FT MarketWatch

Investing Guides – Start Here

How to use this section: move from top to bottom. Begin with the basics, understand the building blocks (stocks, ETFs, risk), then use the later guides to assemble a portfolio and choose account types.

Step 1 – Understand the basics

Before worrying about stock tips or the latest market headlines, it helps to understand what investing is actually for: turning regular saving into long-term wealth. These guides focus on plain language and practical examples.

Investing 101

Big-picture overview: why people invest, how compounding works, and how to think about goals, timelines and risk tolerance.

What Are Stocks?

What it means to own a share of a company, how stock prices move, and where returns actually come from over time.

ETF Basics

A practical introduction to exchange-traded funds: how they work, why costs matter, and how broad index ETFs fit into long-term portfolios.

Risk, Return & Diversification

How risk and return are linked, what diversification actually does, and why staying invested through ups and downs is so important.

Step 2 – Put the basics into a routine

Once you understand the building blocks, the next step is turning them into simple habits you can stick with: regular contributions, sensible asset mixes and a portfolio you can manage in real life.

Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA)

Why investing a fixed amount on a schedule can reduce stress, take timing off the table, and keep you moving forward in all market climates.

Asset Allocation

How to split your money between stocks, bonds and cash based on time horizon and risk tolerance – with simple model mixes to copy.

How to Build a Simple 3-Fund Portfolio

A practical template using one stock index fund, one international fund and one bond fund. Minimal maintenance, broad diversification.

Step 3 – Choose account types

In Canada, account type can matter almost as much as investment choice. Taxes, flexibility and withdrawal rules all differ between TFSA and RRSP accounts.

TFSA vs RRSP – Which Should You Use?

Side-by-side comparison of contribution rules, withdrawals and tax treatment so you can decide where each dollar should go first.

Tools & calculators

When you are ready to plug in your own numbers, our calculators can help you explore different scenarios.