Mo' Money Podcast | Personal Finance With Jessica Moorhouse

It's a simple concept — do your research to find the lowest rate on an expensive purchase (like life insurance or a mortgage), and you'll thank yourself later. Simple, yet most of us still don't do it. That's why Justin Thouin, CEO of LowestRates, is on a mission to change that costly habit of ours and show us that it doesn't take that much time or effort to save thousands of dollars. Long description: It's sadly the final week for season 3 of the Mo' Money Podcast, and this episode is my last guest interview for the season. After this week I'll be taking some much needed time off, then I'll be back with more awesome episodes for season 4 starting Wednesday, Jan. 11. Since it is the last week for season 3, I've saved one of my best interviews for last. I've been a huge fan and supporter of LowestRates for well over a year now, but this was the first chance I got to interview the start-up's CEO Justin Thouin. I even went to the Lowest Rates offices and brought all my podcasting gear just so I could get to the

Heather Payne, founder of Ladies Learning Code and HackerYou, proves you really can do whatever you want when you grow up, as long as you aren't afraid to take risks, do something completely new and really put your heart and soul into it. Long description:  I learned about Heather Payne after I took one of her Ladies Learning Code classes, and man is she one inspirational lady! She's one of the youngest female entrepreneurs I know, having founded both Ladies Learning Code and HackerYou in her 20s. If that's not impressive enough, she's also an angel investor and was named one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women. The fact that she's so down to Earth is pretty baffling, but she is. She's pretty much the whole package! For this episode, we chat about how Heather took her idea of maybe one day being her own boss to full on turning her side hustle into her full-time hustle. I think this is something a lot of us can relate to, so it's very cool to hear from someone who has successfully made the jump from 9-5 with a

Think you can become a millionaire by working a regular 9 to 5 job? I know I have a lot of guests on the show who promote the benefits of entrepreneurship and working for yourself to get ahead financially. But for this Listener Series episodes, I chat with Steve Cousins from Arkansas about how he was able to reach financial freedom by working as an employee for the same company for almost 40 years. I know, I know, many of us Millennials may think that Steve's story sounds exactly like the advice our parents gave us. Go to university, get a job, work hard, save and contribute to your retirement fund, then you'll be able to retire in style. This was a way more common path for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, but I don't think it's impossible for us Millennials. When talking with Steve, it becomes clear that that's not exactly the path you need to take to grow in your career. You can't just get any degree. You need to get one that has a high demand for skilled workers. You can't just work hard. Everyone works hard. Yo

Think you've gotta be rich to retire early? Then you haven't heard Anita Dhake's story about how she was able to retire at 33. Long description: Just to warn you, this podcast interview with Anita Dhake may make you want to hoard all of your money and live as frugally as possible so you can retire early too. From the sounds of it, early retirement does not disappoint. Who wouldn't want to live the life they want right now, instead of waiting until 65 or later? As I mentioned in this episode, I stumbled upon Anita and her amazing story by just doing some research online. And I'm so glad I did find her! Not only is her story super inspiring, how she explains it, it's not that far-fetched. Yes, it helped that she worked as a lawyer and thus made a good salary. But still, early retirement isn't just something rich people can afford to do. If you take some of her bits of advice, maybe check out the book she's read twice, and just have a plan and take action, you might be able to retire way earlier than you thought

It's not too often you get to interview your namesake! For this Listener Series episode, I chat with Jessica Watchorn, a Toronto artist and podcaster over at the Art Pro Podcast, about keeping it real financially, paying off a ton of debt and pursuing your dream career. Long description: It's not too often you get to interview your namesake for a podcast episode, so it was a real treat to chat with Jessica Watchorn for this Listener Series episode. And not only do we share a name, we have very similar stories, both currently live in Toronto and have our own podcasts! Similar to my background, Jessica went to art school in Montreal to study painting in the hopes of becoming an artist. She of course realized after graduating with her degree that pursuing a career in the arts, no matter how talented you are, was no easy feat. But that didn't stop her. Nor did the $40,000 debt that she owed from her education. So what did she do? She got a job as a cook in a restaurant to pay her bills and debts, formed a communi

I chat with LaTisha Styles who went from trying to make a living after graduating university during the recession to now working for herself and loving every minute of it. Long description: LaTisha Styles is proof that you don't have to be stuck on one particular path even if it seems like the odds are against you. Getting a degree in Spanish and trying to grow her career during the recession wasn't easy, but instead of throwing her hands up and giving in, LaTisha powered through and is now banking serious bank! How I got to know LaTisha was through her YouTube channel. There really aren't that many people making interesting personal finance focused videos these days, but she got the formula right. It's not surprise she has close to 8,000 YouTube subscribers! LaTisha is funny, entertaining, but at the root of it she just offers some really good advice. Simple stuff like trying the envelope budgeting method. Or only buying stuff on her list and avoiding going to the mall as a social activity. Simple stuff we c

For this special Listener series episode, I chat with Erika from Red Deer, Alberta about how she experienced extreme poverty in her childhood, was later adopted to a new family with her brother and had to accept the news that she had MS in her early 20s. She's had to overcome a number of obstacles in her young life so far, more than most people ever have to deal with. But despite that fact, her optimism is infectious and she's proof that when there's a will there's a way, and it's never too late to start managing your money right and crushing your debt. Long description: Erika emailed me a little while ago answering my call-out for more interviewees for my Listener Series, and I'm so glad she did. Talk about a strong woman who has overcome some major life challenges. Not only did she have to experience extreme poverty as a child, then foster care, then being adopted to a new family, she was also diagnosed with MS in her early 20s. It's not surprising that she struggled with striking a balance between living f

Credit card expert David Rubsenstein (from CreditShout.com and CreditForums.com) chats with me about the most important things people need to know about credit reports, credit scores and credit cards. If you're looking for an in-depth podcast episode about credit that really gets down to the knitty-gritty, you found it! Long description: This is by far the most in-depth episode about credit cards I've ever done, so I hope that's is exactly what you're looking for! For this episode, I chat with credit card expert David Rubenstein from CreditShout and CreditForums and we get into all the important stuff you should know about credit. Now, we cover a lot of ground in this episode, but I an important thing I wanted to reiterate is the importance of checking your credit report once per year. In Canada, you can get free reports from Equifax Canada and Transunion Canada. In the U.S., you can get free credit reports from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Not only is this a way to help prevent against identity theft, i

Rachel Jimenez is saving 40% of her income, got 60K in scholarships and bought her first house at 24. Find out how she did it by listening to our podcast episode together. Long description: Rachel Jimenez is certainly giving me a run for my money! This girl go $60,000 in scholarships, which paid for both her bachelor's and master's degrees. She also was able to save enough to buy her first home at the young age of 24. And if that still doesn't impress you, her and her husband are saving 40% of their income so they can retire early. This girl is living the dream, and I am so glad she emailed me to share her story for my Listener Series! Resources Mentioned by Rachel Mr. Money Mustache YNAB (You Need a Budget) Rachel's Tips for Success Start working at an early age to craft a good work ethic Do your scholarship research because you could make $60,000! Buy property when you can afford it and the market is low Save as much money as you can so you can retire early Talk Raw on YouTube Rachel's Talk Raw website focu

I chat with Erin Bury, who was not only listed under Marketing Magazine's 30 Under 30, but also grown her personal brand so big...even Oprah noticed. For this episode of the Mo' Money Podcast, I chat with Erin about what she learned about what not to do with her money in college and why she decided to change career paths from journalist to small business owner. Long description: "Millennials are not lazy entitled, losers and we actually have a lot to say," - Erin Bury. Officially my favourite quote from one of my podcast guests! The big reason I wanted to chat with Erin is because she is such a good example of where hustle can take you. She's gotten to where she is in her career because she worked hard, tried new things and took some major risks. For instance, when I asked her how she got to be one of Marketing Magazine's 30 Under 30, she said she nominated herself. I bet most people wouldn't have even thought of doing that, and while those people are waiting for someone to just give it to them, Erin went out

For this special Listener Series episode, I interview David from Texas who shares his debt story and how he got out of it by sticking to a cash-only diet. Long description: After listening to my Listener Series episode with Amanda from Ottawa, David from Texas answered my call out to be on my podcast, and I'm so glad he did. I feel like his story is so relatable, and yet I don't think I've ever interviewed anyone who paid off $40,000 in debt in only 14 months, then stuck to a cash-only diet for good after that. I'm serious in that after listening to our conversation again, I kind of want to try to live off cash only for a month or two to see how many spending and savings are affected. I do try to use debit for all my day-to-day spending, but I do lean on my credit cards from time-to-time. I hope you find this episode as inspiring as I did, but since David has so many good sound-bites, I've included a few gems below. Thanks again David for joining me on the podcast, and I mean it, you should start your own. Yo

Canadian personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq and I chat about how her upbringing helped her understand how to manage money at a young age, and how her career as a journalist eventually led her to become a popular Canadian personal finance expert and TV personality. Long description:  For this episode of the Mo' Money Podcast, I chat with Canadian personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq. She blogs over at Always Save Money, but she's been in the finance game for a long time. She started out as a journalist, but after years in the industry she realized her passion was for personal finance. Now, instead of being a foreign correspondent for ABC News, you can find her on almost any Canadian news station as the go-to money guru. Besides talking about her transition from journalist to expert, we also got into why she got so into personal finance from the first place. And it was largely her upbringing that made her so financially savvy. Although many of us aren't included in money conversations as kids, Rubina'

For this Listener Series episode, I chat with Heidi from my hometown of Vancouver about how she manages living in an expensive city, working as a freelance theatre manager and crushing her consumer debt, without giving up on enjoying her money and her life. Long description: Can I just say how much I am loving this Listener Series? It may have been one of my best ideas! One of the perks of having a podcast I guess, I get to talk to so many amazing people and see how they do things. And one of those amazing people is Heidi from Vancouver. It honestly warmed my heart when she mentioned things like B.C. Ferries and the PNE! Ah, my hometown! I sure do miss it. What I loved about chatting with Heidi was she was proof that you can live a good life while being a freelancer in the arts industry. I was honestly afraid that I'd be a poor artist all my life, which is a big reason why I looked for a regular 9-5 gig after completing my film degree. But Heidi is fearless and has crafted a career where she gets to do what s

I interview Justwealth president Andrew Kirkland about what we as investors need to know about robo-advisors, index funds and ETFs.  Long description:  Don't forget to take advantage of today's episode freebie! Receive a special $50 bonus when opening an account with Justwealth by visiting justwealth.com/jessica-moorhouse. I've been getting more and more interested in investing lately, and it could be for a number of reasons. Firstly, I'm not as young as I once was. Ever since I turned 30 I can't help but feel a sense of urgency when it comes to building my wealth. Retirement is only a few miles away, and I want to be prepared! Maybe I'm exaggerating, but that's sometimes how I feel if I'm honest. Another reason is that there are a lot of cool things happening in the investment industry — the big one being robo-advisors. The name itself makes it sound like a robot is taking your money and trading it on the TSX floor, but in reality, it's just a more efficient way of investing. You'll be paying less fees and y

For this Listener Series episode, I chat with Sharifa Samuels who is originally from Ontario but now lives in my hometown of Vancouver. She shares how she was able to travel, pay for her wedding in cash, buy a place in one of the most expensive cities in the world, go back to school, but also aggressively pay down her debt and help her husband to do the same. Long description: Sharifa's Awesome Financial Advice for Others in the Same Boat? Write all your debts down, including interest rates and minimum payments Pay yourself first the entire time Choose your payment strategy: highest interest first or smallest balance, based on what makes you feel good Cut expenses! Automate as much as possible Write down and look often at your “Why?” Enrol those closest to you Read Her Original Blog Interview with Me: 4 Women Who Will Inspire You to Crush Your Debt Check Out Some of Sharifa's Best Blog Posts I Quit My Job Today! Grow Up Decision - To Buy or to Rent? When Fear Prevents You from Taking Action Got a story that y

Jason Vitug is an author, entrepreneur, speaker and founder of Phroogal.com, and he's on a mission to teach everyone that financial freedom is possible no matter who you are or where you live. I chat with him in this episode about his latest book, You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Freedom, and how he went from working in Silicon Valley to road tripping it across the United States to inspire and teach others about the power of personal finance. Long description: If you're looking for some #WednesdayWisdom, or just need a dash of inspiration to get you through the rest of the week, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Jason Vitug will get you pumped and ready to take on life, because that's what he's all about. And he doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walks! Jason worked his way into a sweet gig in Silicon Valley, a dream to many of us with big aspirations and fantasies about living the good life. But he soon realized that despite having a great job and paycheque, he wasn't happy or fu

For this special solo episode, I share what's been happening on the new homeowner-front since my first episode of the season where I announced that my husband and I bought our first place. Long description: In my first episode (and first solo episode) for season 3 of the Mo' Money Podcast, I shared with you the big news that my husband and I bought our very first place. After one failed house hunt two years ago, we restarted our search in July and ended up buying a townhouse in Toronto. Not only that, we were able to put 25% for our down-payment so we could keep our monthly payments as low as possible. Well, since I recorded that episode at the beginning of September, a lot has happened. We've owned our home for 1 1/2 months, and we've already experienced quite a few ups and downs as new homeowners. Some of the Not So Fun Things About New Homeownership Overall, we are still super happy with our decision, but it has hands down been the most stressful period in our lives (save for maybe planning our wedding 3 y

Mrs. Frugalwoods is a testament to what extreme frugality can look like if you do it right. Extreme frugality, very different than minimalism so don't get them confused, is all about financial independence. When you let go of your need or obsession to buy and accumulate stuff, and focus on living simply, buying what you need (not just what you want), and spending your money on what really matters — well, maybe then you'll be able to live on 66 acres in the woods while working remotely too. Long description: Not long after I recorded this episode of the podcast with the lovely Mrs. Frugalwoods, I got to meet her in-person at FinCon 2016. In case you don't know, FinCon is a massive personal finance blogging conference, and this year there was over 1,200 attendees so it's a miracle I found Mrs. Frugalwoods amongst the crowd! Mrs. Frugalwoods did not disappoint in the flesh either. She was just as sweet, genuine and friendly as she came off during our interview together. She also has this calmness about her that

Faced with the reality that she had to pay her own way through university if she wanted a degree, Taylor Milam is a true example that hard work and resilience can really pay off. Long description: My third episode in my special podcast listener series features Taylor Milam from San Diego. Her debt story may sound very familiar to you if you had to pay for school on your own, work a few jobs at night and still depend on student loans to finish your degree. But her story is also a great example of where resilience and hard work can take you. Sure, Taylor had to get student loans to pay for school, but she also worked relentlessly to pay them off as soon as she could. And she did! After only 7 months she was able to pay off $14,000 in student debt. Now, she's on a mission to help people just like her get out of debt, and more importantly stay out of debt, on her blog The Freedom from Money. Got a story that you think would be good to share on an episode on of Listener series? Please email me! For more podcast ep

It was such a delight to chat with Alison Green from AskAManager.org about her amazing blog and to pick her brain about interviewing as a new post-grad, revamping your resumé, and switching careers. If you're a student, Millennial, or just listening to this episode at work and really wish you weren't at work, this is an episode you will get so much out of. Make sure to check the show notes so you can find out how to submit your work/career questions to Alison too. Long description: It was honestly such a dream to chat with Alison Green from Ask a Manager. As I mentioned in the episode, I read her blog religiously the year I moved to Toronto and was trying to switch careers from advertising sales to digital marketing.  Not only was it a great view into what other people have to deal with in their offices on a day-to-day basis, but she has some darn good advice! Probably the best career advice I've ever gotten. I absolutely credit Alison with helping me revamp my resumé and landing my current job. And it wasn'