Yonni and Kayla have been together for 15 years. They’re unmarried but they’ve combined their money and freely share their assets, even though only one of them has the house in their name and one of them has the car in theirs. Is this set up financially smart in the long run? Or does it benefit one over the other? Family lawyer Heather Hansen, partner at McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP, shares how getting married may affect your finances for better or for worse. This episode was produced by Ghada Alsharif, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Kevin Sexton and Andrea Varsany What you ..read more

At 37 years old, Paula is earning $92,000 a year working in tech, But, she’s spent years battling more than $60,000 in debt. Paula bought a piece of land in 2021 and wanted to build a small house on it, but hasn’t been able to find the time or funds to do so. Evy Kwong speaks with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

With only a high school diploma in hand, Karan sought bank jobs that didn’t require a university degree, and ended up taking an internship at a major bank as an IT project co-ordinator. Now, at 19 years old, he works two jobs, taking in around $83,000 a year working from home for both companies. He’s always had goals to start his own financial consultancy business by his mid-20s but his most immediately goal is to buy his parents a house. Evy Kwong speaks with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice act ..read more

The past two years have tough on Jodie, a 29-year-old bartender living in Toronto. Between restaurant closures, Jodie had been surviving off a federal benefit of around $270 a week before returning to work recently. On top of this, she and her mother dealt with more rough news at the end of 2021: COVID-19 had claimed the lives of her grandparents. A strange, silver lining, though Jodie says she often feels guilty, is money that her grandparents left her after they passed.  ..read more

At 36 years old, Shellie is starting from scratch after moving to Canada from the U.S. a few months ago. Before moving, she and her partner were making around $73,000 (Canadian) each working as teachers in Boston. After their daughter was born six months ago, Shellie realized that she wanted to raise her child in her hometown of Toronto, to be closer to her parents. We speak with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

Anand makes $60,000 a year before bonuses as a restaurant manager. He’s made the decision to go back to school part time, and is looking to change industries after graduating. With one condo that he rents out, he is hoping to buy a second property. We speak with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

At 39, Luis has finally landed a full-time job working as a hospital cleaner making $35,000 a year after moving to Toronto from the Philippines five years ago. Will Luis be able to save enough to feel secure? Host Evy Kwong speaks with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

Making around $155,000 together, Dave and Annie have recently entered a new chapter of their lives: becoming parents. Annie is on an 18-month maternity leave, and Dave spends half his time working from home. The couple own their home but are looking to potentially upgrade into their forever home. Host Evy Kwong speaks with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

Dre is 29-years and works at a start-up. She lives with her partner and is officially sick of Toronto. Dre’s weeks often push past 60 hour. Now they’re considering moving out of the country, to the U.S. for more opportunities. We speak with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more

At the age of 29, Toronto tech worker Ralph is making $115,000 a year. It’s a huge accomplishment, but there’s a caveat: he makes that working three different jobs. With goals to buy his own place, he also wants to know whether or not he can slow down a bit with work. Host Evy Kwong speaks with financial adviser Jason Heath for recommendations. All of our participants have been granted anonymity, and so we’ll be using voice actors for their quotes ..read more