The Dividend Girl

Monday, December 23, 2024

Saying thank you and goodbye to all my BCE Inc. (BCE) shares!

I won’t have time to update my investment portfolio this evening, but my stock portfolio grew by $2,000 today. Here’s how my portfolios closed at the end of the session:

Non-registered portfolio: $150,565.05
US portfolio: $5,986
RRSP stocks-only portfolio: $73,574
TFSA portfolio: $150,229

Today’s gain brings my net worth to $455,000. My highest net worth ever was $467,000, which I reached on November 29. While I’m currently over $10,000 behind that peak, it doesn’t bother me much. Of course, I would have preferred to maintain that level, but investing the vast majority of my money in stocks means embracing volatility. This is especially true as we head into January with potential new drama surrounding Donald Trump—and it’s already starting! On top of that, I’ve been dealing with some personal financial drama of my own (in regards of my stocks only).

Today, I made some strategic decisions in my TFSA portfolio, I sold all BCE shares. I decided to sell my remaining BCE shares because I was dissatisfied with the company’s management. Holding these shares no longer aligned with my strategy. This sale resulted in a capital loss of $5,000. I also partially sold Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD) shares. I reduced my BYD position because I was overweight in this stock. Additionally, its 0.285% dividend yield is not very appealing, and the returns have been relatively flat lately. I still hold some shares but opted to reallocate part of this investment.

In total, these sales generated over $10,000, which I plan to transfer to my non-registered account and use to make an $11,000 contribution to my RRSP. By doing this, I expect to receive a tax break of $5,000 to $6,000 when I file my 2024 tax return in early 2025. This strategy helps me offset the $5,000 capital loss from selling BCE shares while taking advantage of the tax benefits offered by an RRSP. I should receive the tax refund—between $5,000 and $6,000—in March or April, depending on when I file my return.

I’ve never been a big fan of RRSPs. The main reason is that you can’t access the funds before retirement without facing penalties. Investing for my retirement has never been a particularly exciting part of my investment journey. I prefer the TFSA because it provides more flexibility. That said, one advantage of an RRSP is the tax break, and I decided to leverage this benefit for 2024.

I see this plan as a great way to start building savings. By April, I aim to have $7,000 saved, and with the expected tax refund, my savings will grow to $13,000. I’m confident I can reach at least $21,000 in savings by the end of 2025 if I stick to this strategy. I may even have around $5,000 available to invest in stocks or other opportunities. For most of my adult life, I’ve invested nearly every dollar I could in stocks, leaving little to no savings. While this worked for a long time, I now realize that building savings is essential to remain debt-free in the long run.

Saving has always been challenging for me because I tend to invest every spare dollar, keeping only the bare minimum in my chequing account for expenses. However, this is not a sustainable way to live, especially in today’s volatile market environment. While I still plan to invest, I’m committed to creating more room for other priorities, like building financial security through savings.

Now that I no longer hold BCE shares in my TFSA, my dividend income has decreased slightly. However, it’s still solid, with monthly income from my non-registered and TFSA portfolios exceeding $900.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of December 20, 2024

2024

Net worth on December 20, 2024: $453,186.36, [TSX: 24,599.48, +185.58 (+0.76%)].

Net worth: $450,265.60 (I no longer have debt). December 19, 2024, TSX at closing: 24,413.94 points, -143.06 (-0.58%)

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 20, 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: $149,460.81

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: $5,975.77 US: $8,508.90 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: $149,651.61

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: $73,162.11

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund + CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund + CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $3,990.65

Others: $1,159.90

NBI Income Fund: $1,325.21

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: $10,136.69

Other various: $55,152.56

TOTAL: $144,927.12

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35

Online money: $75.05

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

TOTAL: $453,186.36

On date of December 20, 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).