Mo' Money Podcast | Personal Finance With Jessica Moorhouse

This week I have a first on the More Money Podcast…a guest from across the pond! In today’s episode, I welcome Ken Okoroafor, a first-generation immigrant from Lagos, Nigeria who at age 14 moved to the UK to start a new life. Ken is a trained Chartered Account with 15 years of experience working in both Asset Management and Venture Capital. In April 2020, he took the big leap to go full-time with his passion project turned business, The Humble Penny, which he started with his wife in 2017.  In today’s episode, we dive into The Humble Penny’s early beginnings and the whirlwind 18-month journey Ken has been on from starting The Humble Penny Youtube channel. Furthermore, we chat about his new platform, Financial Joy Academy, which seeks to help 10,000+ families achieve financial independence and money joy in their lives by 2030. Ken shares that his decision to step outside his comfort zone was the best thing he could’ve done for his business and his life. So, if you’re in need of some inspiration and a push to f

Have you ever wondered how much it really costs to have a baby? We’ve all heard having a kid can be expensive but what do those numbers actually look like? Whether you’re planning on having a baby in the near or distant future or like me, are curious about getting to know the nitty-gritty of how much raising a kid in Canada is then today’s episode should pique your interest.  Joining me on the podcast today is Vivian Leung, Senior Principal, Taxation at CPA Canada. Prior to her current role, Vivian was the Program Director for Tax Education where she was responsible for developing and implementing the strategic direction of CPA Canada income tax education. As quoted in Babies: How to Afford Your Bundle of Joy, Vivian shares from both personal and professional experience what it costs to have a family today. We dive into whether advice from our mothers holds up to today’s standards and what having a baby looks like on your finances in the short-term, like parental leave and long-term, like saving for post-seco

A lot of the time when you start reading about F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence Retire Early), the stories you hear about how people achieved it can be pretty insane. Many people in the community can take living on less and saving and investing every extra dollar to the extreme, which can seem pretty intimidating or just unrealistic. Why can't you enjoy the journey to financial independence? Why can't you work towards building wealth and having more financial security without making so many sacrifices?  Luckily I have Jamila Souffrant on the show, founder and podcast host of Journey to Launch, who shares that it is possible to work towards financial independence and enjoy yourself at the same time. In this episode, she shares what inspired her to achieve F.I.R.E. and how her strategy is a bit more sustainable (and fun!) than some of the more strict paths others may take. Because at the end of the day, life is short and we need to enjoy every bit we can! It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing situation. You c

Negotiation is such an important part of setting yourself up for financial success and helping you build wealth over time. Just think, by negotiating your salary a few thousand dollars higher at the beginning of your job, that could have a major impact on future bonuses, raises, and salaries! Unfortunately, most of us weren’t taught how to negotiate and the examples we see on TV do not work in the real world. That’s why I have Jean-Nicolas Reyt on the show, who is a negotiation expert and Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University. He teaches students every day what to do, and not to, when negotiation in every situation. Unlike what we may think, it’s not about being aggressive or manipulating the other party. It’s about doing your research, being confident in what you’re asking for, and ultimately finding a middle ground in which you, and whoever you’re negotiating with, find a happy outcome. As mentioned in the show, Jean-Nicolas has so many great tips and ideas on this topic, so m

It’s not every day you get a celebrity sports star on your podcast…who also doubles as a financial educator who is passionate about helping more Canadians become empowered through personal finance! For this episode of the show, I have professional football player (he plays defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL) and financial literacy advocate Courtney Stephen as my special guest to discuss his career and his mission to help others better manage their money and understand the importance of generational wealth. Although you may not think that sports and finance go hand in hand, they actually really do! As we discuss in this episode, they can both seem intimidating, but at their core, they are quite simple. For sports, it's about understanding the rules, practicing, and then implementing what you've learned. The same goes for money. It's really just simple math, understanding some best practices and rules for money management, then actually putting into action what you've learned.  Still, it can

One year ago I had Kelley Keehn, financial educator, speaker, media personality, and author, on the show to discuss her latest book Talk Money to Me. And then a few weeks later the pandemic hit and everything changed. Well, she's back on the show with a new edition of her book that includes passages specifically talking about Covid-19 and its impact on people's finances. Some people had the roughest year in 2020, and are still struggling in 2021. Many people lost jobs, racked up debt, and have struggled to earn an income and keep up with their bills. And others have experienced the opposite in that they never experienced a significant change in their income or jobs (aside from working from home) and have actually been able to save more money than usual by spending more time at home with less stuff or experiences to spend their money on. So...what does this mean? What should you do or change in terms of managing your money if you're in either camp? How has this pandemic changed personal finance for all of us?

With International Women’s Day happening this past Monday, I’ve partnered with Coast Capital Savings on their Keep Her on the Map campaign to put a spotlight on the disproportionate social and economic impacts that the COVID-19 has had on women, and women-owned businesses, and hopefully inspire action. To discuss this more in-depth, I have Larkin MacKenzie-Ast on the show, who is currently the Chair of the Business Women’s Network at Coast Capital Savings. Throughout the almost 6 years of this podcast, I’ve tried to emphasize the importance of using your dollars as votes for change. Of course it’s important to be frugal and find deals to save money, but it’s also important to be mindful of what your spending says about your values and realize how big of an impact your spending has on the bigger picture. For instance, maybe instead of using Amazon for everything or always going to the big box stores, seeking out local, women-run businesses instead. Especially since they’ve been the hardest hit during this pand

When we think of financial planning, often we just focus on budgeting, debt repayment, and investing. But another important element of a complete financial plan is protection. Specifically protecting yourself and/or your loved ones if something happens. That’s why I’ve got Nicole Simons on the show, who is a Wealth Management Advisor at CPN Financial Services. For the past decade, she’s worked with clients in all aspects of financial planning, but especially when it comes to having the right insurance in place. In this episode, we discuss the important things everyone should know about life insurance, critical illness insurance, and disability insurance. Hopefully, this episode will serve as a timely reminder to review how you’re currently protected and to ensure if you don’t have the right protections in place, to get it sooner rather than later. For full episode show notes visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/270 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri

It’s that time again…tax time. But this tax season may feel a bit different than other years. And that’s because 2020 sure was a weird year. Many Canadians earned income through various benefit programs or started earning self-employment income for the first time. So what’s the best way to navigate this new tax season so it can be the least stressful possible? That’s why I’ve got Susan Watkin, accountant, educator, and spokesperson for TurboTax Canada on the show! I took some time to gather all the key questions people had about taxes for this year, and Susan graciously answers all of them. Hopefully, you’ll feel a bit better about filing your taxes this year, because it doesn’t have to be a pain. Just take some time to organize your documents (feel free to download my Tax Prep Checklist), pick a route to get your taxes done (click here to get 20% off TurboTax Assist & Review or Live Full Service), then choose a date and time to get it done. Remember, the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can get you

Well, this episode is a big first for me! Not only is this the first-ever double episode, in which I share not one, but two guest interviews. But this is also the first episode I’ve ever done on cryptocurrency. With all the talk in recent weeks about Bitcoin, I’ve finally given up thinking that cryptocurrency is just a trend or an asset that only tech bros or get-rich-quick investors are interested in. Even though it’s still very new, in my view it’s safe to say that cryptocurrency is here to stay. I’m still an ardent promoter of passive investing using index ETFs, however, I think it’s important to talk about other types of investing too. So the first interview is with Ayelen Osorio, the Content & Community Manager at Netcoins. Netcoins is one of the leading cryptocurrency trading platforms in Canada, providing access for people like you and me to invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. Going from zero crypto knowledge now teaching others all about it, Ayelen provides a crash cours

I’m so excited to have Sarah Wilson from Budget Girl on the podcast! I got to know Sarah when we met at FinCon in 2019, and since then we’ve become friends and are even in a mastermind together with some other amazing women in the personal finance community. It was high time I had Sarah on the show because she has crushed some major milestones since our first meeting. As she shares in this episode, she started out her personal finance journey with five-figures of debt while living on a very low income. But by learning more about the fundamentals of money management, living frugally, and taking on some side hustles to earn extra money on top of her day job, she not only paid off all her debt in 3 years, she was also able to buy a house that she partially rents out, and has just reached a $100,000 net worth. Sarah’s story should serve as an important reminder that where you start doesn’t determine where you’ll end up. It may not be easy to crush your debt and grow your wealth, but it is possible if you stay str

Although I’ve done 265 episodes of this show (well, more if you count any of my solo episodes), shockingly I’ve never done an episode on the history of money. As important as it is to discuss the management of money, it’s just as important to understand currency’s history. Especially as we enter this new age of currency with the rise of cryptocurrency. Luckily, I was able to get Frederick Kaufman on the show, who authored The Money Plot: A History of Currency’s Power to Enchant, Control, and Manipulate, and is also a much distinguished English professor who has spent the last decade focused on researching the fiction that is money. If you’re a money nerd and history buff like me, you’re going to love this episode and Frederick’s latest book! For full episode show notes, visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/266 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before I get into some details about my wonderful guest for this episode, I want to share more about what I said right at the top of the show since it’s pretty important. As of last week, I have put to rest the old name for this podcast, the Mo’ Money Podcast, and have officially changed the show’s name to the More Money Podcast. As I explained in the intro for this episode, it was very much time for this change and I feel really good about it. As you know, especially from episode 244, I am an ally of BIPOC and am a supporter of Black Lives Matter. I’ve also been putting more effort to have a more diverse guest list for the show to ensure there are more voices being heard that need to be. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem. Still, I had never really stopped to think that my podcast name may actually be part of the problem and may come off as offensive to some people until recently. To give you some background, when I first started my blog in 2011, I called it Mo' Money Mo' Houses. I was 24 whe

Is your money safe at the bank? It’s a question I get asked all the time. Same with is it safe to use an online bank. And that’s thanks to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC). I’ve personally partnered with CDIC for years because I believe it’s so important to spread awareness about how our deposits are protected at the bank. In other words, if your bank goes bankrupt, you won’t lose any of your money at that bank. And just so you know, there hasn’t been a bank failure in Canada for 25 years. And even when there was a bank failure in Canada, as long as CDIC has been around, not a single Canadian has lost a dime! To share more about this, so you too can spread the word and feel confident that your money is safe at the bank, I’ve got Peter Routledge, President & CEO of CDIC on the show to explain what CDIC is, how it works, and what you should know. For full episode show notes visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/264 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. S

What a treat of an episode I have for you! Back for a 3rd time on the podcast, and to celebrate the final installment of her Broke Millennial series, I have Erin Lowry back on the show. Her new book, Broke Millennial Talks Money, is available now and that’s what we get talking about in this episode. How to navigate touch money decisions, be it with your friends, partner, or parents. What are the scripts we should use and what are some tips to make those conversations even a little bit less awkward? I can’t believe it’s been almost two years since Erin was in Toronto to do a live event with me to celebrate her 2nd book, Broke Millennial Takes on Investing. What a fun event that was, and boy do I look forward to being able to do events again (maybe I can get her back to Toronto!). I can’t wait to see what Erin has in store next now that her book series is done. So I guess we all have to stay tuned! For full episode show notes visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/263 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho

I've had so many guests on the show over the years to talk about the wealth accumulation stage of investing, but I haven't had any, besides Mike Drak from episode 208 who wrote Victory Lap Retirement, to talk about what happens when you actually retire. What happens when you have to start decumulating your nest egg? That's why I've got Frederick Vettese on the show for this episode. He is the former Chief Actuary of Morneau Shepell, a major Canadian human resources firm. He's also a frequent contributor to the Globe and Mail on retirement issues. And lastly, he's the author of three books, including his latest book that we talk about in this episode, Retirement Income for Life: Getting More Without Saving More. Even if retirement is decades away for you, it's so important to know what to expect when it's right around the corner. How do you ensure you don't drain your retirement savings in the first few years? What strategies should you use to decumulate your savings in a sustainable way? And what are some key

We’ve all heard the statistics. If you’re a woman and you decide to take time off of your career to raise a family, go back to school, or travel the world, it will set you back both professionally and financially. Although it’s not fair, these are the facts. But that shouldn’t scare you from taking that career pause when you need to. And luckily I have two guests on the show to discuss how to get back into the workforce, and not just get back on track but accelerate your career into an even better, more successful one. I’ve got Nancy Jensen and Sarah Duenwald on the show to discuss this topic in-depth. They teamed up to found their company, The Swing Shift, and co-author their new book Back to Business, after working with hundreds of women struggling with this exact thing. Not only that, both Nancy and Sarah experienced this themselves when taking maternity leaves, and that’s what inspired them to come together and create a solution for women so we can see a change in those statistics. For full episode show n

Happy New Year! And welcome back to the Mo’ Money Podcast! After taking a few weeks off to rest and recharge, I am so excited to be back to drop Season 12 of the Mo’ Money Podcast today. Not only that, I thought I’d start with an episode that will get you excited about the future again! 2020 was rough on us all, some more than others, and we’re still in the thick of it. But I’ve got hope for 2021. And when you’ve got hope, you can make plans for better days to come. That’s why I’ve got the wonderful Stephanie Myers and Gillian Batt from Our Freedom Years on the show. I’m a big fan of their YouTube channel, and not only did they achieve financial independence and retire early in their 30s/40s, but they are also Canadian! I haven’t had many Canadians FIRE people on the show, so this is a big treat. And I sure asked them all the questions I know you would have asked yourself, like what to do with taxes when you’re a nomad, how much to save, how to ensure you won’t run out of money, and does FIRE mean you don’t e

Talking money with your partner is never easy. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a book with conversation starters and examples to use to get things going? Good thing Wallace Howick, CPA thought just the same thing and wrote his book Love and Money: Conversations to Have Before You Get Married. But the conversations he shares in his books can actually be applied to so many different relationships, such as when you’re dating or common-law. And the thing is, although technically it’s not difficult, most couples have no idea where to start. Luckily in this episode, Wallace shares his expertise and insight with his 30 years of being a Chartered Professional Account and working with a wide range of clients. This book is such a great read (and not too long), if you’re looking for a way to approach the subject with your partner, maybe put this episode on in the background or grab a copy and try out some of his conversation starters for yourself! For full episode show notes visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/259 Lear

DIY investing has always been a popular topic on the show, so I’m thrilled to have Brendan Wood on the show, who is the co-founder and CTO of Passiv. As he shares on the show, he grew up in New Foundland and then studied engineering at the University of New Brunswick. After managing his own investment portfolio like so many others do, using Questrade and spreadsheets, he started to wonder if there was an easier way to do it. Realizing that others on forums like Reddit wondered the same thing, he went to work to develop Passiv, an app that works with a number of discount brokerages to make it easier and saving you precious time managing your own portfolio. The best part? Currently, Passiv is free to use for all Questrade clients, so you can try it out yourself and see how much easier it is to use compared to your traditional spreadsheet. This is great news because the one thing I hear all the time is that after listening to my podcast, so many people want to try out DIY investing but aren’t sure how to start.