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The Clarity Blog
Planning, Saving, Investing
Welcome to the Clarity blog.
Here you will find easy-to-read, unbiased, lingo-free information on topics related to investing, saving, and financial planning from me, Anita Bruinsma. I have 25 years of experience living and breathing finance and founded Clarity to bring affordable and accessible personal financial advice and education to Canadians.
If you would like some personal financial planning and investing guidance or are interested in learning more about money through one-on-one conversation, check out the Services page and email me - let's talk!
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What is Financial Freedom?
One of the most common questions I ask my clients is, "When do you plan on retiring?" The answer isn't so straightforward. There are a lot of complicating factors to consider when thinking about that question. Retiring often does not follow the traditional clean trajectory of working until age 65 and then leaving the workforce altogether. That's because work itself isn't necessarily so neat and tidy. If you work in a salaried position, then choosing a retirement date migh
anitabruinsma
4 days ago5 min read
The 5 Golden Rules for Investing
Let's talk about the stock market Stock markets keep going up. It seems unbelievable given what’s going on in the world. Despite wars, chaos in US politics, and a disruption in the transportation of oil, to name just a few headlines, investors keep piling into stocks. The Canadian market is up 8% so far this year, the US is up almost 3%, European markets have risen by 5%, and the world overall is up 4%. Sure, we can come up with all kinds of reasons why stocks are stil
anitabruinsma
Apr 185 min read
All-in-one ETFs Q&A
The last blog post I wrote about all-in-one ETFs was back in 2022. It’s time to bring the conversation about all-in-one ETFs back to the top of the blog list, and refresh the conversation. Since that first post, I’ve talked about this product with hundreds of clients, and my views on all-in-one ETFs have not changed: all-in-one ETFs are great value and an easy and effective way to invest. There’s a lot to like about this investment, including: · It does the job of ch
anitabruinsma
Mar 96 min read
Are you sure you want dividends?
Canadians love their dividends, and who can blame them? Having money land in your investment account feels like free money. Dividends get a lot of attention in the personal finance realm online, with people touting them as a reliable source of income without having to dip into their capital. For some people, the idea of living off dividends is a dream. While this seems like an amazing feat, investing to generate dividends isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As the saying in fi
anitabruinsma
Jan 185 min read
RRSP or TFSA?
Which should you use - RRSP or TFSA?
anitabruinsma
Nov 19, 20255 min read
Income, spending and saving
Get back to basics with a savings plan.
anitabruinsma
Sep 27, 20257 min read
Where to get the straight goods
Find information sources you can trust.
anitabruinsma
Jul 17, 20254 min read
Investing is simple. Don't let the internet tell you otherwise.
Investing is simple. You don't need complex products.
anitabruinsma
Apr 19, 20254 min read
Getting perspective on the stock market
Please don't panic about the stock market.
anitabruinsma
Mar 16, 20254 min read
Uncertain Times
It's a special time in the world - and not in a good wa y. As we trudge through a cold and icy January facing political uncertainty...
anitabruinsma
Jan 22, 20254 min read
What other people are thinking
There’s something special about the final days of the year. The idea of a fresh year ahead is exciting. I also love the opportunity to...
anitabruinsma
Dec 27, 20244 min read
When Rising Markets Cause Angst
Sometimes a strong market run makes people nervous When the stock market has a strong upward run, people get nervous. They wonder how...
anitabruinsma
Nov 13, 20245 min read
When Financial Planning Gets Real
Putting together a financial plan has so many benefits: it can clarify your goals, outline specific actions to take and show you what...
anitabruinsma
Oct 10, 20244 min read
Tech Stock FOMO
Technology stocks have been all the rage the past few years. Investors in technology companies like Nvidia, Microsoft and Alphabet...
anitabruinsma
Jul 26, 20243 min read
ARe my returns good?
What’s a good return, anyway? The most important piece of information about your investment portfolio is how it has performed. And yet,...
anitabruinsma
Jun 26, 20245 min read
Are you getting the most out of your financial advisor?
Your financial advisor is probably pretty busy. If your financial advisor gets paid using the “assets under management” model - and many...
anitabruinsma
May 12, 20246 min read
Life got expensive - now what?
It’s not just you. Life is more expensive now that it was before the pandemic. 15.57% more, to be precise. While inflation can seem like...
anitabruinsma
Apr 15, 20243 min read
When couples disagree about money
There are few topics as important in a relationship as money. Disagreements about money consistently ranks as a top irritation for...
anitabruinsma
Mar 30, 20244 min read
Online Brokers
If you’ve decided that you want to manage your own investments and use ETFs, you might be asking “Now what?” If you’re investing in ETFs,...
anitabruinsma
Mar 12, 20244 min read
ETFs and Mutual Funds
A quick overview of what you need to know.
anitabruinsma
Feb 26, 20244 min read
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