Because Money Podcast

Listen, It's impossible to accurately imagine how your life will be different after you welcome a new human into your it, so there's no such thing as being fully prepared for becoming a parent. There is, however, such a thing as being prepared for what you know will happen (like the paperwork you'll need to fill out, and the gotchas to avoid) in order to make it easier to focus on the stuff that completely blindsides you (like the utter insanity of it all or how suddenly and fiercely you fall in love with your new human). Time stamps: 1:22 - Parenthood, uncertainty and unsatisfyingly true answers 14:19 - What to think about in the year before the birth 17:20 - Financial tools that people think are useful (like RESPs) 27:30 - Making sure to check for Income tested benefits 29:50 - CHILDCARE. IT'S EXPENSIVE... so what do you even do? 37:00 - John speaks with Sandi's voice about how society has it way wrong

Are you as tired as we are of "the economy" being trotted out to support every tax and social policy argument? Do you wish that people who use the phrase "the economy" were required to specify exactly what they're talking about? Us, too. Timestamps: 1:38 - Personal Economy vs THE Economy 10:57 - Revolution starts with imagination 22:33 - The Flat Tax Fallacy 39:00 - In the face of big structural issues ... what do we do?

Yes, we have socialized medicine here in Canada (and are grateful for it!) But if you or someone you love needs to travel somewhere for treatment, or medical supplies that aren't covered (like osotomy bags), or drugs that might cost $2,400 in one visit to the pharmacy or $0 in the next...you might be surprised at the financial and emotional toll it can take on you. Timestamps: 4:18 - Getting “comfortable" with uncertainty 6:08 - Bedside manner matters - in medicine and in finance (and not just for the practitioners) 13:48 - The unexpected cost of healthcare: A very … vivid picture of the function and cost of the ostomy bag 22:13 - Should you get extended health coverage?

We truly believe that real conversations about money have the power to improve how we make decisions about our finances. In this episode, we're joined by Ian McNaughton, a seasoned coach and communications expert, to learn how to get better at having those conversations. Timestamps: 4:12 - Ian talks about the effects of wealth 6:48 - Ian talks about how to talk about money between generations 21:20 - Ian talks about communicating in the really tough times and how to be with someone in the stress Introducing ‘respectful doubt’ into a conversation 30:42 - Ian makes Sandi and Chris cry (the perfect thing to say to someone you love when you can’t communicate about money) 44:45 - Ian’s story - wealth, crash, and building something different

Welcome back to season six of Because Money! Since we last spoke, the show itself and each of our co-hosts have experienced transitions - some minor, some very, very major - and we've adopted the theme of transition to shape our conversations for the upcoming season. Join us for an episode of updates, outtakes, and change. Timestamps: 2:45 - Planning for transitions that 'might' happen 8:50 - The biggest Because Money transition of all 10:15 - John talks about health, family, and taking a sabbatical 20:58 - Chris talks about stepping back from Opera 27:30 - Sandi talks about growing Spring 38:52 - Some cool news about Because Money (and how you can talk to use EVEN MORE!!)

Impostor syndrome, squishy soft skills and the importance of real hard data... we talk about why we think the bigger conversation around money is so important. Timestamps: 1:00 - Why did Sandi start this thing in the first place? 3:14 - The value in non-actionable conversations 17:05 - John talks about the dangers getting lost in the data (for people who have spreadsheets for brains) 18:30 - Kate and Chris talk about imposter syndrome and how hard it is to be in a conversation when you feel like you don't know enough 30:00 - Sandi talks about the importance of being seen

How do you talk about money when you're by yourself? We didn't even know this was a question you could ask... but John does in a solo episode. Timestamps: 1:00 - How do you have the conversation alone 6:11 - The problem with the loudest voice in the conversation (the church of Bitcoin) 11:49 - John talks about making pancakes

John leads the charge on challenging some of the defaults we have in the financial world... and why they're sometimes complete phooey. Timestamps: 2:30 - John doesn't need to iron his shirts to feel like a grownup 9:00 - You don't have to buy a house for Aunt Jo 20:49 - What Kate thinks being an adult is 30:22 - How do you not fall into these defaults? 45:25 - There's a social cost to forging your own path

Breakups suck and money doesn't make them any easier. We talk about how to talk about money in yet another situation where that's the last thing you want to talk about. Timestamps: 3:44 - The underlying conversation - What if we don't make it? 17:55 - You can't celebrate feelings and finance 18:35 - The difference in the definition of 'common law' 27:15 - What's the 'right' answer for mythical financially excellent adults? 37:02 - If communication is impossible... maybe it's time to bring in some help...

Mental illness and money: both things that people don't talk about and both things that are really really important things to talk about. Timestamps: 3:00 - Kate breaks down her last 6 months 10:35 - At what point is the 'ideal job' a luxury you can't afford 15:05 - The things that help: setting the non-negotiables 26:20 - What are the right things to say to the people in our lives living with mental illness 32:50 - You are allowed to be your whole self in all the places where you are

The world of finances has so many 'rules of thumb'. Most of the time they're pretty useful, but in some cases they can be really dangerous. Timestamps: 5:30 - John talks about what averages are actually good for 15:08 - Sandi breaks down how she figures out when you're going to die 18:12 - Chris talks budgeting rules of thumb 24:11 - Rules of thumb vs customized advise 32:24 - Global warming and looking out for 'future us' 38:23 - Does working with rules of thumb make finances seem more possible 45:00 - Is getting it wrong catastrophic?

Setting goals matters, both in our finances and in our general lives... but there's tons of ways to go through that process. We talk about personal goals, income goals and how we plan out our lives. Timestamps: 1:40 - Kate talks about how she sets goals 8:40 - Why Sandi is resisting setting personal goals 15:05 - Who are you when you're not working (and why that matters in retirement) 25:40 - Income goals and whether they work...or not 36:00 - The metrics that matter (spoiler... 'matter' is subjective') 43:40 - What we're working on for 2019

The expectation is that we all understand taxes as soon as we start making income, but that's not what happens for most of us. We talk about weird tax stuff, our past mistakes and what we wish was different. Time Stamps: 7:15 - It's your job to know, and we think that's stupid 17:04 - Chris talks about the tax disasters in his past 23:19 - John talks about what has surprised him in the tax world 37:40 - The misconceptions around deductions 45:05 - Some thoughts for people who don't file their taxes

It seems like retirement is the same for every one... but it's really not. John Stapleton joined us to talk about why retiring with low income is very different and requires a very different set of advice. Time stamps: 8:50 - How the wrong advice can cost a low income earner up to $60,000 12:10 - The issue of clawbacks (rawr) 18:30 - Is the problem a lack of advocacy or a lack of political will 22:40 - Could Basic Income help? 40:08 - The difference between tax credits and tax deductions

We dearly love to interrogate couples about how they negotiate money, and for this latest round we caught Owen and Sue just before they went on a date and forced them to tell us how they talk about money with each other. Well, we say "forced"...but it didn't take too much effort on our part, because it turns out that this married couple with young kids has their money communication strategy down cold. It's a beautiful thing to see, and we're excited to share it with you. Timestamps: 5:30 - Owen and Sue's amazing, incredible, all powerful money meeting 12:10 - What changed when they had kids? 15:15 - Why Sue budgets in a Word Doc (and Owen DOES NOT) 25:03 - What would Owen and Sue do with a surprise $3,000? 26:10 - How do they figure out what's 'fairsies'? 32:50 - What's the advice you would give to other couples managing their money?

Does everyone need the kind of comprehensive financial planning advice that Chris and Sandi offer their clients? We think not... and spend some time revisiting last season's finale about being the ones to encourage open conversations about money with people who (we bet you a thousand dollars) are just dying to talk about it without shame.

We're big fans of Tim Nash, and you will be too! Tim is the founder of Good Investing, an advice-only investment coaching practice that helps folks create low-fee, diversified portfolios around their ethical values. 4:30 - What's in an anarchist's portfolio 6:46 - How Tim does what he does 15:15 - What's new in the SRI space? 21:20 - Ethical investing, for-profit prisons and the CPP 24:40 - The effect of SRI on the market (and the evil companies you love to hate) 37:36 - What would Tim do if he won the lottery tomorrow?

Inspired by a conversation about shampoo, this one gets deep: what's our responsibility to make ethical choices if we can't afford them? 4:30 - I feel like we should be paying more for things & nudges 9:55 - Plastic straws vs A/C and low-stakes vs high stakes and virality 11:25 - When you feel like you can afford to make ethical choices 17:00 - Money is a thing that happens to people 25:00 - Can I afford to enact change? When is enough? 28:50 - My money is to create a barrier between me and work I don't feel safe at 36:30 - When approaching from averages makes sense

Inspired by a conversation Chris had at a recent workshop, we explore whether there's a financially optimal way to handle illness and catastrophe if you're caught before you're fully prepared. 2:29 - What can you actually do when crisis hits? 8:23 - Chris brings up Universial Basic Income 17:51 - What supports are available in a crisis? 22:00 - Sandi says something really smart about hindsight

We're delighted that Kate is joining the show as a co-host, delighted to see each other again after a few months of summer break, and truly delighted to start having real conversations about money again. So much delight. ALL the delight. Join us for an episode of updates: Sandi talks about how building a business and building a family lifestyle at the same time can be discouraging, John swipes left on going part time, Kate goes from freelance to full-time and talks about her unconventional budgeting based on values, and Chris got married!