Welcome back to Your Life and Money, the podcast where financial planning goes beyond the spreadsheets to focus on what truly matters: your life. Hosts Tim Borody and Brad Smith continue their Q&A series, tackling complex questions about budgeting, debt, saving for a first home, and optimizing government pension benefits.

Beyond the Budget: Saving, Buying a Home, and Maximizing Your Pension

• Cash Flow Clarity: Uncover the five essential categories you need to track to gain control of your cash flow and how simplifying your budget helps you redirect funds toward key goals like eliminating debt or building an emergency fund.
• The Homeownership Playbook: Learn how to strategically use specialized savings plans like the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) to accumulate a down payment, including the little-known details on how non-first-time buyers can reuse the HBP.
• The CPP/OAS Timing Trap: Delve into the pros and cons of taking Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) benefits early versus deferring them, discussing the break-even math, and how working income or pension bridges factor into this crucial retirement decision.

Stop wondering if you're making the right financial decisions—this episode delivers the clarity and actionable advice you need to feel secure about your future

In every episode of Your Life and Money, hosts Brad Smith and Tim Borody share expert advice to help you get the best life possible with the money you have. This episode is a must-listen as they kick off a two-part series answering the most common and critical financial questions of the year.

The Tax Tangle: RIFs, TFSAs, and How to Protect Your Wealth

• Understanding the RIF Risk: Learn why the money in your Registered Retirement Income Fund (RIF) is taxed as income in the year of death and how that liability can reach Canada's highest marginal tax bracket (up to 54%).
• Choosing the Right Beneficiary: Explore the options for naming beneficiaries—from spousal rollover to naming children or a charity—and the specific tax implications for your estate in each scenario.
• The Power of Successor Holders: Discover the critical difference between naming a beneficiary and a successor holder on a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and how the latter is key to preserving the tax-free status for your surviving spouse.

Whether you are accumulating wealth or distributing it, the decisions you make today on your registered accounts will define the value of your legacy—tune in to ensure your wealth plan is perfectly aligned with your life and priorities.

Welcome back to Your Life and Money, where we believe that financial planning is not just about the numbers—it's about your life. Host Brad Smith is joined by a special guest: Theresa Schott, the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Harbourfront.

Theresa, who runs all of Harbourfront's investment pools, discusses her move from managing institutional capital for 20 years to bringing those same sophisticated strategies to retail investors. She dives into the structural problems facing traditional investment approaches and highlights the new opportunities created by the rise of AI.

Institutional Strategies for Retail Investors: Breaking Down Diversification



• The End of 60/40? Find out why the traditional 60/40 stock-bond split is no longer an effective diversifier and is either "dying or on its way" because equities and bonds now show a far more positive correlation during market volatility.
• The AI Opportunity and Risk: Get Theresa's take on the AI revolution, the enormous capital expenditure (CapEx) being spent on infrastructure like data centers, and why she's concerned about the high concentration risk in the current U.S. equity markets, where a handful of stocks account for over 36% of the S&P 500.
• The Private Market Solution: Learn why institutional investors allocate 55% to 60% of their total wealth to private markets, and how retail investors should consider allocating anywhere from 5% to 30% to private assets to achieve a lift in returns, more predictable cash flow, and lower volatility.
• The Risk of Illiquidity: Understand the key risk in private markets—the illiquid nature of the assets (like a marriage, "it's not a one night stand")—and how rigorous due diligence on managers is essential to find the right long-term partner.

Financial planning is about more than just money—it's about living the life you want. Take some time to reflect on your goals and priorities, and tune in to discover the insights and strategies that will help you create a plan that aligns with your vision for the future.

Welcome to Your Life and Money, where we believe that financial planning is not just about the numbers—it's about your life. Host Tim Borody is joined by special guest, Abena (Abie) Quayson, CFA, a new Portfolio Manager with Harbourfront Wealth, who is here to help you get the best life possible with the money you have.

In this episode, we explore how aligning your money with your values and priorities is the key to financial success. Abie shares her fascinating journey from a background in institutional finance—managing money for major Canadian pension funds to bringing that same world-class expertise to everyday Canadian investors. Learn about the strategies previously reserved for only the largest funds and how they can benefit you.

Expert Investment Strategy for Every Canadian: Behind the Scenes with a Portfolio Manager

• Institutional vs. Retail Investing: Understand the difference between managing a massive pension fund and tailoring investment products for individual clients. Harbourfront is dedicated to providing "pension store management for retail".
• Philosophy of Long-Term Value: Hear Abie's investment philosophy, which is grounded in long-term value creation through diversification and risk management.
• Demystifying Liquid Alternatives: Get a clear explanation of "liquid alternative" investments. These unique investments behave differently from traditional equities and bonds and are used to potentially reduce volatility while increasing returns for your portfolio.
• Emerging Market Opportunities: Explore current global opportunities, including why emerging markets like India are showing potential for significant long-term GDP growth. These markets are also seen as having lower valuations than the U.S..

Financial planning is about more than just money—it's about living the life you want. Take some time to reflect on your goals and priorities, and tune in to discover the insights and strategies to help you create a plan that aligns with your vision for the future.

In this episode of Your Life and Money, Tim Borody talks with his sister, Beth Borody, about her career journey from the mining industry to running her own business. Beth shares the lessons she learned as her career and income grew quickly, from navigating compensation packages to seeking advice from financial and legal professionals.

Beth opens up about the challenges of rapid career growth, navigating complex compensation packages, and the lessons she learned about seeking professional advice from lawyers, accountants, and financial planners along the way. Together, Tim and Beth highlight how thoughtful financial planning made it possible for her to transition confidently from a high-paying executive role to full-time entrepreneurship—while supporting her family, managing big life expenses, and ultimately achieving her goal of being debt-free.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to navigate sudden increases in income, compensation packages, and stock options without losing sight of your long-term goals
• The importance of involving professionals—lawyers, accountants, and financial planners—early in your career to avoid costly mistakes
• Why financial planning isn’t about restriction but about creating the freedom to take risks, pursue passions, and design the life you want

Welcome to Your Life and Money—the podcast that goes beyond the dollars to help you create a life you truly value. In this episode, Brad Smith and Tim Borody dig into one of the biggest challenges many people face: finding clarity and confidence in their financial future.

They explore how emotions, mindset, and personal values play just as important a role as the numbers on a balance sheet—and how aligning money with life goals can make all the difference.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

• Why financial confidence isn’t just about having “enough,” but knowing what “enough” means for you
• How to recognize and overcome the fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs that hold people back
• Practical ways to connect your financial plan with your values so you feel more secure and purposeful in the decisions you make

Why listen?

Whether you’re planning for retirement, navigating career changes, or simply looking for peace of mind, this episode offers fresh insights to help you approach money with clarity and confidence.

Last week, Brad Smith and Tim Borody laid the foundation for teaching kids about money. This week, they build on that conversation—tackling more advanced topics that help kids move from understanding money to managing it confidently for the long term.

From introducing investing at the right age to explaining the difference between short-term and long-term goals, Brad and Tim share practical, real-world approaches for guiding kids through increasingly complex financial concepts. They also discuss ways to help children learn from mistakes, develop discipline, and connect money decisions to their personal values.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to introduce investing concepts to kids in an age-appropriate way
• Strategies for teaching goal-setting, delayed gratification, and risk awareness
• Why connecting money skills to values sets kids up for lifelong financial health

If you’re ready to prepare the next generation for success—not just in earning money, but in using it wisely—this conversation offers actionable steps you can start today.

Money lessons aren’t just learned in adulthood—they start at home.

In this episode of Your Life and Money, hosts Brad Smith and Tim Borody dive into the essential, and often overlooked, skill of teaching kids about money. Drawing from personal stories, including a recent family wedding, they explore how early financial education shapes lifelong habits and values. From navigating conflicting advice to adapting lessons across generations, Brad and Tim share practical strategies for giving the next generation the wisdom, confidence, and skills to manage money well.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why financial education should begin long before kids enter the workforce
• How parents can pass down healthy money values without overwhelm or confusion
• Practical, age-appropriate ways to teach budgeting, saving, and giving

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or mentor, this episode will inspire you to start meaningful money conversations that last a lifetime.