2026 Mid-Year Investment Review

2026 Mid-Year Investment Review

Geopolitical tension, market volatility, and remarkable investment returns. In this episode, Keith Matthews [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-matthews-cfa/] and Lawrence Greenberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-greenberg-cfa/] sit down for a mid-year review of the first six months of 2026 — a period packed with geopolitical tension, market volatility, and some truly remarkable investment returns. Keith and Lawrence break down what actually drove markets higher despite a noisy and unsettling news cycle, from the Iran conflict to oil supply shocks and AI capital investment. They walk through asset class returns across the board, zoom out to put the last decade of performance in perspective, and tackle one of the most common investor questions right now: should I keep investing when markets are at all-time highs? They also cover the rotation happening beneath the surface — the relative underperformance of the Mag 7, the surge in small cap and emerging market stocks — and revisit the gold narrative that dominated headlines earlier in the year. A grounding, data-driven episode for any investor wondering what to make of today's markets. Happy listening! Key Topics Covered: * Major themes and geopolitical events of the first half of 2026 (01:25) * Market volatility: the S&P 500's 10% peak-to-trough drop and its recovery (02:26) * What actually drives stock market performance — corporate earnings up 28% year over year (03:17) * "Climbing the wall of worry" — why staying invested through the Iran conflict paid off (04:25) * Six-month asset class returns: Canadian stocks, US stocks, international, emerging markets, real estate (05:27) * Portfolio performance — 60/40 and 100% equity allocations, and the value of tilts to value and small cap (06:34) * Zooming out: stock returns since COVID, since the Russia-Ukraine war, and since the trade war (08:53) * Canadian real estate vs. diversified stocks over the same period (09:51) * The best 10-year period for most Canadian investors — 12.86% per year, or 335% cumulative (11:31) * 20-year stock market returns: nearly 10% per year, multiplying wealth 6.6x (12:02) * The dangers of chasing fads — hedge funds, private equity, syndicated real estate (12:41) * Rotation beneath the surface: Mag 7 underperformance vs. the S&P 493 (13:41) * US small cap stocks up 21.4% vs. large cap at under 10% — a massive six-month gap (15:15) * Gold in 2026: down 20% during peak Iran conflict volatility — what that tells us (16:12) * Should you invest at all-time highs? What 1,000 months of data actually show (18:47) * Dollar cost averaging: when phasing in large lump sums makes behavioral sense (21:37) * Final thoughts: stay the course, stay diversified, and don't forget bonds (23:28) Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to drop us a line at lawrence@tma-invest.com or 514-695-0096 ext.112. Follow Tulett,Matthews & Associates [https://www.tma-invest.com/] on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and more! Follow The Empowered Investor on Facebook, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredinvestorinvestisseurtransforme], and Instagram. Thanks for listening!

Your Money, Your Legacy: How Donor Advised Funds Work

The Donor Advised Fund Playbook In this episode, Lawrence Greenberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-greenberg-cfa/] continues the three-part series on charitable giving in Canada with Part Two: Donor Advised Funds. He's joined by special guest Linda Argalgi, [https://jcfmontreal.org/our-people/] tax accountant and philanthropy advisor at the Jewish Community Foundation [https://jcfmontreal.org/] (JCF). Linda walks through what a donor advised fund (DAF) is, how it compares to a private foundation, and why this strategy isn't just for the ultra-wealthy. They cover the mechanics of contributing to a DAF, how investment options work, and the key differences in administration, privacy, disbursement flexibility, and legacy planning between a DAF and a private foundation. Lawrence and Linda also discuss real-world planning scenarios — from front-loading donations during a high-income or wealth-creation year, to setting up a fund that honors a donor's wishes for generations to come. A must-listen for anyone curious about more sophisticated, flexible ways to structure their charitable giving. Happy listening! Key Topics Covered: * Introduction to Linda Argalgi [https://jcfmontreal.org/our-people/] and her path into philanthropy (00:29) * Overview of the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) (02:52) * How donors give to charities through a DAF (04:14) * Investment options within a donor advised fund (05:36) * Why Canadians are turning to DAFs — and debunking the "only for the ultra-wealthy" myth (07:11) * DAF vs. private foundation: who owns the assets? (08:53) * Administrative burden: private foundation vs. public foundation fund (10:10) * Disbursement quotas and flexibility in timing your giving (11:11) * Types of assets you can contribute (cash, securities, real estate, insurance, private shares) (12:55) * Privacy differences between private foundations and DAFs (13:41) * Legacy planning and naming a fund (14:48) * The four steps of how a DAF works, from contribution to grant (17:03) * Strategic timing: front-loading donations around a high-income or liquidity event (19:25) * Real client example: using a DAF after a real estate sale (22:00) * What happens to a DAF when the donor passes away (23:11) * Debate: are donor advised funds delaying giving to charities? (25:45) * Key takeaways and closing thoughts (27:47) Mentioned in this episode: * Linda Argalji, [https://jcfmontreal.org/our-people/] tax accountant and philanthropy advisor * Jewish Community Foundation [https://jcfmontreal.org/] (JCF). Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to drop us a line at lawrence@tma-invest.com or 514-695-0096 ext.112. Follow Tulett,Matthews & Associates [https://www.tma-invest.com/] on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and more! Follow The Empowered Investor on Facebook, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredinvestorinvestisseurtransforme], and Instagram. Thanks for listening!

Give More, Keep More: How to Maximize Your Charitable Impact in Canada

Donations 101: A Canadian Guide to Tax-Smart Charitable Giving In this episode, Lawrence Greenberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-greenberg-cfa/] and Jackson Matthews [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-matthews-cfa/] kick off a three-part series on charitable giving in Canada. Lawrence and Jackson break down the different ways to give, how charitable donations affect your taxes, and how to plan strategically around your giving. They cover everything from the basic cash donation to the more powerful — and often overlooked — strategy of gifting securities in kind, which can generate significant tax savings for both the donor and the charity. They also touch on corporate giving, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), annual donation limits, estate planning opportunities, and offer a preview of two advanced strategies — donor advised funds and flow-through shares — that will be explored in depth in the next two episodes. A must-listen for anyone who wants to be more intentional and tax-efficient with their generosity. Happy listening! Key Topics Covered: * Introduction and overview of the three-part series (00:46) * Ways to give: time, items, cash, and securities (01:12) * How charitable donations affect your taxes — the non-refundable tax credit explained (02:34) * Spousal pooling of donation receipts (03:46) * Cash donation vs. gifting securities in kind — and why in kind is often more powerful (05:03) * Corporate giving from a holding company and the Capital Dividend Account (07:29) * The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) — a potential roadblock for large donors (08:37) * Annual donation limits and the five-year carry-forward rule (10:06) * Year of death exception — increasing your limit to 100% of net income (11:39) * Preview: Donor Advised Funds explained at a high level (12:53) * Preview: Flow-through shares and their tax advantages (14:13) * Key takeaways — including why gifting securities in kind is the low-hanging fruit for non-registered account holders (15:04) Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to drop us a line at lawrence@tma-invest.com or 514-695-0096 ext.112. Follow Tulett,Matthews & Associates [https://www.tma-invest.com/] on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and more! Follow The Empowered Investor on Facebook, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredinvestorinvestisseurtransforme], and Instagram. Thanks for listening!

How to Manage the Financial and Emotional Reality of Aging Parents

In this episode of the Empowered Investor Podcast, Marcelo Taboada [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelotaboadaecheverria/] sits down with financial journalist and CFP professional Beth Pinsker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpinsker/] to discuss one of the most overlooked areas of financial planning: caregiving for aging parents. Beth shares the deeply personal story behind her book My Mother’s Money [https://bethpinsker.com/] and explains why financial caregiving is about far more than estate planning. The conversation explores the emotional, logistical, and financial realities families face when a parent becomes ill or incapacitated, from powers of attorney and healthcare directives to sibling dynamics, long-term care costs, and difficult end-of-life decisions. Marcelo and Beth also discuss the hidden burden caregiving places on families, why early conversations matter, and the practical steps listeners can take today to protect both their parents and their own future caregivers. Key takeaways • Financial caregiving is more than estate planning. (00:05:09) • Why most families avoid these conversations until it’s too late. (00:06:48) • The importance of powers of attorney and healthcare directives. (00:12:00) • Why having passwords alone is no longer enough. (00:16:33) • How banks can reject outdated or incomplete legal documents. (00:22:40) • Why estate documents should be reviewed regularly after major life changes. (00:24:23) • How family meetings can reduce conflict and confusion later on. (00:25:59) • The emotional and financial burden often falls disproportionately on women. (00:27:46) • How sibling dynamics can complicate caregiving and estate decisions. (00:28:05) • Why communication and transparency are critical within families. (00:30:12) • What families tend to fight over most during estate settlements. (00:33:29) • The true cost of aging and long-term care planning. (00:34:10) • Why traditional retirement planning often ignores late-life care realities. (00:34:34) • How healthcare and caregiving costs can quickly escalate. (00:35:16) • The difficult balance between protecting parents and preserving inheritances. (00:39:06) • Why aging at home is emotionally appealing but not always practical. (00:41:17) • How early conversations with parents can improve financial planning outcomes. (00:42:54) • Why housing decisions become central later in retirement. (00:44:24) • The emotional difficulty of downsizing and leaving the family home. (00:45:05) • How caregiving changed Beth’s perspective on retirement and life priorities. (00:49:22) • The importance of documenting family stories and personal history before it’s too late. (00:48:00) • Why simplifying finances is one of the greatest gifts to future caregivers. (00:52:36) • The benefits of consolidating accounts and reducing financial complexity. (00:53:16) Mentioned in this episode: * Beth Pinsker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpinsker/] * Book: My Mother’s Money [https://bethpinsker.com/] * Beth Pinsker: MarketWatch [https://www.marketwatch.com/author/beth-pinsker] * MarketWatch [https://www.marketwatch.com/] Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to drop us a line at lawrence@tma-invest.com or 514-695-0096 ext.112. Follow Tulett,Matthews & Associates [https://www.tma-invest.com/] on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and more! Follow The Empowered Investor on Facebook, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredinvestorinvestisseurtransforme], and Instagram.

Run Your Business with Clarity: Operating Systems with Shelby Hacala

In this episode, Keith Matthews [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-matthews-516b328/] sits down with Shelby Hacala [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelbyhacala/], Co-Founder of BOS360 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bos360/], to break down how business operating systems can transform the way companies run and grow. They explore why so many entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders feel stuck or overwhelmed and how implementing the right structure can bring clarity, accountability, and better execution across teams. Shelby shares practical insights on aligning people, setting clear priorities, and building systems that actually drive results. They also discuss the value of coaching, why discipline matters more than motivation, and how small, consistent improvements can lead to major long-term success. If you’re an entrepreneur or aspiring business leader looking to scale your business with more clarity and control, this episode delivers actionable insights you can apply right away. KEY MOMENTS: * Introduction and overview of business operating systems (00:02:56) * Shelby Hacala’s entrepreneurial background (00:03:23) * Transition from business owner to coach (00:03:23) * Why entrepreneurs often feel overwhelmed (00:18:17) * The cost of lacking structure in a business (00:18:17) * The core components of a strong operating system (00:18:17) * Improving communication and alignment within teams (00:25:35) * Creating clarity around roles and responsibilities (00:25:35) * The importance of setting clear priorities (“rocks”) (00:40:29) * How weekly meetings improve execution and accountability (00:43:57) * Problem-solving as an ongoing business discipline (00:40:29) * The value of having a coach vs doing it alone (00:16:48) * Why discipline beats motivation in business growth (00:16:48) * Decision-making speed in entrepreneurial vs large organizations (01:00:41) * Shifting from financial success to long-term impact (01:01:34) Thanks for Listening! Mentioned in the Episode * Shelby Hacala [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelbyhacala/] * BOS 360 [https://bos360.ca/] * Traction [https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Traction/Gino-Wickman/9781936661831] Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to drop us a line at lawrence@tma-invest.com or 514-695-0096 ext.112. Follow Tulett,Matthews & Associates [https://www.tma-invest.com/] on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and more! Follow The Empowered Investor on Facebook, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredinvestorinvestisseurtransforme], and Instagram.