Welcome to my first blog post! Let me introduce my financial journey.
Following the completion of my MBA, nearly 10 years ago, I walked away with a lot of theoretical knowledge, but virtually no idea how to put it into practice. And I was not alone. Together with a group of classmates from the program, we decided to start an investment club to further our practical knowledge. Whether it was discussing the best low-cost ETFs, comparing notes on how much we all paid for car insurance or debating our favourite Buffett quotes, I was hooked! From that moment on I have been passionate about learning, experimenting, and growing my strategies for personal finance.
Over the years, I have expanded not only my portfolio, but also my risk tolerance. I started out as a conservative, TD e-series investor and then slowly morphed into ETFs and then to purchasing individual stocks. Having had children and also grown our family free cash flow, I’ve become well versed in RESPs, TFSAs and getting the best deals at garage sales. And finally, I have implemented the Smith Manoeuvre and have used this strategy to accelerate my mortgage repayment, while also benefitting from significant tax savings.
If you’re wondering where the name Journey Financial came from, it is an homage to a great blog that has provided me with an amazing amount of inspiration and quality investment advice. Check it out: milliondollarjourney.com
Having retired from the full-time work life, I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion for personal finance with others. The goal of Journey Financial is to empower others to take control of their finances. Too many people are embarrassed about their lack of knowledge or their current financial position. I’m here to help by providing affordable, independent, financial advice in any form from answering simple questions to providing a full financial plan.
In closing, to share some nuggets of financial education, I’ve decided to write a blog and answer questions under my twitter handle @financial_laura. If you have a personal finance question, please send it to me using the contact form on the website: journeyfinancial.ca.
This article was first published on my blog at journeyfinancial.ca