Canadian Investors Blog

(A simple roadmap for beginners)

Getting started with investing sounds harder than it is.

Most Canadians hesitate not because they lack money, but because they don’t know where to start or what steps to take.

This post is a practical guide — no jargon, no hype — just the key steps to start investing confidently in Canada.

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Step 1: Build the Foundation

• Before you invest, set aside 3–6 months of living expenses in a high-interest savings account.
• Pay off high-interest debt (especially credit cards).
• You don’t need everything figured out — just start from a stable base.

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Step 2: Choose the Right Account

• TFSA → tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawals. Start here.
• RRSP → lowers taxable income now, taxed later on withdrawal.
• FHSA → if you’re planning to buy your first home.Start with one — most beginners go with a TFSA.

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Step 3: Pick a Brokerage

• You can use:
  • Wealthsimple Trade (easy, no commission, beginner-friendly), or
  • Questrade (more tools, better for ETFs).
• Open the account, connect your bank, and fund it.
  • Even $100 is enough to begin — consistency matters more than amount.

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Step 4: Choose What to Buy

• If you don’t want to pick individual stocks, use All-in-One ETFs like:
  • VGRO (growth focus)
  • VBAL (balanced)
  • VEQT (aggressive, 100% equity)
• These automatically rebalance and give you global diversification in one click.

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Step 5: Automate and Forget

• Set up automatic monthly contributions.
• Don’t check your account every day — it’s not a scoreboard.
• The less you touch it, the more likely it’ll grow.

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Step 6: Learn as You Go

You’ll never “know everything” before you start — nobody does.

The most important thing is starting early and staying consistent.

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Final Thought

You don’t need to be an expert to invest.

Start small, stay consistent, and use time as your advantage.

Even one simple ETF in a TFSA can change your future if you let compounding do its work.