Build Your Financial Foundation Together

Real families, real progress. Our courses help Canadian families move from confused about investments to confident in their choices. No jargon, no sales pitch—just practical guidance for the decisions that matter.

Next cohort begins September 2025

What We're Teaching This Year

These aren't generic investing lectures. Each course is built around questions real families ask us—about RESPs, about retirement accounts, about whether they're doing this whole thing right. Small groups, actual conversations, and homework you can finish during naptime.

September 14, 2025

Getting Started Without Freaking Out

Six weeks, Tuesday evenings 7-8:30pm
Online via video (recordings available)
Max 15 families per session

We cover the basics that somehow nobody teaches you: how to read your account statements, what those fund codes actually mean, and when to worry versus when to ignore the noise. Designed for families who are tired of feeling lost.

Express Interest
October 6, 2025

Education Savings Reality Check

Four weeks, Monday evenings 7-8:30pm
Online with workbook included
Focus on Canadian education costs

RESPs confuse everyone at first. We walk through contribution strategies, grant optimization, and what happens if your kid doesn't go to university. Real scenarios from families who've been exactly where you are now.

Express Interest
November 10, 2025

Retirement Planning for Actual Humans

Eight weeks, Wednesday evenings 7-9pm
Online with quarterly check-ins after
Covers TFSAs, RRSPs, and pension decisions

This one's for people who've started thinking about retirement but aren't sure if they're on track. We dig into contribution room, withdrawal strategies, and how to adjust when life throws you surprises. More depth than our intro course.

Express Interest

Who's Teaching These Sessions

Instructor Larissa Torvaldsen

Larissa Torvaldsen

Family Investment Educator

Larissa spent twelve years helping families untangle their financial confusion before switching to teaching. She's the one who'll answer your "stupid questions" (there aren't any) and explain things three different ways until it clicks.

RESP Strategy TFSA Planning Budget Integration
Instructor Deidre Vukoja

Deidre Vukoja

Retirement Transitions Specialist

Deidre works with families approaching retirement who realize they need to figure this out soon. She's practical about the messy parts—like what to do when one spouse wants to retire early and the other doesn't, or when your parents need financial help.

Retirement Income Tax Efficiency Pension Decisions

How Our Course Structure Works

Most families move through our courses over 8-14 months. You're not locked into a sequence, but there's a natural progression that makes sense for building your knowledge without getting overwhelmed.

1

Start With Foundation Skills

Our intro course gives you the vocabulary and basic framework. You'll understand what your accounts are doing and why. Most families take this between September and December to set up for tax season planning.

Account literacy Basic terminology Confidence boost
2

Pick Your Priority Focus

Based on where you are in life, choose either education savings or retirement planning. Both assume you've got the basics down. Both involve homework and real number-crunching with your actual accounts.

Specific strategy Personal planning Action steps
3

Join Ongoing Check-Ins

After completing any course, you're welcome at our quarterly review sessions. These are informal—bring questions, share what's working, adjust when your situation changes. No additional charge if you've taken a course with us.

Community support Strategy updates Continued learning

Questions About Which Course Fits?

We offer free 20-minute planning calls to help you figure out where to start. No pressure, no sales pitch—just honest guidance based on what you've told us about your situation.

Schedule a Planning Call

What Course Participation Looks Like

People always ask what they're signing up for. Here's the honest answer: you'll need to show up for live sessions, do some homework with your actual financial documents, and participate in discussions. It's work, but it's the kind that actually moves things forward.

Time Investment

90-minute live sessions each week
1-2 hours homework between sessions
Optional office hours if you get stuck

Most families find the homework takes less time than expected once they gather their documents. The first week is always the hardest—after that, you're just building on what you've already organized.

What You'll Need

Recent account statements
Last year's tax return
Basic spreadsheet skills (we'll teach you)

We use simple Google Sheets templates that you can adapt to your situation. If you've never used spreadsheets before, we have a pre-course tutorial that covers everything you'll need to know.

Support Between Sessions

Private discussion forum for your cohort
Email questions answered within 48 hours
Monthly group Q&A sessions

The forum becomes surprisingly active—families help each other figure things out, which often works better than just asking the instructor. You're learning from people in similar situations, not just from us.

Ready to Stop Guessing?

Registration for fall 2025 courses opens in July. Get on the interest list and we'll send you details about pricing, schedules, and course materials when they're finalized.

Join the Interest List