Real Life Investment Strategies Archives

Looking Back: 2025 Financial Insights Year-End Recap

Post published:December 15, 2025

As we close out 2025, it's worth pausing to reflect on the financial principles that matter most. This year's insights focused on investment philosophy, retirement planning options, and helping you avoid strategies that look appealing but rarely deliver results. The most important lesson? Your only meaningful benchmark is whether you're on track to fund the life you've planned for—everything else is just comparison that pulls you off course. Perhaps the most striking revelation came from research analyzing over 4,000 Canadian financial advisors who systematically underperformed simple, evidence-based strategies by approximately 3% annually. Not because of conflicts of interest, but because of genuinely misguided beliefs about investing. The lesson is clear: wealth isn't built through excitement, complexity, or trying to outsmart markets. It's built through discipline, diversification, low costs, tax efficiency, and staying committed to a well-crafted strategy even when markets are volatile.

Real Life Investment Strategies #8: Transferring Wealth to Your Children, Sensibly

Post published:April 29, 2025

Canada is in the midst of a historic intergenerational wealth transfer, with over $1 trillion expected to pass from baby boomers to younger generations. For many families, the question isn’t just how much wealth to transfer but when and how to do so responsibly. Should you give small, incremental gifts during your lifetime or leave a traditional large estate inheritance? Each approach has its merits, but both require careful planning to avoid unintended consequences like fostering dependency or jeopardizing your own financial security. This blog introduces these two contrasting wealth transfer strategies for wealth transfer strategies. Along the way, we’ll explore how these approaches can be tailored to align with your goals while leveraging Canada’s tax rules and financial tools.

Read more about the article Real Life Investment Strategies #7: A Better Alternative to Blindly Following “Investment Tips” including Focusing on Current Income or Yield

Real Life Investment Strategies #7: A Better Alternative to Blindly Following “Investment Tips” including Focusing on Current Income or Yield

Post published:February 25, 2025

Why Investment Tips Fall Short … and What to Do Instead Much of what passes for financial wisdom is built on speculation, short-term thinking, and hype. Stock-picking, market timing, and economic forecasts might make for engaging headlines, but they don’t hold up under scrutiny. The reality? An evidence-based, disciplined approach to investing is far more effective. Let’s have a look at some mainstream investment advice you might be hearing people talk about or maybe some investment rules-of-thumb that are not likely to pan out for you, if you follow them…

Revisiting 2024 Real Life Investment Strategies

Post published:January 1, 2025

2025 is Coming… It’s Time to Revisit 2024’s Wealth Management Principles Another year has come and gone. As we bid farewell to 2024 and welcome 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect, set new goals, and plan ahead. Stay committed to your long-term financial planning and wealth management journey. In 2024, I introduced you to Suzie & Trevor Hall (Accumulators), Jim & Carol Oates (Almost Ready to Retire), and Fred & Ginger Loggins (Accumulator Business Owners). Their situations allowed me to highlight the decisions real people, just like you, are making as they navigate their wealth management planning. So, before 2024 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the long-term financial planning principles we spotlighted this year…

Real Life Investment Strategies #6: Beware the Risk of the Cult Stock Roller Coaster

Post published:December 11, 2024

The Pitfalls of Fanatically Following the Stock Hype It seems to me that the central tenant of the financial media (group-think central) is to glorify stocks or sectors that have experienced recent outsized returns. The hype of cult stocks extends and is amplified by social media channels and its various influencers. Ask any reputable financial economist about these past monumental gains and they will indicate that “past performance is not indicative of future returns”. Despite the restrained advice of these financial experts, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype surrounding these popular stocks and investment trends. Some choose to surrender to FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) and follow these financial fads. for the chance of scoring a big financial win with a little excitement on the side. While these stocks may seemingly promise rapid growth, there are some obvious (and not-so-obvious) risks of chasing high-flying stocks. It’s important to consider the other option: a more thoughtful, measured investment plan. Maybe not as thrilling, but certainly a better path to reaching your long-term financial goals. Let’s explore some examples of how some stocks can achieve a cult-like following and a take realistic look at how they could play out for some real-life investors.

Real Life Investment Strategies #5: Retirement Decumulation Strategies

Post published:October 29, 2024

Steps to Retire the Way You Want: Set Your Retirement Goals, Put Your Money in the Right Places, and Optimize Your Withdrawals Most of us feel young well into our 60s (or even later) and retirement seems like a far away concern for the distant future. However, thinking about your retirement early allows you to comfortably enjoy your later years no matter what your priorities are – leaving a legacy for your loved ones, travelling, spending time on hobbies close to home or any combination. Putting together a retirement income plan early gives you the best path to safeguard your financial freedom post-retirement. Retirement income planning doesn’t mean constant worrying and going without today. It just means taking stock of where you are financially, where you want to be in the future, and setting up a plan to get there. That retirement plan could include setting up the right investment strategies now to allow you the flexibility you’ll need in the future to generate cashflow from the right places and pay the least amount of tax. It also could mean contributing regularly and consistently now so you don’t have to make up for lost ground in the future. Let’s get into what retirement investment vehicles and strategies you have, how to think about your retirement priorities and goals, and how you can plan a decumulation strategy for the retirement you want and deserve...

Real Life Investment Strategies #4: Business Owners Should Leverage Their Corporation for Retirement Savings

Post published:September 3, 2024

When you're immersed in running a business, thoughts of saving for retirement often take a backseat, Employees in the corporate world may rely on employer pensions, but as a business owner, the responsibility for your retirement falls squarely on your shoulders. Starting your retirement planning early and consistently contributing allows you to benefit from compounding returns to steadily build your nest egg over time. Investing in your retirement can ensure you have the financial means to enjoy life post-retirement, whether it's traveling, pursuing new passions, passing along a little financial freedom to family members, and more. The best advice I can give you is to step back and view these tax changes versus your long-term financial goals, and to avoid making hasty decisions. If there is major tax reform in the next few years, many individuals might find their hasty planning decisions to be very costly. Even with higher capital gains inclusion rates, investing in your corporation still has many advantages. After reading about the ins-and-outs of using your corporation optimally as a savings and withdrawal vehicle, let’s see it all in action with business owners like you…

Read more about the article Real Life Investment Strategies #3: What is the Difference Between a Lifestyle Reserve and an Emergency Fund / Financial Cushion?

Real Life Investment Strategies #3: What is the Difference Between a Lifestyle Reserve and an Emergency Fund / Financial Cushion?

Post published:March 27, 2024

Both Emergency Fund and Lifestyle Reserve Planning are Crucial Whether You are Accumulating Wealth or Getting Ready to Retire Having an emergency fund is common advice, whether you are reading this in the financial media or hearing it from a financial advisor. Many people who are later in life and feeling comfortable with their financial situation might disregard this advice, assuming it only applies to those that don’t have as much financial stability. The truth is that an Emergency Fund is something that everyone (even you!) should have. In addition, the added financial security planning of a Lifestyle Reserve should also be part of your financial plan. So, let’s explore exactly what an Emergency Fund is, how a Lifestyle Fund is different, and why both should be in place to ensure long-term financial alternatives and adaptability. Most importantly, I’ll highlight how this applies to Suzie & Trevor Hall (The Accumulators) and Jim & Carol Oates (Almost Ready to be Retirees), so you can see how it can work for you.

Real Life Investment Strategies #2: Debunking Retirement Financial “Rules”

Post published:March 19, 2024

Should You Plan Your Retirement Savings According to the 4% Withdrawal Rate Rule or 70% of Pre-Retirement Income Rule? Whether you’re an accumulator or preparing for retirement, how do you plan for saving AND spending your hard-earned cash in retirement? My Answer: It depends. All those popular retirement spending rules you hear about in the popular press or through your favourite financial guru really should be called guidelines. Augmenting blunt estimates with finer-pointed planning may not be as quickly accomplished. But it’s a far more effective way to plan for how much to save as you accumulate wealth, and how much to spend as you withdraw it. In fact, it’s best to consider retirement spending as being a variable process, versus a one-and-done equation. Which is why it depends. LET’S BEND SOME RULES: THE 4% WITHDRAWAL RATE RULE & THE 70% PRE-RETIREMENT INCOME RULE

Real Life Investment Strategies #1: Will Geopolitics Ruin My Financial Plans?

Post published:February 9, 2024

Timeless financial tips are well and good - but how do they apply to my investment decisions in real life? To address that question, I’m launching Lowrie Financial’s “Real Life Investment Strategies.” Each post in this new series will use case studies to illustrate the choices real people are making, as they contemplate money management concerns in real time. Many have active concerns around geopolitical events and their impact on their financial futures - clear theme emerges: • worrying thoughts about current events, • what the geopolitical climate may mean to your money, and • what investment strategies to avert setbacks for your financial future So, let’s address some of the more worrisome flash points looming large at this time: the world, its politics, and its politicians.