The Dividend Girl: 2024

Thursday, December 19, 2024

I am now on a $450,265.60 net worth

I usually update my investment portfolio only when the TSX posts positive gains. However, I sometimes update it out of curiosity. Today marks the second day in a row that the TSX has pulled back some valuable points. Under these circumstances, I wanted to check where my net worth stands. It seems I am now at $450,265.60. The TSX closed today’s session at 24,413.94 points, down 143.06 (-0.58%).

As announced previously, I no longer have any margin debt. I am now completely debt-free. Despite the Bank of Canada’s recent rate cut, interest rates remain high. At National Bank Direct Brokerage, the interest rate on margin accounts is still quite steep, at 7.25%. I now have over $110,000 available to invest on margin, but I won’t be using my margin account anytime soon. Watching yesterday’s disastrous TSX session, and seeing today’s performance as well, I can confidently say that I am happy to be debt-free at this very moment.

Being debt-free has had positive effects on various aspects of my life, including my spending habits. I find it more relaxing to be in my current financial position. In a way, the most difficult part is now behind me. However, I anticipate the next few months won’t be entirely easy, and I’ll explain why.

Now that I am debt-free, there’s no turning back. I have no choice but to build up my savings. If I don’t, I risk borrowing on my margin account again, and this time, it wouldn’t be for investment purposes! So, the real challenge is to stay on the right track—managing my money wisely and keeping my spending in check.

The fact that I am now debt-free is a great source of motivation. My goal for 2025 is to save $20,000, starting with an initial milestone of $15,000. It won’t be an easy task, but I don’t see it as insurmountable. It’s just something I need to focus on and take care of.

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of December 19, 2024

2024

December 19, 2024, TSX at closing: 24,413.94 points, -143.06 (-0.58%)

Net worth: $450,265.60 (I no longer have debt).

Total in assets: $467,956.81/Net worth: $467,529.69: November 29, 2024 - My highest net worth ever!

Total in assets: $467,971.92/Net worth: $465,398.33: November 22, 2024

Total in assets: $466,587.87/Net worth: $464,014.28: November 21, 2024

Total in assets: $464,207.08/Net worth: $460,527.54: November 14, 2024

Total in assets: $466,665.20/Net worth: $461,948.22: October 17, 2024

Total in assets: $465,108.53/Net worth: $460,391.55: October 16, 2024 - First time I am in the 460k!

Total in assets: $461,695.76/Net worth: $456,916.94: October 11, 2024

Total in assets: $456,672.76/Net worth: $451,890.80: October 4, 2024 - First time I ever hit on the 450k!

Total in assets: $452,186.49/Net worth: $447,251.10: September 26, 2024

Total in assets: $450,780.69/Net worth: $447,210.34: September 13, 2024

Total in assets: $447,942.71/Net worth: $444,372.36: September 12, 2024 - First time I ever hit on the 444k

Total in assets: $443,006.26/Net worth: $439,463.77: September 9, 2024

Total in assets: $440,323.44/Net worth: $435,834.87: August 23, 2024

Total in assets: $438,570.89/Net worth: $432,208.43: July 31, 2024 - first time I ever reached 430k.

Total in assets: $434,175.23/Net worth: $427,812.77: July 22, 2024

Total in assets: $419,382.05/Net worth: $413,741.80: May 10, 2024

Total in assets: $415,656.63/Net worth: $407,032.02: March 28, 2024

Total in assets: $410,830.45/Net worth: $403,444.26: March 8, 2024

Total in assets: $409,656.30/Net worth: $402,219.07: March 7, 2024 - first time I ever reached 400k net worth!
Total in assets: $407,214.02/Net worth: $399,776.79: March 6, 2024
Total in assets: $406,530.78/Net worth: $399,043.10: March 1, 2024

Total in assets: $404,868.06/Net worth: $393,617.74: February 17, 2024 - first time I ever hit 393k!

Total in assets: $404,016.51/Net worth: $392,766.19: February 15, 2024 - first time I ever hit 392k!

Total in assets: $401,516.67/Net worth: $390,264.22: February 12, 2024 - first time I ever hit 390k!

Total in assets: $401,713.44/Net worth: $389,317.63: January 29, 2024 - first time I ever hit 389k!

Total in assets: $400,412.81/Net worth: $388,017: January 28, 2024 - first time I ever hit 388k!

Total in assets: $399,833.32/Net worth: $387,437.51: January 25, 2024 - first time I ever hit 387k!

Total in assets: $396,039.93/Net worth: $382,559.57: January 8, 2024 - first time I ever hit 382k!
Total in assets: $393,167.74/Net worth: $379,670.38: January 5, 2024

2023

Total in assets: $406,622.25/Net worth: $380,929.15: December 29, 2023

Total in assets: $408,307.33/Net worth: $380,099.13: December 27, 2023

Total in assets: $406,167.92/Net worth: $380,273.66: December 14, 2023

Total in assets: $402,432.82/Net worth: $376,538.56: December 13, 2023

Total in assets: $397,453.80/Net worth: $371,540.77: December 8, 2023

Total in assets: $395,604.93/Net worth: $368,453.87: December 1, 2023

Total in assets: $390,070.59/Net worth: $362,630.53: November 17, 2023
Total in assets: $381,814.54/Net worth: $354,269.04: November 3, 2023
Total in assets: $373,267.72/Net worth: $345,282.56: October 6, 2023

Total in assets: $393,849.39/Net worth: $367,685.60: August 11, 2023

Total in assets: $397,595.65/Net worth: $361,500.59: July 18, 2023

Total in assets: $416,472.91/Net worth: $370,235.74: May 6, 2023

Total in assets: $419,167.77/Net worth: $373,150.19: April 21, 2023 - first time I ever hit the 373k!

Total in assets: $416,945.17/Net worth: $370,829.18: April 13, 2023 - first time I am in the 370k!

Total in assets: $415,945.38/Net worth: $369,820.54: April 11, 2023

Total in assets: $413,311.52/Net worth: $366,524.01: February 13, 2023

Total in assets: $411,186.99/Net worth: $364,399.48: February 10, 2023

Total in assets: $408,656.95/Net worth: $361,844.12: February 7, 2023

Total in assets: $407,606.87/Net worth: $361,043.28: January 17, 2023

Total in assets: $405,708.89/Net worth: $359,060.31: January 16, 2023

Total in assets: $404,983.22/Net worth: $358,324.64: January 13, 2023

Total in assets: $403,429.72/Net worth: $356,771.14: January 12, 2023

Total in assets: $399,232.95/Net worth: $352,574.37: January 11, 2023

Total in assets: $396,629.76/Net worth $349,971.18: January 10, 2023

Total in assets: $395,568.27/Net worth $348,909.69: January 9, 2023
Total in assets: $393,444.59/Net worth $346,786.01: January 6, 2023

2022

Total in assets: $384,602.29/Net worth $337,875.65: December 30, 2022

Total in assets: $394,205.35/Net worth $347,621.02: November 25, 2022

Total in assets: $383,659.43/Net worth $337,227.95: November 11, 2022

Total in assets: $373,493.10/Net worth $327,061.62: November 4, 2022

Total in assets: $356,147.14/Net worth $309,920.82: October 11, 2022

Total in assets: $396,620.95/Net worth $350,590.82: August 14, 2022

Total in assets: $369,523.83/Net worth $323,815.43: June 24, 2022

Total in assets: $367,287.71/Net worth $321,579.31: June 20, 2022

Total in assets: $364,145.55/Net worth $318,437.15: June 18, 2022

Total in assets: $398,010.84/Net worth $352,164.94: June 2, 2022

Total in assets: $385,843.39/Net worth May 20, 2022: $340,156.47

Total in assets: $407,547.23/Net worth $361,442.42: April 20, 2022

Total in assets: $405,658.35/Net worth $358,941.11: March 29, 2022

Total in assets: $403,792.28/Net worth $357,075.04: March 25, 2022

Total in assets: $402,081.01/Net worth $355,363.77: March 22, 2022

Total in assets: $400,979.64/Net worth $354,262.40: March 21, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $400,000 in total assets!

Total in assets: $398,652.13/Net worth $352,071.24: March 18, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $350,000 in net worth value!

Total in assets: $396,355.91/Net worth $349,713.01: March 10, 2022

Total in assets: $393,037.13/Net worth: $347,573.53: March 4, 2022

Total in assets: $391,766.36/Net worth: $345,622.80: February 9, 2022

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $341,862.36: February 2, 2022

Total in assets: $386,320.32/Net worth: $340,128.37: February 1st, 2022

2021

Total in assets: $385,979.66/Net worth: $339,434.39: December 31, 2021

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $336,268.16: December 23, 2021

Total in assets: $388,421.37/Net worth: $340,312.77 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED A $340,000 NET WORTH!
November 8, 2021

Total in assets: $387,068.51/Net worth: $338,959.91: November 5, 2021

Total in assets: $384,785.92/Net worth: $336,781.52: October 20, 2021

Total in assets: $382,580.80/Net worth: $334,576.40: October 19, 2021

Total in assets: $379,263.95/Net worth: $330,680.17: October 14, 2021

Total in assets: $364,072.52/Net worth: $315,407.64: July 26, 2021
Total in assets: $358,867.59/Net worth: $311,858.22: June 15, 2021
Total in assets: $354,774.64/Net worth: $307,559.30: June 10, 2021
Total in assets: $348,042.77/Net worth: $300,799.45 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED 300k in net worth, on May 26, 2021
Total in assets: $346,583.88/Net worth: $298,486.93: May 20, 2021
Total in assets: $349,651.45/Net worth: $298,435.31: May 7, 2021
Total in assets: $347,002.53/Net worth: $297,614.64: April 16, 2021
Total in assets: $338,188.16/Net worth: $287,914.75: March 11, 2021
Total in assets: $333,970.92/Net worth: $283,675.99: March 9, 2021
Total in assets: $328,881.12/Net worth: $279,611.57: February 10, 2021
Total in assets: $326,670.02/Net worth: $278,758.37: February 8, 2021
Total in assets: $324,891.52/Net worth: $276,979.87: February 4, 2021
Total in assets: $322,236.52/Net worth: $274,318.36: February 3, 2021
Total in assets: $327,639.01/Net worth: $274,298.23: January 19, 2021
Total in assets: $316,192.85/Net worth: $268,180.14: January 7, 2021
Total in assets: $313,003.95/Net worth: $264,915.22: January 6, 2021
Total in assets: $310,587.36/Net worth: $262,498.63: January 5, 2021

2020
Total in assets: $310,392.38/Net worth: $259,661.24: December 31, 2020
Total in assets: $307,812.05/Net worth: $259,070.79: December 24, 2020
Total in assets: $306,444.25/Net worth: $258,948.73: December 4, 2020
Total in assets: $304,701.39/Net worth: $257,331.58: November 27, 2020
Total in assets: $300,956.84/Net worth: $253,587.03: November 24, 2020
Total in assets: $298,903.01/Net worth: $251,533.20: November 23, 2020
Total in assets: $296,643.60/Net worth: $249,158.71: November 20, 2020
Total in assets: $294,514.87/Net worth: $247,145.87: November 11, 2020
Total in assets: $291,172.40/Net worth: $243,802.59: November 10, 2020
Total in assets: $287 803.13/Net worth: $240 433.32: November 9, 2020
Total in assets: $277,872.92/Net worth: $226,678.26: August 5, 2020
Total in assets: $276,627.27/Net worth: $227,745.47: June 6, 2020
Total in assets: $263,304.63/Net worth: $211,395.63: April 29, 2020
Total in assets: $241 461,13/Net worth: $194 558,29: March 13, 2020
Total in assets: $282,640.61/Net worth: $235,284.72: February 21, 2020
Total in assets: $304,955.72/Net worth: $257,187.44: February 12, 2020
Total in assets: $296,200.07/Net worth: $250,595: January 16, 2020
Total in assets: $292,715.58/Net worth: $244,970.41: January 9, 2020

2019
Total in assets: $288,237.52/Net worth: $239,582.44: December 31, 2019
Total in assets: $278,823.27/Net worth: $230,902.04: September 17, 2019
Total in assets: $271,896.19/Net worth: 226,137.05: June 24, 2019
Total in assets: $269 950.21/Net worth: $222 942.87: April 5, 2019
Total in assets: $251 634.94/Net worth: $206 278.84: January 18, 2019
Total in assets: $238 656.07/Net worth: $191 009.83: January 4, 2019

2018
Total in assets: $270 679.86/Net worth: $204 306.57: November 16, 2018
Total in assets: $332 750.88/Net worth: $232 609.15: August 3, 2018
Total in assets: $331 413.83/Net worth: $232 280.40: June 20, 2018
Total in assets: $326 085.75/Net worth: $226 801.92: June 3, 2018
Total in assets: $322 479.23/Net worth: $222 850.15: May 4, 2018
Total in assets: $319 644.86/Net worth: $217 246.23: March 16, 2018

2017
Total in assets: $318 544.64/Net worth: $221 989.65: December 29, 2017
Net worth on the date of November 17, 2017: $211 430.89
Net worth on the date of October 27, 2017: $212 633.39
Net worth on the date of September 29, 2017: $206 352.49
Net worth on the date of April 24, 2017: $204 277.66
Net worth on the date of March 31, 2017: $200 325.69
Net worth on the date of March 29, 2017: $198 299.73
Net worth on the date of March 18, 2017: $193 969.21

2016
Net worth on the date of December 30, 2016: $184 074.35

Net worth after debt on the date of January 1, 2014:
$101 172.99 (yes, finally, IN NET WORTH!).

On the date of February 16, 2011, the TMX hit 14 000+ points, and I exceeded the 150k in assets! (Not net worth yet).

On September 9, 2010, I reached $100,000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).

On the date of August 5, 2009, I reached my investment goal: I reached $50 000 worth of assets! (NOW, net worth).

On the date of December 5, 2009, I had exceeded $60 000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).

My investment portfolio on date of December 19, 2024

Savings: $527.87

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN

Methanex Corporation (MX)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE)

New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI)

TMX Group Inc. (X)

K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL)

South Bow Corporation (SOBO)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Enbridge Inc. (ENB)

Loblaw Companies (L)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

George Weston Limited (WN)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (AD.UN)

Ag Growth International Inc. (AFN)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Telus Corp (T)

TOTAL: $148,068.16

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B)

General Mills Inc. (GIS)

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (VONG)

Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

CSX Corporation (CSX)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (BIPC)

Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU)

TOTAL: $5,953.60 US: $8,446.97 CAN

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):

Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI)

CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF)

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN)

Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD)

Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN)

Data Communications Mgmt (DCM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Northland Power Inc. (NPI)

Calian Group Ltd. (CGY)

Canadian Utilities Limited (CU)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (GRT.UN)

Cargojet Inc. (CJT)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

TFI International Inc. (TFII)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

SIR Royalty Income Fund (SRV.UN)

ATCO Ltd. (ACO.Y)

Aecon Group Inc. (ARE)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Metro Inc. (MRU)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

CGI Inc. (GIB.A)

TMX Group Limited (X)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BIPC)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI.B)

Telus Corp (T)

Bitcoin Fund The Class A units (QBTC)

Purpose Bitcoin ETF CAD ETF non-currency hedged units (BTCC.B)

3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF (ETHQ)

Tilray Inc (TLRY)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Hammond Manufacturing Company Limited Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (HMM.A)

Saputo Inc. (SAP)

Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation (LIF)

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (ITP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

Wescan Energy Corp. (WCE)

Verde Agritech Plc Ordinary Shares (NPK)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Goodfellow Inc. (GDL)

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

TransCanada Corp (TRP)

A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund (AW.UN)

Total Energy Services Inc. (TOT)

Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares (EMP.A)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (AD.UN)

Westshore Terminals Investment Corporation (WTE)

Finning International Inc. (FTT)

Element Fleet Management Corp. (EFN)

Ninepoint Energy Income Fund ETF (NRGI)

Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (CHE.UN)

Hamilton Enhanced U.S. Covered Call ETF (HYLD)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Emera Inc. (EMA)

Kraken Robotics Inc. (PNG)

TOTAL: $149,294.16

RSP investment portfolio:

Emera Incorporated (EMA)

Ovintiv Inc. (OVV)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Telus Corp (T)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Richards Packaging Income Fund (RPI.UN)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

CAE Inc. (CAE)

CGI Group Inc. Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (GIB.A)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Quebecor Inc. (QBR.B)

Logistec Corporation Class B Subordinate Voting Shares (LGT.B)

Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Leon's Furniture Limited (LNF)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Cascades Inc. (CAS)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

AirBoss of America Corp. (BOS)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Pender Growth Fund Inc. (PTF)

Rogers Communications Inc. Class B Non-voting Shares (RCI.B)

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (ATA)

Algoma Central Corporation (ALC)

Finning International Inc. (FTT)

Guardian Capital Group Limited (GCG)

Information Services Corporation Class A Limited Voting Shares (ISV)

Interfor Corporation (IFP)

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

Open Text Corporation (OTEX)

Taiga Building Products Ltd. (TBL)

Vitreous Glass Inc. (VCI)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Hamilton Enhanced U.S. Covered Call ETF (HYLD)

TMX Group Limited (X)

iA Financial Corporation Inc. (IAG)

Ninepoint Energy Income Fund ETF (NRGI)

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN)

ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX)

Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS)

Keyera Corp. (KEY)

ADENTRA Inc. (ADEN)

Hammond Manufacturing Company Limited Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (HMM.A)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC)

Ag Growth International Inc. (AFN)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Morguard North American Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (MRG.UN)

Russel Metals Inc. (RUS)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ)

Dynacor Group Inc. (DNG)

Calian Group Ltd. (CGY)

Total: $72,864.13

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund + CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund + CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $3,932.86

Others: $1,159.90

NBI Income Fund: $1,336.01

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP

Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio

Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund

Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund

Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest

Total: $10,133.47

Other various: $54,397.41

TOTAL: $143,823.78

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35

Online money: $69.66

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-free Savings account + RRSP:

TOTAL: $450,265.60

On date of December 19, 2024

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Finally getting to experience National Bank Direct Brokerage's Fully-Paid Securities Lending Program!

The TSX closed this past Friday's session at 25,274.30 points. For now, we are still in the 25,000-point range, and that's all that really matters. My non-registered portfolio closed today's session at $152,348.15, my US portfolio at $6,122.72 USD, my RRSP portfolio at $74,302.68, and my TFSA portfolio at $154,151.13. Once again, my TFSA portfolio value is higher than my non-registered portfolio, which has only happened a few times so far.

As I celebrate my fourth day debt-free, I received my first dividend distribution in my non-registered account over the weekend. Now that my margin debt has been completely paid off, I can clearly see what incoming dividends look like. Previously, when I had margin debt, the cash balance in my account appeared as a negative amount, for example, -$300. Instead of seeing a negative sign, I now see a positive balance with a dollar sign—what a relief! 😊 I also transferred a small amount of cash to my non-registered account to cover the interest charges.

Over the weekend, I noticed that National Bank Direct Brokerage's Fully-Paid Securities Lending Program finally kicked in! I registered for the program several months ago, but it probably didn't activate earlier because of my margin debt. After paying off the debt on December 12, I saw on December 14 that some of my stocks had been lent through the program. So far, two of my investments in my non-registered portfolio have been lent out:

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE)
National Bank of Canada (NA)

The choice of these two investments surprised me. I’m not sure who borrowed the shares or for how long, but since I plan to hold these stocks for the long term, the duration of the lending period doesn’t concern me. In fact, I assume that the longer the shares are lent, the better, as it might generate more income.

This is my first time experiencing the Fully-Paid Securities Lending Program, and I’m excited to see how much I can earn. When I signed up, I was told it was risk-free, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. If you're curious, you can learn more about National Bank Direct Brokerage's Fully-Paid Securities Lending Program on YouTube. The first time I heard about this program was with NBDB, and I haven’t explored similar programs elsewhere yet.

If I can earn even just $30 per month through this program, I’d be thrilled. Currently, I earn approximately $963 per month in dividend distributions. Adding a little extra income to reach a total equivalent of $1,000 per month would be amazing.

While enjoying my debt-free status, I’m considering my next steps. I have no choice but to focus on building savings. If I don’t, I might fall back into the habit of withdrawing money from my margin account, as I used to do. I would only do so in a real emergency, but my goal is to establish savings instead. While I dislike calling it an "emergency fund", that’s essentially what I’m aiming to build.

To accelerate this process, I’m thinking of continuing what I’ve been doing for the past few months: transferring the dividend distributions from my TFSA portfolio to my non-registered portfolio. Previously, I used this money to pay down my margin debt. Now that the debt is paid off, I can allocate these funds to savings. I currently earn over $5,000 annually in dividend income from my TFSA portfolio, and this could help me build my savings more quickly.

My target is to save $6,000—partly to eliminate banking fees and partly to cover emergencies or prepay for vacations and other expenses. It’s a gradual process, but I don’t want it to take too long. In total, I would like to have a $15,000 emergency fund.

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Surprise! I Am Now Debt-Free!

Something quite important happened today: my margin debt is now completely paid off. I had hoped to achieve this milestone this year, but I honestly didn’t think it was possible. However, as the months went by, I got closer and closer to being debt-free. And finally, today, it happened. It has been a long process.

One of the reasons I thought I wouldn’t be able to pay off my margin debt this year was because it felt so overwhelming. I kept looking at my balance, and there was always a little something left to pay. I had to put in serious extra effort to stay in control of my spending and ensure I had enough savings to cover the debt payments.

I don’t even remember the last time I was debt-free, but it must have been a very long time ago. I opened my margin account for my non-registered portfolio back on December 11, 2010. Almost exactly 14 years later, I’ve finally cleared it. Debt has never been a problem for me; I didn’t mind carrying it because, for a long time, interest rates were low, and it made sense to buy great stocks on credit.

Now, the situation has changed. Interest rates are higher. While we’ve recently benefited from a small rate cut, it’s still not enough to justify buying stocks on credit. The political environment is also very different from 14 years ago. With Donald Trump in the mix, we need to brace ourselves for potentially more volatility in the coming years. Additionally, 2024 has been a fantastic year for the TSX, but I don’t expect the same level of growth in 2025. It’s challenging to deal with market volatility after experiencing such consistent gains. Eventually, my net worth could be affected and drop below $467,000. I am mentally preparing for that possibility. At this point, my next obvious goal is to reach a net worth of $500,000. However, it may not happen as quickly as I would like.

For all these reasons, my primary focus for the early months of 2025 will be to build up my savings. I should be able to close 2024 with around $500 in savings, if not a bit more. I prefer to estimate $500 because I will likely spend a bit between now and the end of December. While $500 isn’t much in terms of savings, it’s a good first step in the right direction. Currently, I pay around $12 per month in banking fees because I don’t maintain the minimum balance required to avoid those fees. Over time, I hope to build enough savings to eliminate those charges.

On another note, I recently received my updated COVID-19 vaccine. This time, my arm hurt for two days, and I felt a strange tingling sensation where the needle was inserted in my left arm. Typically, my arm hurts after the shot, but I’ve never experienced this tingling before. It was a bit odd, but everything is back to normal now.

My debt situation on date of December 12, 2024

Margin Account Debt: $0

Annual Interest: $0

As of December 12, 2024

For a complete update on my debt situation, please click on the label "Debt Situation" located in the right column of this blog.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Embracing Winter in New Brunswick: A Chilly Forecast and Exciting Dividend Growth

Winter is settling in quickly here in New Brunswick, and it's starting to feel like it’s knocking at the door. The weather forecast predicts an exceptionally cold weekend, with temperatures plunging to a bone-chilling -26°C on Saturday morning. For me, a "very cold weather" is anything below -20°C, and even -10°C is enough to make outdoor walks uncomfortable. To make things a little more challenging, the days are getting shorter, with darkness setting in as early as 5 p.m. I finished work at 6 p.m, New Brunswick time. Despite this, I make an effort to get outside daily, even if it's just for a quick walk, to stay active. I must admit, winter is not my favorite time of the year.

On the financial front, my margin debt is now reduced to just $353.50. Although the TSX didn’t close with extraordinary gains today, it remained steady at 25,641.18 points, which I find encouraging. My stocks portfolio had a solid day, gaining over $1,300 in value. Here's a snapshot of how my portfolios are performing:

Non-registered portfolio: $156,394.28

US portfolio: $6,172.40 USD

RRSP stocks-only portfolio: $75,031.30

TFSA portfolio: $156,062.11

November has been an exceptional month for dividend income, with several of my holdings announcing exciting dividend increases. These boosts have brought my monthly dividend income to $961, excluding the dividends earned in my RRSP portfolio. Slowly, but certainly moving toward the 1k.

Today, two major announcements caught my attention. Royal Bank of Canada (RY) announced a 4% dividend increase, and National Bank of Canada (NA) announced a 3.6% dividend increase. But the good news doesn't stop there. Yesterday, Enbridge Inc. (ENB) announced a 3% dividend hike. November also saw several other notable dividend increases:

Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD): Dividend raised by 11%

Element Fleet Management Corp. (EFN): Dividend raised by 8%

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU): Dividend raised by 4.6%

Telus Corp. (T): Dividend raised by 3.4%

With all these increases, I’m now very close to reaching the coveted milestone of $1,000 in monthly dividend income. If BCE Inc. (BCE) doesn’t decrease its dividend in the near future, I’m confident that I’ll hit that milestone soon.

One of the most exciting personal milestones on the horizon is becoming completely debt-free. By next week, when I receive my next paycheck, I’ll officially clear the remaining $353.50 of my margin debt. I haven’t been debt-free for years, and it’s thrilling to see this goal within reach. Finally!

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Welcoming a $467,000 net worth!

When the TSX closed this past session at an impressive 25,648.00 points, I knew I was onto something. After updating my investment portfolio, I discovered that my net worth now stands at a satisfying $467,529.69. Thanks to the dividend from TMX Group Inc. (X) from this weekend and the three paycheques I received this November, my margin debt has been reduced to a tiny little $427.12. I should be able to clear it off by mid-December. I haven’t been debt-free in what feels like forever. In fact, I think I’ve been carrying some form of debt my entire adult life. Not that it mattered much to me. However, as I get older (turning 45 next year), I feel it’s about time for me to become debt-free.

Like most people, my debt journey began with student loans. For a long time, that was my only debt—until December 11, 2010. That’s when I opened my margin account. Back in the day, TD Waterhouse had an office at the Montreal Eaton Centre, right next to the food court. That’s where I opened my margin account. I remember it clearly because there was snow, and it was real winter weather. I even wrote down the date—December 11, 2010—on a piece of paper that I’ve kept to this day. That’s how I can tell you that when I opened my margin account. At the time, my investment portfolio was already somewhat established. I didn’t open my margin account at the same time as my brokerage account. At the time (on December 11, 2010), my non-registered portfolio was valued at $72,232.12, and my margin borrowing limit was $43,653.66. That $43K represented the amount I could borrow. And that’s how began my historic with my margin account. With interest rates at historic lows, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It was an exciting time to invest. But as interest rates rose, I realized it was time to develop a plan to pay off my margin debt—my only debt—and now, that plan is finally coming to fruition. Soon enough, I won’t have any debt at all!

Once my margin debt is paid off, I plan to keep the account open—not because I expect to use it anytime again soon, but more as a safety net. It’s there just in case I need quick access to funds for emergencies or unforeseen expenses. I must admit, I’ve borrowed from my margin account in the past to cover things like vacations and unexpected costs. That happened primarily because I had no savings. For over 15 years, I invested every spare dollar into stocks, leaving just enough to cover my basic expenses. Leaving almost next to nothing to cover any extra expenses. And there are always some…

So naturally, when extra expenses came up, I turned to my margin account. I didn’t mind carrying a margin debt because for a very long time, my interest rate on that debt was low. At one point, my margin debt was close to $100,000, most of it borrowed for investment purposes. At the time, it made sense because interest rates were low, and the returns on my investments outweighed the borrowing costs. But now, things have changed, and it’s time to adapt. Now, interest rates are much higher, and the TSX is trading near its highest value ever. It’s no longer the same old game, and it hasn’t been for a while. A stock market at an all-time high and a high-interest-rate environment create the perfect excuse to focus on paying down debt. I have less than $500 left, and I still can’t quite believe I’m almost there. I’ve always found the “paying down debt” theme as being extremely boring. This time, I have to admit I’m actually excited about paying off my margin debt. I’ve had this goal in mind for quite a while, but I never thought I’d actually achieve it so soon. I am now on the verge of being debt-free and currently sitting at my highest net worth ever: an exact $467,529.69. With Donald Trump returning to the political spotlight in January, the next four to five years could be more volatile. Interest rates remain high, and as I approach my goal of a $500,000 net worth, it only makes sense to be debt-free. In my view, the only way to protect myself from the potential volatility that may be caused by Trump's return is to be debt-free.

Another priority once my remaining $427.12 is paid off is building up my savings. It’s the only logical way to ensure I stay debt-free. Without savings, I’d inevitably dip back into my margin account whenever extra spending arises. I’m curious to see how quickly I can build my savings. Becoming debt-free will undoubtedly give me the motivation I need to make it happen. Having a clear purpose for my savings makes a big difference. The goal itself is relatively simple: stay debt-free. That may not sound exciting, but it’s a vital part of my long-term financial strategy. Without debt, I’ll have the flexibility to focus on wealth-building through dividend growth stocks and other investments. For most of my adult life, I’ve carried some form of debt, whether it was student loans or a margin account. But as I prepare to enter 2025, I’m ready for a new phase—one where I remain free from debt and focus on building wealth.

While my immediate focus is on paying off my debt and building savings, I haven’t lost sight of my stocks. With my new Stockopedia subscription, I’m excited to discover fresh investment opportunities in the coming year. Stockopedia has been a valuable tool in the past, helping me identify high-quality stocks, and I’m confident it will continue to guide me in 2025. I probably won’t be investing heavily in stocks, but I will likely invest occasionally, just as I did this year. Currently, I have over $3,000 in cash sitting in my RRSP portfolio, waiting to be invested. I still have a bit of work to be done when it comes to investing. With Stockopedia by my side and a renewed focus on saving, I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. Here’s to a future of smart investing, financial freedom, and lasting wealth-building.

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Saturday, November 30, 2024

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of November 29, 2024