Learning to put our money on autopilot has really allowed us to take on and tackle the things that we really care about. While it certainly can be helpful, it is not a prerequisite to living a life with purpose in accordance with your values.

My big confession: I’m actually turning 31! To celebrate, I’m throwing in a bonus milestone.

31. Maintain a will. Yeah, we have one. But this is more of a reminder that I still need to add Little Sister to it.

The Last Word

While this is a fun exercise, don’t get caught in the trap of comparing your progress with someone else’s. Every person’s situation is different and the milestones within reach will depend on your specific set of circumstances. Maybe you just finished grad school or are experiencing sleepless nights with a newborn- some of these milestones will come easier than others. As you work towards achieving some of these goals, keep this in mind:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”
-Mark Twain

This collection of 30 financial milestones to reach by 30 is by no means a definitive list. Break down the milestones into manageable steps and get started. Before long, you’ll be checking them off your list.

Which milestones do you feel are the best place to start?

Featured Investing

Investing Advice for Millennials

Millennials have what you might call a bad rap. The stereotypes perpetrated by their elders would have you think millennials are lazy, self-obsessed and entitled. Apparently, they’re also eager to move back into their parent’s basement.

Emily and I are both millennials. We get it. The odds seem to be stacked against us. Soaring tuition rates left us with piles in student loans. Housing prices make it near impossible for home ownership. Retirement? Com’on, everyday expenses can be tough enough as it is. The struggle is real.

What it doesn’t mean, however, is that the struggle can’t be overcome. We’re fortunate to have been born in a first world country, with a support system of friends and family and an education to boot. That has helped us get to where we are today.

Everybody has a unique set of circumstances but getting a hold of finances and getting started on investing isn’t as hard as you might think it is. Here’s some investing advice for millennials that I wish I had learned earlier.

Time is of the essence.

Time isn’t something you can get back. Opportunities pass us by and often, they don’t come back.

One night in my university days, a long long while ago, I was heading home from some event or another with some friends. Our route home took us by an arch- probably 25 feet high- just outside the town’s city hall. It was well into the early hours of the morning and with no one around, we got to wondering,  

Hey, do you think we can climb that?”

Well, of course we could. YOLO, right? Without a second thought, we hopped the fence and scrambled on all fours to the top. High fives all around.

Ever do something stupid because YOLO?

You only live once. It doesn’t just apply to dumb things that seem like good ideas. Think about it. Time isn’t something you can get back. Opportunities pass us by and often, they don’t come back. Things that are worth doing should be done sooner rather than later.

Investing is one of those things. The miracle of compound interest works best over time. It works better over lots of it. The sooner you start investing, the better off your financial future will be.

CompoundInterest

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get the INVESTMENT GROWTH CALCULATOR!

Don’t miss out.

84 percent think that holding cash is best for the long term. They’re all missing out.

In the HIMYIM episode “Curse of the Blitz,” Steve passes on a curse to Ted Mosby that results in him missing out on epic, and oddly miraculous, occurrences. It was an effect so strong that Ted’s absence was to be the very cause of these epic events. Long story short, the curse gets passed on to Barney, everyone yells “the gentlemaaaaaaan!” and leaves him wishing he had been there. No one wanted to be the the Blitz. They all had FOMO.

There aren’t many instances where I would advocate for having the fear of missing out, but I’ll make an exception for investing. A recent Bankrate study pegs 26 percent of people under age 30 as owning equities. That suggests an overwhelming 84 percent think that holding cash is best for the long term. They’re all missing out. Don’t be one of them.

The study credits the dot-com bubble burst and the meltdown of 2008 with keeping many from investing in the market. As fearful as market crashes may be, it doesn’t change the fact that money invested over the long term- say 30 years- will outgrow any cash you have lying around. Don’t miss out on the long term returns of the market.

Seriously, doe.

We didn’t start investing until shortly before we had kids. Prior to 2008, we were throwing all of our savings into our mortgage. I had a fear of investing in the market so I procrastinated and put it off. In hindsight, investing those savings would have worked better in our favour with mortgage interest rates so low. The markets have since tripled. We missed out on significant market returns because we didn’t start investing sooner.

When I finally got around to it, I learned that investing is a zero-sum game and that the key to “winning” is about time in the market and keeping expenses to a minimum. I opted for a low cost index investing approach with TD e-Series funds. It takes as little as 15 minutes a year to manage and it’s all much easier than I thought it would be. Forget what the elder generations think about us. Let compound interest work its magic to keep your future on fleek. Don’t delay, don’t miss out. Get on that.

Do you have any advice for your younger millennial self?

Lifestyle

Money Lessons from a 3 Year Old

3 year olds are exhausting. They wake up at the crack of dawn, throw food all over clean floors and conveniently wake up screaming just as you fall asleep. And they make you worry: about how much they eat, how much they sleep and what they’re learning. And yet the amazing thing about kids, as any parent will agree, is how quickly they absorb things around them and how their observations are reflected in their behaviour. They watch, they observe, and they pick up on nuances that otherwise go unnoticed. By watching him, I’ve picked up few things of my own. Here are a few things about money I’m learning from my 3 year old.

On Spending

We like to give Big Brother options and ask him to choose: which shirt do you want to wear, do you want an apple or an orange for snack, you get the idea. The illusion of choice helps with decision making and increases his independence and confidence. One fine summer evening, Emily was on one of her online shopping benders, picking out trendy local handmade fashions. Armed with a few choices, she opted to let him make up his mind.

“No Mama,” he said. “I already have lots of clothes and I wear them all the time. I don’t need new ones.” Emily reluctantly agreed. No money was spent that day.

Kids don’t have to be as expensive as we make them out to be. Sure, new outfits have their place but purchases tend to satisfy our needs rather than theirs. Come to think about it, we also have a closet full of clothes. What else are we buying that we just don’t need?

On Saving

A few months ago, we re-painted our condo in varying shades of white. Vehemently disapproving of our design aesthetic, Big Brother declared that he is saving up his money to buy a house with dark blue walls. Now, any coin that he comes across goes right into his piggy bank to save for his house of his dreams. He still hasn’t given up on his vision and continues to remind us of his steadfast resolve. Yet, on his weekly farmer’s market visits, he takes out a quarter for a cup of tasty apple cider.

It isn’t hard to save for long terms goals if you know what you want and you want it enough. It’s also important not to lose sight of the short term needs and enjoy the little things that make the effort worth the while.

On Having Fun

Every time I travel for work, I come back with a surprise for Big Brother. Each of those surprises have contributed to an impressive collection of Pixar Cars that he lines up on the floor of his room. He loves Lightning McQueen and all his “Cars with eyes.” They are his toys of choice and he plays with them ALL. THE. TIME.

Until recently. The cars have been spending more time tucked away in their basket because Big Brother has discovered a love for books. Books we bring back from our weekly trips to the library. Don’t get me wrong, he loves the cars but it it may just be that the books are more interesting.

Toys, the latest tech gadgets and a new handbags end up collecting dust and are poor alternatives to a good book, learning new skills and picking up new hobbies. Some of the best things are free.

On Generosity

Social responsibility is a topic that comes up in conversation around the dinner table every so often: the earthquake in Nepal, the ongoing crisis in Syria and most recently, our family project to fundraise for a health clinic in Nigeria. Upon first hearing about the situation in Nepal, Big Brother asked if the people who had lost their homes to the earthquake could come live with us. On hearing that women in parts of Nigeria do not have doctors to help them birth babies, he responded saying that we should “fly them here so they can go see Mama’s doctor.”

The innocence in the genuine compassion of a child is something we should take to heart. If there’s anything to be learned here, it is to give- and to give freely- to those in need.

The Last Word

Buy what you need. Save for what you want. Fun doesn’t have to cost much. Give to those in need. We are so consumed with feeding our children with information that we often forget the lessons about life- and money- can come from the unlikeliest of places. There’s something to be said about the unassuming logic of a 3 year old and when we take the time to notice, the lessons we can learn resonate with ageless wisdom.