The Burn Your Mortgage Podcast

Lesley-Anne Scorgie is an author, speaker, personal finance consultant, and the founder of MeVest.ca. She's been a guest on Oprah and is a past winner of Avenue's Top 40 Under 40 and was also featured in Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in the Future Leaders category by Women's Executive Network. She has shared her secrets to achieve financial success with CBC, Breakfast Television, the Globe and Mail and more. She's the lead money columnist at the Toronto Star. Her latest book is The Modern Couple's Money Guide: 7 Smart Steps to Building Wealth Together. She’s also the author of Well-Heeled: The Smart Girl’s Guide to Getting Rich and Rich by Thirty: Your Guide to Financial Success.

In my interview with Lesley-Anne, we discuss:

1. What LA is writing about right now

Launched nationwide in April, Fastkey Technology allows lenders and mortgage brokers to easily access essential documents for mortgage or loan applications within minutes, including Notices of Assessment, income statements, proof of income, tax slips, and Canada child benefit details. It also has tools to help support borrowers, property managers and landlords.

Sam's Bio

Sam Khajeei is the President and Co-Founder of Fastkey Technology Ltd. ("Fastkey"). Sam owns and operates a law firm in Canada called "SK Legal", is qualified as a lawyer in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, the State of Texas and the Emirate of Dubai and applies his 10+ years of experience as a corporate and M&A lawyer towards the continued success and development of Fastkey.  As Fastkey's President, Sam has broad roles and responsibilities which includes business development and sales, oversight on legal matters including joint ventures and partner collaborations and client support in all of Fastkey's verticals.

Dave's Bio

The mortgage industry has been great to advice-based mortgage advisors like David Ford. While most banking institutions move away from strong communication, access, and advice, he has improved. This helps his clients keep up to the best mortgage products for their needs. David has 15 years experience in this industry, over 4000 files built, and nearly $1Billion in mortgages funded. David has been able to provide the best advice for his clients as they evolve through their lives, moves and mortgage terms. David has a special interest in efficiency, best practices and providing exceptional client support, and, as a result, is an invaluable addition to the Fastkey team in his capacity of Lender Relations. 

In my interview with Sam and Dave, we discuss:

1. What is Fastkey and what are its many benefits

Barry Choi is an award-winning, Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert.

As a completely self-taught, do-it-yourself investor with no formal training, Barry makes money easy to understand for all Canadians. He combines his knowledge of finance with his passion for travel and encourages people to see the world.

Barry’s specialties include personal finance, trip planning, millennial money, gen Z money, credit cards and trending destinations.

In my interview with Barry, we discuss:

1. Moving up in the real estate market from a 2 bedroom condo to a 3 bedroom townhouse

Lionel Romain is based in Toronto where he has worked with Kijiji Real Estate for over a decade, helping connect landlords and tenants across Canada.

In my interview with Lionel, we discuss:

1. What is the Canadian Rental Report and why does it exist?

Barbara Captijn had a 20-year career in communications and sales in the publishing and consumer goods industries. For the past 15 years, Barbara has been an independent consumer advocate for new home buyers, has advocated at all levels of the Ontario government for better consumer protection, and has written over 20 guest columns published in The Toronto Sun on this subject. Her first-hand experience as a new home buyer prompted her advocacy to fix what many have found to be a faulty system. Her advocacy work includes participating in ministry consultations, giving consumer feedback to Ontario legislative committees on new bills, helping consumers as a friend to navigate complex processes and writing a blog.

In my interview with Barbara, we discuss:

1. How she got involved with pre-construction condo and freehold homes

Alex Kjorven is a CPA, CA and Chief Product Officer at Ourboro. Ourboro is a private, Toronto-based company dedicated to providing access to homeownership through co-ownership. Ourboro co-invests up to $250K towards a buyer’s down payment, purchasing a share in the future value of the home. Once they are in their home, additional programs, such as maintenance check-ups and renovation credits, are available to co-owners to help preserve and increase the home's value.

In my interview with Alex, we discuss:

1. Barriers to homeownership

An 18-year veteran of the Canadian insurance industry, Stefan Tirschler has extensive experience advising Canadians as they journey through the process of buying, understanding, and using home insurance. At Square One, Stefan works with a team of creative professionals whose mission is to make home insurance effortless, whether getting a quote or making a claim. Holding one of the most sought-after designations in the industry, Stefan is a Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional and Canadian Risk Manager who strives to inform consumers and professionals alike about insurance.

In my interview with Stefan, we discuss:

1. Tenant/renter insurance vs. home insurance

Shannon Lee Simmons is an award winning Certified Financial Planner, speaker, bestselling author, Chartered Investment Manager and founder of the New School of Finance. She is a personal finance writer for the Globe and Mail as well as CBC Radio’s Metro Morning money columnist and was a financial expert on The Marilyn Denis Show.

Shannon’s latest book “No-Regret Decisions” is a decision crisis playbook that will help you to make sound choices when the emotional and financial stakes are high. From the initial shock of Panic Mode to the insecurity of the Messy Middle, and finally, the acceptance of Your New Normal, Shannon Lee Simmons will teach you how to approach your decision crisis methodically, step by step. 

In my interview with Shannon, we discuss:

1. Creating a budget that works

Giacomo Ladas is the Communications Manager for Rentals.ca, a free-to-use, leading marketplace connecting private landlords and renters across the country. He fosters relationships with journalists, bloggers, and industry thought leaders. He is integral in the Rentals.ca National Rent Report publication as he handles all media inquiries throughout the year.

In my interview with Giacomo, we discuss:

1. The rental market that was in 2023

Bruce Sellery is a personal finance expert and the CEO of Credit Canada, the longest-standing non-profit credit counselling agency in the country. He appears regularly on Cityline and Breakfast Television, has a national money column for CBC Radio, hosts a radio show on SiriusXM, and speaks at events from coast to coast. He is also the author of the Globe & Mail bestseller, “Moolala: Why smart people do dumb things with money (and what you can do about it).”

Credit Canada recently launched a free, multi-lingual online learning program about credit, developed specifically for newcomers to Canada. While there are many resources to support newcomers when they arrive, Credit Canada identified a gap in helping newcomers build their new life - education about credit that reflects a newcomer’s experience, presented in their preferred language.

In my interview with Bruce, we discuss:

1. The unique barriers newcomers face when arriving in Canada