Blog

Real math on Canadian personal finance.

• 2026-09-21

  Juggling Three Credit Cards and a Line of Credit? Here's Why You Keep Almost Missing a Payment

  How to keep track of multiple credit card due dates when cards and lines of credit all bill on different cycles — and why no single Canadian bank app shows them together.

• 2026-09-14

  Is Overdraft Protection Worth It in Canada?

  Is overdraft protection worth it in Canada now that NSF fees are capped at $10? Here's the real math on monthly fees, pay-per-use costs, and interest.

• 2026-09-07

  How Much of Your Credit Limit Should You Actually Use? The 30% Rule for People With Four Cards

  How much of my credit limit should I use? The 30% guideline is a soft slope, not a cliff — and it applies both per card and across all your revolving credit.

• 2026-09-06

  Is It a Good Idea to Use Your TFSA as an Emergency Fund?

  Is a TFSA emergency fund a good idea? Yes if it's held in cash or a HISA — but only once you know your monthly coverage gap, or the credit card just refills it.

• 2026-08-26

  How Credit Card Grace Periods Actually Work (And Why Carrying a Balance Kills It)

  How does a credit card grace period work in Canada? Learn why carrying any balance kills your interest-free window on all new purchases too.

• 2026-08-10

  TFSA or RRSP First? Answer This Cashflow Question Before Either

  TFSA vs RRSP which one first in Canada actually depends on a simpler question: do you know what's leaving your account before payday?

• 2026-07-13

  Line of Credit vs. Credit Card: Which Should a Canadian Pay Off First?

  Line of credit vs credit card — which should a Canadian pay off first? The rate gap (≈20% card vs ≈8% LOC) means order matters. Here's the math.

• 2026-07-06

  How to Know If You Can Cover Your Bills Before Your Next Paycheque

  The 50/30/20 rule can't tell you how to know if you can cover your bills before payday — here's the forward day-by-day view that actually can.

• 2026-06-25

  How to Stop Living Paycheque to Paycheque in Canada (Without a Raise)

  Learn how to break the paycheque to paycheque cycle in Canada — not by spending less, but by seeing what's coming before it hits.

• 2026-06-25

  Why Your Credit Card Balance Never Moves in Canada

  You pay every month. The balance barely drops. Here's the math behind why — and what it actually costs you.

• 2026-06-25

  Can I Actually Afford This Before Payday? A Simple Way to Know for Sure

  Wondering how to know if you can afford something before payday? Here's a simple forward-cashflow method — project what's coming, not what's gone.