Building Financial Confidence From the Ground Up
Most people start investing backward. They buy stocks before understanding what they actually own. We believe you should walk through the entire process first, then decide where your money belongs.
Where Most People Get Stuck
After watching hundreds of people try to start investing, we've noticed the same roadblocks show up again and again. Here's what usually trips people up, and how you can avoid it.
Common Problem #1
Starting Without a Safety Net
People jump into investing when they still have three grand on a credit card at eighteen percent interest. The math doesn't work. Before you think about growth, you need to stop the bleeding. Build up three months of expenses in an account you can actually access, then tackle any debt above six percent.
Common Problem #2
Chasing Returns Instead of Understanding Risk
Someone hears their coworker made thirty percent last year and wants the same. But they never ask what happened when that investment dropped forty percent the year before. Every investment carries risk. The question isn't whether you'll face losses—it's whether you can handle them without selling at exactly the wrong moment.
Common Problem #3
Picking Stocks Before Setting Goals
This one drives me up the wall. People ask what to buy before they know why they're buying. Are you saving for retirement in thirty years or a house down payment in three? Those need completely different approaches. Figure out your timeline first, then choose investments that match it.
Common Problem #4
Ignoring Fees Until They've Already Cost You
A two percent management fee doesn't sound like much. Over twenty-five years, it can eat a third of your returns. Look at what you're paying for advice, trading costs, and fund expenses. Sometimes the difference between an okay retirement and a comfortable one comes down to fees you could have avoided.
What Actually Works in Practice
Theory is one thing. Reality is messier. Here's what we've seen work when people stick with it through market ups and downs.
Automate Before You Optimize
Set up automatic transfers on payday. Even if it's just fifty dollars at first. The people who succeed aren't the ones with perfect investment strategies—they're the ones who never give themselves a chance to forget or procrastinate. Start small, make it automatic, increase it when you get raises.
Diversify Like You Mean It
Owning ten tech stocks isn't diversification. Spreading across different sectors, countries, and asset types gives you protection when one area tanks. Yeah, it means you won't hit the absolute highest returns when one sector goes crazy. But it also means you won't lose everything when that same sector crashes.
Review Annually, Not Daily
Checking your portfolio every morning usually leads to panic selling. Look at your investments once or twice a year, make sure they still match your goals, rebalance if things have drifted too far. The rest of the time, ignore it. Market noise will make you second-guess good decisions.
Meet Your Guide
Learn From Someone Who's Been There
Kendra Paquet spent her twenties making every investing mistake in the book. She bought high, sold low, chased hot tips, and paid way too much in fees. Now she helps people skip those expensive lessons and build strategies that actually fit their lives.
- Fifteen years working with Canadian investors across different life stages
- Specializes in helping people transition from saving to actually investing
- Believes in plain language over financial jargon every single time