Stephen Sicoli

Budgeting That Actually Works: Tools and Apps for Every Type of Family

Elderly couple sits at coffee table to budget

Introduction Budgeting isn’t about punishment. It’s about clarity, confidence, and control. But let’s be honest — most families try a budget, stick to it for a week, and then life happens. Kids’ activities, groceries, unexpected bills, vehicle repairs… it adds up fast. The real key to budgeting is finding a method and a tool that […]

🧭 The Truth About Life Insurance in Canada: What You’re Not Being Told

Family financial planning concept with insurance document

Life insurance is one of those topics people tend to avoid. It sounds complicated, expensive, and full of fine print, and the truth is, a lot of what’s said about it just isn’t accurate. As a financial advisor, I’ve seen clients make decisions about insurance based on half-truths and sales pitches. The result? They either […]

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Canadians Make with Their Money (and How to Avoid Them)

Close-up of Canadian dollar bills symbolizing personal finance and budgeting

Introduction Money can be one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives; especially when it feels like we’re doing everything “right” and still not getting ahead. Over the years, I’ve seen many Canadians make the same avoidable mistakes that keep them from reaching their goals. The good news? Once you spot them, you […]

What we KNOW about the new C-22 Canada Disability Benefit

Dispelling the myths & rumors behind the new Canada Disability Benefit Recently, I have been getting lots of questions and confusion around the Canada Disability Benefit that was introduced by Bill C-22. This bill proposes to enact the Canada Disability Benefit Act to create the new Canada Disability Benefit for working-age persons with disabilities. This […]

5 Huge Mistakes To Avoid When Building A Financial Plan

5 Huge Mistakes To Avoid When Building A Financial Plan Number 3 could cost you THOUSANDS! 1.Trying to “go it alone”/Doing everything yourself. Yes it’s true you can use online brokerages for stocks, bonds, ETF’s & cryptocurrencies, you could create a plan for yourself without ever meeting with a live person. Although, you may be […]

Financial Goal Setting

Financial Goal Setting Before I get started on the breakdown of financial goals, I would like to start with a few words about goal setting in general: The basis of any plan, financial or otherwise is having the end goal in mind. It is much easier to get to where you need to be when […]