What Canadian money question can we answer today?
MORTGAGE AND LOAN
Aug 29, 2026
17 min read
Credit Changes Before Mortgage Renewal: What Actually Hurts (And What Doesn’t)
Major correction verified against official CMHC guidance: lenders calculate TDS on your outstanding BALANCE, not your credit limit. A zero-balance line of credit generally adds $0 to your ratios regardless of whether the limit is $15,000 or $50,000. The original premise would have led readers to decline harmless credit increases while missing what actually matters — paying down balances (each $10,000 removes ~$300/month from your TDS). Also recalculated: a half-point rate difference costs ~$12,000 over five years, not $7,500.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Jun 5, 2026
11 min read
Should I Max TFSA Before Building Emergency Fund?
Should you max your TFSA or build a $20K emergency fund first? Learn the 2026 priority order most Canadian financial experts recommend.