The best finance blogs and podcasts for 2023
Jordan Lavin
Not long ago, a small but mighty group of personal finance bloggers captivated Canadians by openly sharing their unique, and sometimes extreme, approaches to money. A few worked on transforming their crippling debt into financial security. Another aimed to save fully half of her income. And another put herself on a year-long shopping ban.
The era of bloggers unabashedly sharing their personal journeys has come to a close, but a few personal finance writers are still doing things right. They share personal stories without just focusing on the wins. They give realistic advice that’s easy to apply in real life. They’re not focused exclusively on stock picking and investments. And they don’t pedal get rich quick schemes or buy into their own survivorship bias.
The best personal finance blogs in Canada for 2023
- The Budgette: Renee Sylvestre-Williams has been writing about personal finance for over 15 years and contributes to some of this country’s largest publications. Frustrated with the lack of financial planning information for people without a partner, she started The Budgette, a “no-nonsense conversation about money for solo earners.” The bi-weekly SubStack newsletter covers timely topics and features insights from Renee’s impressive network of experts.
- MapleMoney: Tom Drake is a financial analyst and blogger who has been writing on personal finance in Canada since 2009. His website, MapleMoney, discusses how to make, save and invest money, as well as wisely spend it. And while it’s been a few months since the latest Maple Money Podcast episode was released, there are 217 episodes in the archives with an average rating of 4.6 stars on Apple Podcasts.
3. Savvy New Canadians: Enoch Omololu started Savvy New Canadians in 2016 to “help other newcomers find their way around Canada’s financial landscape.” If you want clear answers to your money questions without being talked down to, this is a great place to start.
4. Money We Have: Barry Choi is a Canadian travel and personal finance writer who eschews the notion that treating yourself and good financial habits are mutually exclusive. His blog, Money We Have, features useful information on personal finance, banking and credit cards, as well as how to see the world without sacrificing your retirement savings.
5. Ratehub.ca: Yes, we’ve listed ourselves but please permit us to toot our own horn. Ratehub has helped Canadians make smarter financial choices for over a decade, making it easy to find the best deals on mortgages, credit cards, bank accounts, investments and insurance. Our blog is updated multiple times a week with posts like this one, to keep you connected with the stories and trends that affect your money.
6. MoneySense: Okay, MoneySense is owned by Ratehub too but hear me out. MoneySense was founded in 1999 as a print magazine, bringing personal finance information to Canadians before most of us even knew what a “blog” was. It went out of print in 2016 and was in danger of being shut down entirely not long after that. We couldn’t stand to see such a valuable resource disappear, so we took it under our wing. Today, MoneySense remains editorially independent and continues to produce the kind of quality financial content it did when it was found on newsstands.
The best personal finance podcasts in Canada for 2023
Whereas blogs have traditionally been about connecting with personal stories, podcasts shine for their ability to connect you with experts. When you need a break from the latest true crime series, these Canadian personal finance podcasts educate and entertain.
- Stress Test: The Globe and Mail’s personal finance team, Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw, share their expertise in podcast form on their show, Stress Test. Combining current events, lifestyle, money, and much needed common sense, this podcast gets away from the mechanics of money and gets into how it affects real life – and what to do about it.
- Debt Free in 30: Licensed insolvency trustee Doug Hoyes is a partner in one of Ontario’s largest debt relief firms and therefore intimately familiar with how real Canadians manage (or fail to manage) their relationships with money. His podcast, Debt Free in 30, discusses the credit and personal finance traps many fall into as well as realistic advice for managing debt.
- More Money: Jessica Moorhouse has been podcasting about personal finance since 2015 and shows no signs of slowing down. Weekly episodes of her show, More Money, feature Canadian experts, authors and influencers who share their perspectives on personal finance.
- Moolala: Bruce Sellery is an author, media personality and speaker who has shared his bright personality and personal finance advice through the Moolala podcast since 2016. His weekly podcast is published as full episodes and specific segments, so you can use your valuable listening time on the topics you’re most interested in.
The bottom line
Financial literacy begins with a willingness to be open and honest when it comes to money. The Canadians leading the conversation, whether in blog or podcast form, deserve to be celebrated for their good work. Take a look at these top personal finance blogs and be sure to share your favourites in the comments.