My youngest turned 6 this year, and yesterday I finally sat down and applied for the BC Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG) through my RESP account. I’d been putting it off for months (mom life, right?), but a friend sent me a post warning that this $1,200 grant is being phased out — and…
This post is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. I’m sharing my personal experience, not professional advice — always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Requirements can vary by province and by your specific immigration status,…
This post is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. I’m sharing my personal experience, not professional advice — always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. This post contains an affiliate link (Wealthsimple). If you sign up…
This post is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. I’m sharing my personal experience, not professional advice — always confirm your own payment amounts and eligibility through your CRA My Account. If you’ve been getting a quarterly CRA deposit called the “GST/HST credit,”…
This post is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. I’m sharing my personal experience, not professional advice — always do your own research and consult a licensed professional (or the CRA directly) before filing. My first Canadian tax season, I genuinely thought I…
This post is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. I’m sharing my personal experience, not professional advice — always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Requirements can vary by country and financial institution, so check official…
Buying a first home in Canada can feel out of reach when you’re also a newcomer. Between building your permanent residency, paying rent, and setting up a household from scratch, saving for a down payment often gets pushed to “later.” My family felt the same way — we focused on settling in first, and it…
When I first landed in Canada, I had a million things to figure out — housing, a bank account, my kids’ school registration. RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan) was nowhere near the top of my list. Honestly, I thought I couldn’t even open one until we got permanent residence. I assumed my kids needed a…
Hi, I’m Annie 👋 I moved to Canada from overseas ten years ago, and I still remember staring at my first Canadian bank statement like it was written in another language. This post is everything I wish someone had told me about which accounts actually matter — especially the ones that pay off after you’ve…
There’s one account in Canada that quietly saves me more in taxes than almost anything else I do — and for the first few years I lived here, I barely understood it. I kept mixing it up with the RRSP, assumed it was “just a savings account,” and didn’t open one until years after I…
