Episode #61 is out now! Our guest this episode is Andrea Thompson — Founder and lead financial planner of Modern Cents, a virtual, advice-only firm she launched in 2022 after more than 16 years in the financial industry. A CFP who also writes and marks the national CFP exam for FP Canada, Andrea built her practice to serve Canadians who have cash flow instead of assets, making quality financial advice accessible to younger people and those below traditional asset minimums. In this episode, Dave and Andrea dive into the rise of advice-only financial planning in Canada. They explore why she walked away from the traditional model to build Modern Cents, the factors fueling the model's growth, how advice-only planners find clients and where the pricing sweet spot lands. They also break down one of the model's biggest hurdles, the implementation gap between receiving a plan and actually executing it, along with the question of whether financial planners and investment advisors should stay in their respective lanes. The conversation also explores Andrea's specialty in cross-border financial planning, including the common mistakes Canadian residents make with their US 401(k) accounts. They discuss the overlooked psychological and financial value of annuities and why so many people resist them, how young adults should balance saving for a down payment against retirement, and the case for term insurance over permanent cash value policies. Whether you're curious about the advice-only model, weighing the value of professional financial advice or navigating the complexities of cross-border planning, this episode is full of practical takeaways you can put to use right away. Check it out now on our website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other podcasting platforms!

Men tend to get lonelier as they age. One reason is that many of their friendships are built around shared interests rather than shared inner lives. There's nothing wrong with golf, fantasy football, or talking about work. But if every conversation stays there, it's possible to spend years surrounded by people and still have nobody you can tell the truth to. I've met countless successful men who can name dozens of colleagues and acquaintances but struggle to identify a single person they could call in a moment of real pain. By middle age, many have become fluent in banter and almost illiterate in confession. The friendships that endure are often built through small acts of courage: asking the deeper question, giving the honest answer, and risking being known. Loneliness rarely arrives all at once. It accumulates quietly, one surface-level conversation at a time.

Thank you to @advisorca for this great piece on the pro bono work we do at @kindwealth_ca, along with so many other amazing advisors through @fpacanada. I'd love to see a day where all advisors feel compelled to use their expertise for good. advisor.ca/practice/planning…

Kindness is masculine. @Diary_Of_A_CEO pod