In reality, fear shows up in every market cycle.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg talk about why even seasoned investors feel unsettled during downturns, and why that doesn’t mean you should act on it.

Because volatility isn’t new. It’s expected. And the investors who succeed aren’t the ones who avoid fear, they’re the ones who don’t let it drive their decisions.

With St. Patrick’s Day behind us, it’s a good time to separate myth from reality.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg explore why chasing the next big winner, timing the market, or relying on “being early” rarely works and why those ideas persist anyway.

They break down the difference between luck and skill, the cost of missing just a handful of market days, and why the real “pot of gold” is built through patience and compounding over time.

Each year, the World Happiness Report ranks nations based on factors like social support, health, freedom, trust, and economic security.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Greg dig into the patterns behind the rankings, why Nordic countries dominate the list, where Canada and the U.S. fall, and what the research reveals about the connection between policy, prosperity, and well-being.

A thoughtful conversation about what truly drives happiness in modern societies.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, we explore how even high-earning households can feel “house poor” and why lifestyle inflation, low savings rates, and heavy debt can quietly erode financial flexibility.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Blair walk through a case study of “Linda,” a 55-year-old investor with a $780,000 balanced portfolio.

When markets fell 18%, she panicked and sold half her equities, only to miss the 22% rebound that followed.

It’s a powerful reminder that the hardest part of investing isn’t picking the right fund. It’s sticking to the financial plan when headlines, social media, and fear tell you to do the opposite.

Markets recover but emotional decisions can be permanent.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin and Blair continue their financial planning series by examining the Canadian macro environment, from housing and household debt to interest rates and inflation.

Using a real-life style case study, they explore how someone can have strong net worth on paper while still feeling monthly cash flow pressure.

It’s a reminder that financial planning isn’t just about assets. It’s about context, options, and clarity.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Colin is joined by Blair, Director of Financial Planning at Canvas Wealth, to kick off a new series focused on the role planning plays in long-term financial success.

They explore how financial planning turns money into a life tool, replaces guesswork with clarity, and helps people navigate major life transitions with confidence, not just better returns.

A conversation about outcomes, behaviour, and building freedom over time.

From wars and sanctions to trade disruptions and surprise political events, global markets react quickly to uncertainty.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Greg and Colin walk through decades of data on geopolitical shocks, what typically drives market drawdowns, how long recoveries tend to take, and why most sell-offs fade faster than headlines suggest.

They also explore what these events mean specifically for Canadian investors, including impacts on oil, the dollar, and global portfolios.