Podcast
Plain English Finance
Hosted by Tré Bynoe CFP®, CIM® · EN
The Plain English Finance podcast is hosted by Tré Bynoe CFP® CIM®, a financial planner with TCU Wealth Management and Aviso Wealth.
While Tré specializes in working with families with more complicated finances, typically involving corporations and trusts, this podcast is for anyone wanting to learn how to make high-quality decisions based on evidence, to give themselves the highest likelihood of financial success.
You should always consult with your financial, legal, and tax advisors before making changes.
This podcast is provided as a general source of information and should not be considered personal investment advice or solicitation to buy or sell any securities.
The views expressed are those of the individual and are not necessarily those of Aviso Financial Inc.
Mutual funds and other securities are offered through Aviso Wealth, a division of Aviso Financial Inc.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Too Good to Be True? Investment Red Flags Explained | Ep. 51
2w ago00:27:35Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailHave you ever looked at an investment and wondered if it was too good to be true? In this episode, we walk through the red flags that can show up in private investments, real estate deals, mortgage funds, and other “exclusive” opportunities.What I cover: Why high returns with low risk should immediately raise questions The problem with returns that look too smooth or consistent How urgency can push people into poor investment decisions Why you need to understand how an investment makes money Why you also need to understand how you could lose money The hidden risk in private or illiquid investmentsThis episode is for education only and should not be considered personal investment advice. Always speak with your financial, legal, and tax advisors before making investment decisions.Subscribe for more plain-English conversations about investing, financial planning, and avoiding costly money mistakes.Website | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →Why Smart People Make Bad Money Decisions | Ep. 50
3w ago00:56:39Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailYour calm self is not always a good judge of what your stressed self will do.In this episode, we talk about why smart people still make poor financial decisions under pressure.What I cover:Why good intentions do not guarantee good financial decisionsHow hot-cold empathy gaps affect investing, retirement, and estate planningWhy people misjudge how they will feel during market crashesThe difference between risk capacity and emotional willingnessHow too many options can create analysis paralysisWhy pre-deciding rules and automating good behaviour can help protect your future selfPlanning is easier before life gets emotional. Subscribe for more plain-English conversations about investing, retirement, tax planning, and better financial decision-making.References: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/docs/loewenstein/hotColdEmpathyGaps.pdfhttps://dtg.sites.fas.harvard.edu/Gilber%20t&%20Ebert%20%28DECISIONS%20&%20REVISIONS%29.pdfWebsite | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →Popular Money Advice vs What the Research Says | Ep. 49
4w ago00:39:20Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailMost money advice is popular because it’s easy to follow — not because it’s right. In this episode, I break down what academic research says about personal finance versus what popular financial books and gurus recommend.What I cover Why “save 10–15%” is simple, but not always optimal The difference between smooth consumption and rule-of-thumb saving Why dividend investing is often overrated How to think about portfolio risk based on time horizon, not just age Where passive investing beats active management What the data says about debt repayment and mortgage choices Chapters 00:00 Why finance advice conflicts 01:00 The paper comparing gurus vs professors 03:30 Saving 10–15% vs controlling consumption 09:00 The real key: separate income from expenses 18:00 Portfolio mix: age vs time horizon 24:30 Dividend investing vs tax efficiency 31:20 Small value, international diversification, and indexing 35:00 Debt repayment and fixed vs variable mortgagesGood financial decisions usually come from better frameworks, not better slogans. Subscribe for more plain-English financial education, and watch the next episode if you want more evidence-based investing and planning conversations.Website | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →What Q1 2026 Taught Investors About Volatility and Speculation | Ep. 48
Apr 2400:21:53Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailQ1 2026 was volatile, but the headlines weren’t the real story. Here’s what actually happened in the markets, and what long-term investors should take from it.What I cover What happened in Canadian, U.S., international, and bond markets in Q1 2026 Why short-term market drops can look worse than they really are Why crash predictions are easy to make and costly to act on The difference between investing, hedging, and speculating Why productive businesses are different from commodities like gold or wheat How long-term investors can think more clearly during volatile periods Chapters 00:00 Q1 2026 in context 01:52 Why quarterly returns only tell part of the story 02:30 What happened in Canadian, U.S., international, and bond markets 04:04 The sharp drop before quarter-end and quick recovery after 05:29 Why market-crash predictions are so tempting 08:16 Why pessimism can sound smart but cost you 12:55 From market review to speculation vs investing 14:03 Farmer, jeweler, and gold examples explained 18:10 Hedging risk vs adding speculative risk 20:15 The real lesson from this quarter If you want calmer, evidence-based thinking about money and markets, subscribe for more videos. And for a deeper look at long-term investing behaviour, check out my other videos on market volatility and portfolio decision-making.Website | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →Why Smart Financial Decisions Start With a Default Option | Ep. 47
Apr 1700:13:43Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailMost bad financial decisions do not come from a lack of information. They come from inaction.In this episode, Tré Bynoe explains why “it depends” is technically true but often useless when people need to act. He lays out a better way to make financial decisions: start with a strong default, then look for reasons not to use it. Tré walks through three areas where people get stuck most often—investing, budgeting, and choosing between debt repayment and investing—and shows how to make progress without overcomplicating things.This episode is especially useful for Canadian professionals, business owners, and anyone who tends to delay money decisions because they want the perfect answer first.What listeners will learnWhy inaction is still a financial decisionHow to use a smart default instead of freezing upWhy a low-cost globally diversified equity fund is the investing defaultHow to think about budgeting as cashflow managementWhen investing should beat paying down low-interest debtWhy numbers should lead before emotion steps inWebsite | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →How to Find the Right Financial Planner in Canada | Ep. 46
Apr 1000:41:04Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailChoosing a financial planner shouldn’t feel like throwing darts at a board and hoping for a bullseye. In this episode, Tré breaks down how to find an advisor who actually fits your needs, not just someone with a title and a sales target. He explains why CFP certification is the minimum standard, why insurance-only licensing is a red flag, and why your stage of life or business matters more than most people realize.You’ll hear how to vet an advisor properly, what questions to ask before sharing your financial details, and why the best planner for you is usually someone who already works with people in a situation like yours. This episode is especially useful for Canadian professionals, business owners, and anyone serious about making smarter financial decisions.What listeners will learnWhy CFP credentials should be the baselineHow to spot red flags in financial adviceWhich type of planner fits your stage of life or businessWhat questions to ask in an advisor interviewWhy investment philosophy and values matterHow to avoid becoming the wrong-fit clientWebsite | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →The Retirement War Chest: How to Stay Invested When Markets Crash | Ep. 45
Apr 300:22:06Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailCan you stomach market drops? Most investors say they can handle them, but that confidence usually disappears when the portfolio actually falls.In this episode, Tré Bynoe explains the idea of a retirement “war chest” — also called a cash wedge — and why it can help people stay invested when markets get ugly. He breaks down the tradeoff clearly: holding cash may lower long-term returns, but it can also buy time, reduce panic, and make a good investment plan easier to stick with.Tré also explains why this decision should be based on time, not portfolio percentage, why cashflow management matters so much, and how retirees can build a plan for bad markets before they happen.This episode is for Canadians who want a more resilient retirement plan without pretending market crashes will not happen.What listeners will learnWhat a retirement war chest or cash wedge isWhy market crashes require a plan, not hopeWhy the right cash amount is based on time, not percentagesHow cashflow management helps determine the size of the war chestWhy peace of mind can matter more than technical optimizationHow to think about safe assets in retirementWebsite | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →AI, Expensive Markets, and Why Ownership Matters | Ep. 44
Mar 2700:26:58Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailAI is driving markets, headlines, and a lot of investor anxiety. In this episode, Tré and Sierra talk through why the U.S. stock market looks so expensive right now, what investors may be missing about AI valuations, and why this trend could be far bigger than most people think.Tré explains why he believes the real race is not just to build better chat tools, but to build systems that could transform productivity, labour, and the economy at a massive scale. He also breaks down the practical takeaway: if AI changes the value of human work, owning assets may matter even more than it already does.This episode is for Canadians who want a clearer way to think about AI, investing, and the future of wealth building.What listeners will learnWhy AI is affecting stock market valuationsWhy being invested already gives you some AI exposureHow Tré thinks about AI risk versus AI opportunityWhy ownership may matter more in an AI-driven economyWhat AI could mean for jobs, productivity, and wealth gapsWebsite | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →Ep. 43 | Investment Location: The Tax Decision Most Investors Miss
Mar 2000:28:28Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailMost investors focus on what they invest in and ignore where they hold it. That mistake can quietly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.In this episode, Tré Bynoe, CFP, CIM, explains investment location—how placing the right assets in the right accounts can matter more than fund selection or provider choice once your finances get complex. This is especially relevant for incorporated professionals and high earners using non-registered accounts.You’ll hear a real-world example showing how two identical portfolios can produce very different after-tax outcomes—purely based on structure.You’ll learn:What investment location actually means (and why it’s often confused with allocation)When asset location starts to matterHow taxes quietly erode returns in poorly structured portfoliosWhy after-tax returns are the only returns that countWho should care about this and who can safely ignore it (for now)🎧 Follow, review, and share the show if you value clear, logical financial decisions.Website | Youtube | Linkedin
Transcribe →Ep. 42 | Cash Flow, Step by Step: How the System Actually Works
Mar 1300:41:23Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIf cash flow still feels confusing, this episode fills in the gaps. Tré Bynoe, CFP, CIM, walks through his real-life cash flow system from January to December—account by account, decision by decision.This is a practical breakdown of how to separate spending from income, handle irregular pay, and avoid constant budgeting without losing control. It’s designed for people who want structure without spreadsheets taking over their lives. (Although there's nothing wrong with spreadsheets!)You’ll learn:How to set up core accounts and what each one is forWhy annual costs matter more than monthly guessingHow groceries, eating out, and spending money actually workWhat to do with bonuses, raises, and uneven incomeHow this system makes saving automatic and stress lower🎧 Follow, review, and share the show if you want money decisions to feel simpler.Website | Youtube | Linkedin
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