A cairn marks the path. A tree represents growth.
Four stages, in the order things actually happen
Start at the top if you're new to this. Jump to a stage directly if you already know what you're looking for.
Section 1:
Why look at this at all
The single fee that quietly shapes how much of your own money you actually keep.
How the average investor ends up in a bank-managed mutual fund without ever really choosing it.
A dollars-and-cents look at how a MER gap compounds over 10, 20, and 30 years
A reassurance before the how-to detail — self-directed investing isn't as complicated as it sounds.
Section 2:
Making the switch
The general steps and documents involved in opening a self-directed account.
What brokerages commonly ask for before an account is opened and funded.
Cash, margin, and registered accounts like TFSA and RRSP, explained generally.
Lump sum versus contributing over time, and the tradeoffs of each.
What an in-kind transfer is, and why some mutual funds have to be sold to cash first.
Linking automatic, payday-timed deposits into a self-directed account.
Section 3:
Investing mechanics
Why many self-directed investors start with a single broad-market ETF, and when to add a few more
Real fund names, not just categories — what people actually buy for that first purchase
The mechanics and tradeoffs of stock-picking alongside a buy-and-hold ETF core.
Market, limit, and stop orders explained against a mock order ticket.
A walkthrough of placing and closing a trade on the mock EXFD interface.
What a stop order is, and why it's mostly a short-term trading tool rather than a buy-and-hold one.
Section 4:
Ongoing portfolio management
How holdings and account types interact once you hold more than one account.
What each term means, how they differ, and why the distinction matters at tax time.
Using new contributions to rebalance versus actively selling and buying.
The phycology of DIY investing, the diffrence between mediocre returns and building real wealth. "PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTICLE."
How taking money out affects the balance of the accounts left behind.
General notes on currency conversion and US/Canada retirement account tax treaties.