Building Wealth with Brett

Building Wealth with Brett You should have a game plan when a major life event puts your money in motion. But when money moves, mistakes get expensive. No pressure.

Free Money in Motion Guide ↓
https://www.uptownwealthmanagement.com/money-in-motion
Financial strategies for Canadians facing inheritance, job change, separation, business sale or retirement—with a hockey heartbeat. That could be:
• Receiving an inheritance / settling an estate
• Changing jobs (pension options, severance, bonus, stock compensation, benefits changes)
• Divorce or separation
• Selling a business or receiving a major payout
• Selling real estate / downsizing
• Approaching retirement
• Losing a spouse or parent

These moments can feel exciting, stressful, emotional, and overwhelming all at once and the natural reaction is to act quickly. My role is to help you slow the play down, look at the full ice, and build a clear financial game plan before you invest, transfer, spend, or lock in a decision that’s hard to undo. Strategy work often includes:
• Investment planning
• Retirement income strategy
• Cash flow & banking structure
• Tax-aware planning (coordinated with your accountant)
• Insurance & risk management
• Estate planning coordination
• Pension and group plan decisions
• Business owner planning and liquidity events
• Planning support during separation and major transitions

My style is simple:
No jargon. No one-size-fits-all advice. Just clear conversations and a process that helps you understand your options before you act. And yes — the hockey theme is intentional. Good planning is a lot like a good power play: patience, structure, and knowing your options before you force the play. Ready to start building your financial game plan? Let’s drop the puck and dive in.

One in soccer gear.One in hockey gear.My boys. Different sports. Different seasons. Different schedules.As a parent, you...
09/18/2026

One in soccer gear.
One in hockey gear.

My boys. Different sports. Different seasons. Different schedules.

As a parent, you spend a lot of time driving, cheering, watching, supporting, and trying to keep up with all the moving parts.

But then you get a photo like this and are reminded why it matters.

Sports teach kids so much more than a game.

They learn how to show up.
How to be part of a team.
How to handle pressure.
How to keep going when things don’t go their way.
How to celebrate the wins and learn from the losses.

And those are lessons that carry far beyond the field or the rink.

Proud of these two and grateful for the front-row seat.

09/17/2026

Can you retire at 60 with $500,000 invested? The honest answer is: maybe—but the account balance alone cannot tell you whether retirement is affordable.

Your plan depends on the numbers behind the headline: how much you spend, whether you own or rent your home, when you start CPP, how much guaranteed income you receive, and how your investments will support withdrawals. The same $500,000 can be enough for one Canadian and dangerously inadequate for another.

Would $500,000 make you feel ready to retire? Tell me in the comments.

09/15/2026

Inflation can quietly reduce the purchasing power of your retirement savings, even when the dollar balance in your account looks unchanged. Holding too much cash may feel safe, but over a long retirement it can create both inflation risk and behavioural risk.

Before you invest, transfer, spend, sign, or lock anything in, pause.Not forever.Just long enough to ask the right quest...
09/14/2026

Before you invest, transfer, spend, sign, or lock anything in, pause.

Not forever.

Just long enough to ask the right questions.

Because when money is in motion, one decision can touch more than you think:

Taxes.
Cash flow.
Retirement.
Insurance.
Estate planning.
Family.
Legal documents.
Future flexibility.

That’s why I created the Money in Motion Transition Checklist.

It’s built for Canadians navigating inheritance, job changes, pension decisions, divorce or separation, business sale proceeds, retirement, real estate moves, and loss in the family.

Download the checklist before your next big financial move.
https://www.uptownwealthmanagement.com/money-in-motion

09/12/2026

Can you retire comfortably? Your savings balance is only part of the answer. Start with the questions that shape your real retirement budget: how you want to live, what you expect to spend each year, and which irregular costs—like replacing a car—need to be included.

An honest retirement plan begins with your lifestyle, not a generic rule of thumb. Once you know what retirement should look like, you can test whether your income, investments, CPP, OAS and other savings can support it.

What expense do you think people most often forget when planning for retirement? Share it in the comments.

End of season photo from Field Lacrosse Provincials.The season goes by fast.One day it’s the first practice, and suddenl...
09/11/2026

End of season photo from Field Lacrosse Provincials.

The season goes by fast.

One day it’s the first practice, and suddenly you’re standing together for the final photo, realizing how much changed in just a few months.

The skills improve.
The confidence grows.
The friendships get stronger.
The team becomes the memory.

Proud of this group and grateful for all the coaches, parents, and players who made the season what it was.

09/10/2026

A $3000 monthly pension index at 2% could grow to roughly $5400 a month over 30 years. That inflation protection in any survivor benefit may be valuable retirement income you give up when choosing a pension lump sum.

Before taking the commuted value, compare the full pension package: index, lifetime, income, Survivor, benefits, investment risk, taxes, and longevity. The headline lump sum does not tell the whole story.

Would you value a larger lump sum today or protect monthly income for life? Tell me in the comments.

09/08/2026

$650,000 looks bigger than $3000 per month.

But your brain is playing a trick on you.

If you’ve ever compared a lump sum to income, save this, this is the mindset shift people miss.

One is a pile of money. The other is a stream.

And those are not the same thing.

We confused big number with better deal all the time and that mistake can cost you.

What are you choosing: the big check or the steady cash flow?

💰 #ᴡᴇᴀʟᴛʜʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ

An inheritance.A severance package.Business sale proceeds.A real estate sale.A pension payout.When a large amount of mon...
09/07/2026

An inheritance.
A severance package.
Business sale proceeds.
A real estate sale.
A pension payout.

When a large amount of money shows up, the first instinct is often to ask:
“What should I do with it?”

But the better first question might be:
“What does this money need to do?”

Does it need to create income?
Stay available for taxes?
Pay down debt?
Support retirement?
Replace lost income?
Help family?
Stay liquid while life settles down?

Money can only have one job at a time.

That’s why big financial transitions need a game plan before the next move gets made.

09/05/2026

A $650,000 pension commuted value does not mean $650,000 simply lands in your bank account. Depending on pension transfer limits and your available RRSP contribution room, part of the lump sum may become taxable immediately.

Before choosing a pension lump sum over monthly income, understand the locked-in transfer, taxable cash portion, RRSP room, withholding tax, and the long-term retirement plan for the money.

Would the potential tax bill change your pension decision? Tell me in the comments.

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3080 Yonge Street Suite 6060
Toronto, ON
M4N3N1

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