I'm a software developer with 16 years of experience building things for the web. But this site isn't about software. It's about money, and specifically about the financial education I wish I had growing up.
Where it started
I come from a humble background. I watched my parents struggle financially my entire childhood. Not because they didn't work hard. They worked incredibly hard. They just never had access to the right financial information at the right time.
I started working at 16. Door-to-door product surveys, assembling computers for buyers, data entry jobs. Whatever was available. That hustle taught me the value of a dollar early on, but it took years before I learned how to actually make those dollars work for me.
That experience shaped a simple goal for me: to die richer in both money and knowledge than the day I was born. I started investing at 20, and over the years I picked up the financial knowledge I wish someone had handed me as a teenager.
How I invest
Most of my portfolio is in broad-market ETFs. I believe in keeping it simple and consistent. That said, I also trade options and use leverage investing (including the Smith Maneuver) to accelerate wealth building. I try to invest and save as much as I possibly can.
I'm not following the FIRE movement, though I do want to retire early. I live frugally where it makes sense for me, and I focus on making smart, informed decisions with the money I earn.
Why this site exists
Finance Nerd exists because the right financial information is still hard to find, especially for Canadians. Most resources are either too generic, too American, or buried behind paywalls and sales pitches. There is good content on YouTube, but the useful details are often stretched across long videos filled with ads.
I built this site to provide free, practical tools and honest content for people who are just starting their financial journey. The calculators, trackers, and blog posts here are the resources I wish existed when I was starting out and trying to figure things out on my own.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is stored on a server. No accounts, no tracking, no paywalls. Just useful tools and straightforward information.
Disclaimer
I am not a certified financial advisor, planner, or accountant. Everything on this site reflects my personal experience and research. Always do your own due diligence and consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.