User:LadyGeek/Main Page

Welcome to finiki, the Canadian financial wiki, where investors meet for financial education and empowerment. Getting started Personal finance Financial management Financial planning Investment management Retirement planning Reference material Complete list...

Introduction

finiki is a knowledge base of financial subjects written from a Canadian perspective. It is a collaborative work that is primarily based on knowledge built up in Financial Wisdom Forum (FWF) discussions, and where possible, peer-reviewed papers from scientific journals. finiki is presented in an easy-to-navigate and searchable format, and currently contains 278 articles. In case you are wondering, the name finiki is a play on financial + wiki.

Our purpose is solely to further the education and empowerment of Canadian retail investors. finiki is strictly non-commercial and free from advertising and sponsorship.

Navigation:The site is organized along major financial categories, the main articles of which are listed below. You can also look at our navigation page, or use the Search box if you are looking for something specific.

Getting started For many people, reading financial material or carrying on a financial discussion is a baffling and humbling experience. Jargon flies, everyone but you seems to know what's being talked about, and you don't know how to distinguish good information from noise. If you are a new investor looking for help and guidance, you might want to begin your journey with Getting started. The purpose of this section of the wiki is to provide good information to get started, simplified enough that the average person is able to handle their finances on their own and at minimal cost. Notre porte d'entrée en français : Prendre en main ses finances et commencer à investir Personal finance Personal finance deals with everyday money-related decisions households must make. Banking • Budgeting • Credit card • Emergency fund • Guaranteed Investment Certificate • Owning vs renting • Paying down loans versus investing • Tax-Free Savings Account Financial management Financial management, from the point of view of households, covers personal finance, and aspects of cash management. Cash flow financial planning software • Cash management • Cross-border and expatriate issues • Deposit rates • Free and open source personal finance software • High-interest savings accounts • Norbert's gambit • Short term cash returns Financial planning Financial planning is about defining your financial objectives and planning how to get there. General principles and overviews: Canadian-US investing differences • Creating a financial plan • Estate planning • Financial advisor • Insurance • Investing plan for short term goals • Investment Policy Statement • Mortgages • Prioritizing investments • Tax planning • Tax-efficient investing Account types: Registered Retirement Savings Plan • Registered Retirement Income Fund • Registered Education Savings Plan • Registered Disability Savings Plan • Tax-Free Savings Account

Investment management Investment management involves building and managing a portfolio. General principles: Asset allocation • Diversification • Global diversification • Indexing • Investment strategies • Investment styles • Investment Policy Statement • Portfolio design and construction • Rebalancing • Risk and return • Simple index portfolios Asset classes: Asset classes • Bonds • Cash and cash equivalents • Common shares • Equities • Fixed income • Guaranteed Investment Certificates • Preferred shares • Real Return Bonds Building blocks: Asset allocation ETFs • Balanced funds • Exchange-traded funds • Index funds • Mutual funds Retirement planning Retirement planning should be part of your overall financial plan. Annuities • Canada's retirement income system • Canadian retirement software & calculators • Conventional retirement planning • Government retirement benefits • Importance of saving early • Pension plans • Preparing to retire • Retirement living • Safety-first retirement planning • Savings rate • Tax deferred and tax free savings plans • Variable percentage withdrawal Reference material Common acronyms • Gummy-stuff• Resources and links • Recommended reading

Financial Wisdom Forum

Do you still have unanswered questions? The discussion forum is where FWF members talk about Canadian financial matters. Individual investors can pose questions about financial matters of all kinds, help answer others' questions, and provide information that might be of interest to do-it-yourself investors. We hope this will help you to invest on your own, or at least to have more informed conversations with financial advisors.

We encourage newcomers who may have little knowledge of finance. There are no stupid questions. We were all beginners once.

We are not registered financial advisors or planners but we do have a lot of collective wisdom to share. Ultimately, many financial questions do not have a right or wrong answer, but rather a range of options. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons in light of your specific situation.

You can visit the forum as a guest, i.e. without registering: or you can register, it is free. Only registered members can post new messages or have access to the non-financial sections. The forum is moderated and we ask members to be courteous and constructive.

Our main discussion forums are:

• Financial Planning and Building Portfolios;
• Retirement, Pensions and Peace of Mind;
• Financial News, Policy and Economics;
• Taxing Situations;
• Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More;
• Property: Owning, Renting, Managing, Investing and Mortgaging; and
• Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money.

Our sister site in the US, Bogleheads®, has a similar focus, many like-minded members, and may be of interest as well.

Other information

Contributions welcome

• finiki can be read by anyone. In the spirit of wiki sites, you are invited to help to improve what is here. If you are wondering where to start? Start here for some ideas on what editing help we can use. Add your wisdom or correct typos. We encourage you to Be bold, which can be explained in three words: "Go for it. "finiki will expand and develop faster if more people pitch in and contribute.

The fine print

• You can also find out more information about our privacy policy, terms of use and more about us. finiki is strictly non-commercial and free from advertising and sponsorship.

• This website is run by a small, dedicated group of volunteers. If you find the wiki and forum helpful, and would like to offer support for our ongoing costs, you can make a donation.