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The year 2020 has been eventful to say the least. If you haven’t been directly affected financially by the economic disruption, there’s a decent chance you know someone who has. Considering the current unemployment rate, shutdowns, and rising federal debt, it’s understandable that you may be feeling stressed about your finances. It may even be causing you to lose sleep. Here are some ways that you can manage your financial stress during trying times.

Already, podcasting is considered to be one of the hottest content marketing trends right now. Plus, with more than 3 billion downloads a month, over 100 million Americans who listen to podcasts monthly (and nearly three-quarters of them listening weekly), it’s clear that podcast listeners are here to stay and, in fact, multiply. 

While Wealthsimple said it would not ban trades of any of the stocks involved, chief investment officer Ben Reeves warned on the company’s website that followers of the GameStop frenzy could end up being worse off from the trend, adding that trading based solely on online forums is a “pretty lousy strategy.”

Alongside GameStop shares, BlackBerry stocks also carry a warning. A rollercoaster week of trading for investors in GameStop, BlackBerry and other hot stocks has resulted in trading bans, warning labels for certain stocks and questions over both fairness and systemic risk in the financial system.

A statement from Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada said the regulator is “concerned” about the impact the increased volatility may be having on some investors, pointing to its use of single-stock circuit breakers, which “are designed to give the market a pause” when a stock moves suddenly.

Even if you’ve only just started your entrepreneurial journey, it’s natural to contemplate small business growth. After all, no one opens a business without the intention to scale.

The pandemic has upended life across the globe and that includes creating financial chaos and stress for people of all walks of life. The good news is…

Bissett says that first-time investors sometimes jump right to investing without doing the basics. She advises people to consider the timeline they’re saving for — going back to school or a down payment may be near-term goals that can be financed through a special RRSP lifelong learning or homebuying plan, while other goals like retirement may be farther out and require more of an invest-and-hold approach.

Today is the last day of your lease. As you look back into your empty office, you remembered the excitement when your business first launched. You were full of excitement and energy. You really thought your idea would disrupt the industry. “What happened?” You asked yourself, “It was going so well, what did I do wrong? When did I run out of money? Why can’t I succeed in starting my business?”

Finance expert Brian Quinlan says workers should be communicating with their employers, especially if working from home is becoming a more long-term solution. It’s always better if your employer reimburse you for home office expenses instead of having to claim them and hope for a return, he says. Tracey Bissett, a financial coach with Bissett Financial Fitness Inc., agreed. She said it’s possible there are reimbursements available that your employer hasn’t communicated to you.

A project cash flow forecast includes cost estimates for a project, as well as a schedule of when you will incur those costs. This forecast also displays the project’s revenue and a schedule of when you will receive that revenue. Here are some helpful recommendations for tracking project expenses: Create a Forecast Calendar: Organize your forecast according to the various phases of a project, and then fill in the particulars about your work breakdown structure (WBS) for each phase. In

While many employees are saving money on transit costs or the price of lunches, they are accumulating other expenses, such as desks and ergonomic chairs, printers and scanners, paper and ink. There may also be other costs: courier services and increased data and electricity usage at home, for example. Tracey Bissett, says that “not all employees are paying the increased costs of working from home out-of-pocket. “Some people are getting a flat benefit from their employer to improve their physical

“For her own finances, Bissett reviewed her cash flow, reduced expenses where possible, and applied for government programs where she qualified. Like any forward-looking business, she also “reached out to contacts to see where [she] can assist.” Just as you’re dealing with new challenges, so are your customers and clients. You may be the source of a new and creative solution to whatever they’re facing today.”

People have been sounding the alarm about rising food and rent costs for years. More than a quarter of Canadians indicated they’d be out of money within a month if they lost their jobs, per a 2014 survey from the Bank of Montreal. “I’m not surprised,” says Tracey Bissett, chief financial fitness trainer at Bissett Financial Fitness Inc. If anything, Bissett says, she’d guess the Ipsos poll is a little conservative.

“Don’t go into a downward spiral,” Bissett said. “If you have a financial advisor, call them and talk to them to get some perspective on the situation. They have data and can also speak about past downturns. You can’t get perspective on your own if you’re freaked out. “At times like these, really good financial advisors and planners show up for you.”

Check your email for receipts…Don’t miss out on credit for charitable deductions because you haven’t bothered to collect your donation receipts, says Tracey Bissett, president of Bissett Financial Fitness Inc. in Toronto.

Tracey Bissett, chief financial fitness trainer at Bissett Financial Fitness Inc., suggested you use a credit card payment calculator to see exactly how long it would take you to pay off debt if you only make the minimum payment each month because increasing your monthly payment by even a small amount will shorten the time it will take you to pay off your balance by a lot.

“The good news is that with the help of a therapist and a financial expert, ‘everyone can change their money mindset,’” Tracey Bissett said. She’s the president of Bissett Financial Fitness.

How many times have you said this to a client who hasn’t paid you? “I really need the money, even if you can give me part of the payment it would be great. I really need to pay insert YOUR reason here (my employees, my suppliers or my rent is due) and so if you could get me some money you’d be saving me”. The tone is desperate and pleading; there’s no denying that you are begging for the money.

Hours after losing my job as a big company junior executive, I called my new outplacement counsellor, ready to jump into a new role. I soon learned it’s called a career transition for a reason: you can’t just fast-forward through the job loss process.

Two years after toasting my promotion to junior executive, I was suddenly out of work, stressed and trying to piece together what just happened. Termination letter in hand, my eye zoomed down the page to find the dollar sign. There it was. The severance payment was the largest lump sum of money I’d ever received, yet I was already sweating over down-the-road mortgage payments.