I started my financial journey back in 2007 with a net worth of less than $12,000. At the time, all I wanted was to set a bit of money aside. $50k seemed like a good goal to begin with. I was 27, and back then, money wasn’t something that felt very important to me. What I really wanted was to grow what I had. I had some money invested in my RRSP through work, stuck in random mutual funds. I couldn’t help but think there had to be a better way. The fees were high, the returns weren’t satisfying, and I knew I could do better on my own, but at that time, I just didn’t know how.
While searching for answers, I came across Derek Foster’s books. That’s what got me started with stock investing. I began just before the 2008 market crash, and I invested even more during the downturn. For one reason or another, I saw it as an opportunity. Volatility always shocked me, but it never scared me. I always had a deep faith in the stock market. I knew it was my place to be.
A few years later, I opened a margin account. I often bought stocks on margin, always just buying and selling stocks. Never touching options, even though I read Derek Foster’s book about them. I decided to stick to the basics. At one point, I had a $100k margin debt. I always managed it carefully and never had a margin call, since I kept a buffer. I wouldn’t recommend margin investing today, but back then, it satisfied my appetite for investing. It gave me the freedom to buy whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. For me, that was liberating. I’ve never been scared of debt. My relationship with money has always been pretty relaxed. Growing up, I didn’t care much about money or career. It didn’t mean much to me, but I knew I had to save, and I thought, why not try to make the most of it? Why not?
The early years were the most exciting ones, full of investment dreams. Eventually, I had invested in everything I had once dreamed of. So what was next?
That’s when Stockopedia came along, around that time. Someone from their team reached out, offering me a free trial. At first, I was skeptical. Stockopedia is based in the UK, and as an Acadian descendant, I wasn’t too thrilled about trying something from there. But to my surprise, it gave me exactly what I needed: a way to discover new stocks, and not just any stocks. The very best the TSX had to offer. Many of my best discoveries over the recent years came from Stockopedia. Most were companies I had never heard of before. I sincerely recommend Stockopedia. It’s user-friendly, easy to navigate, and you’ll spend hours exploring screens and learning along the way.
Of course, came the time when I had to pay down that margin debt. It was rough, and honestly, very boring. There’s nothing exciting about debt repayment, except at the end, when you can finally say you’re debt-free. I eventually cleared it, and today, I’m still debt-free. I learned my lesson: I don’t want to go through that again unless a very good opportunity presents itself. The door isn’t fully closed, but for now, I prefer staying clear.
Here’s a snapshot of my journey:
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August 2009: $50,000
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September 2014: $100,000
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April 2016: $150,000
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March 2017: $200,000
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January 2020: $250,000
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May 2021: $300,000
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March 2022: $350,000
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March 2024: $400,000
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October 2024: $450,000
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August 2025: $500,000 reached!
This year, I spent a lot on my summer vacation, but it was worth it. I also bought a brand-new Samsung phone and their latest earbuds. Totally worth it. The sound quality is amazing, and now when my family calls while I’m in Montreal, I can go about my tasks and chat hands-free. I never had the latest phone before, but now I do. I had no choice since the 3G network shutdown in Quebec meant my old phone wouldn’t work anymore. Still, I treated it as an early birthday gift to myself: my 45th birthday.
And here I am: just days before turning 45, on August 27, I’ve reached the $500,000 mark! I know that $500k isn’t an enormous net worth, it’s really just the beginning of something bigger. But it proves what I believe: you can make real money by investing in high-quality stocks. Buy when prices are low, and if you ever sell, sell when prices are high. Nothing fancy, just common sense.
Watch the TSX daily. You’ll quickly see that the stock market doesn’t require anything complicated. Watching it daily is a stock education on its own. Quietly, patiently, watch and learn and invest. Over time, the rewards will be huge, probably far beyond what you ever dreamed of!
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