Here’s Exactly What I’ve Got (And Why It’s Both Exciting and Terrifying)
Let’s skip the preamble. You’re here for the numbers, so here they are.
As of September 2026, my registered accounts look like this:
| Account | Balance (CAD) |
| TFSA | $77,300 |
| RRSP | $310,300 |
| LIRA | $46,400 |
| Total | $434,000 |
Just over $434,000. Not quite half a million yet — but closer than I ever expected to be.
Excited? Yes. Terrified? Also yes. Confident it’s enough? That’s the question keeping me up at night — and the one this blog exists to answer.
Why My TFSA Is Smaller Than You’d Expect
If you’re Canadian and you’ve been contributing to your TFSA since it launched in 2009, you might notice my balance looks a little lean relative to my RRSP. There’s a reason for that.
A divorce a few years ago reshaped my financial picture in ways I didn’t anticipate — my TFSA took the full hit. Without it, that balance would likely be double what it is today. The RRSP kept compounding through all of it, which is why the ratio looks the way it does. Finances, like life, rarely go in a straight line. You adjust and you keep going.
How I Actually Invest (My Financial Advisor’s Bewildered Face)
Here’s where it gets interesting.
I met recently with my personal financial advisor — a smart, measured woman who believes in the power of a clean four or five ETF portfolio. Diversified, low-cost, hands-off. It’s genuinely good advice for most people.
Then I explained what I actually do.
The bewildered look on her face was something I will carry with me for a long time.
To her credit, she listened to the whole thing. And at the end, she said something I found oddly validating: “You know enough that I won’t stop you.”
High praise. I’ll take it.
So what am I actually doing? My portfolio is layered:
- ETFs for broad market exposure and stability
- Canadian dividend stocks and a Canadian dividend ETF for income — companies that pay me to hold them
- Cameco, Barrick Gold (ABX), and Agnico Eagle (AEM) as conviction plays in uranium and gold mining
And on those last three — Cameco, ABX, and AEM — I sell covered calls. This is an options strategy that generates additional income on top of any dividends or price appreciation. It’s not complicated once you understand it, but it is a step beyond what most FIRE bloggers are doing. (Covered calls deserve their own post, and they’ll get one.)
Is this approach for everyone? Absolutely not. But it generates meaningful annual income, it fits my risk tolerance, and I understand what I own and why I own it. That last part matters more than people realize.
So Is $434,000 Enough?
That’s the question, isn’t it.
The honest answer is: I don’t know yet. What I do know is that this number, combined with a timeline that is much shorter than I ever imagined possible, is either going to work out beautifully or require some very creative problem solving along the way.
How short is the timeline? I’m not ready to say yet. But in my next post, I’ll tell you the number — and the story of the conversation that made me realize it might actually be possible.
Spoiler: I did not see it coming.
Nothing on this site constitutes financial advice. I’m sharing my own journey — please do your own research and consult a professional before making financial decisions.