My Financial Life

My Financial Life is a five-episode personal finance podcast series produced by alumni UBC with the help of some of our alumni, partners, and sponsors. It features experts in a range of areas, including financial planning, investing, personal credit, insurance, and travel finance.

All episodes are now available. If you subscribe to alumni UBC's podcasts, refresh your feed now. If you're not currently a subscriber, you can stream/download the episodes below:


#1 - Start Smart: How to Invest When You Don’t Think You Have Enough Money

Featuring UBC Alumna Tracy Theemes (Sophia Financial, Raymond James)

What are the benefits of starting your financial planning early? If you made challenging financial decisions in the past, what steps do you need to take to get back on track? On the first episode of My Financial Life, host Kirk Lapointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism, speaks to UBC alumna Tracy Theemes, a financial advisor and certified financial planner at Sophia Financial, Raymond James.


#2 - Making Sense of Responsible Investment

Featuring UBC Alumnus Ian Robertson (Odlum Brown Limited)

What is responsible investment? If you choose to align your investment decisions with your values, what impact will it really have on the world? Are ethical investments good investments for your portfolio? On this episode of My Financial Life, host Kirk Lapointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism, speaks to UBC alumnus Ian Robertson, vice-president, director, and portfolio manager at Odlum Brown Limited.

This episode of My Financial Life is sponsored by Odlum Brown Limited. Odlum Brown Limited is an independent, full service investment firm providing disciplined investment advice and objective value-based research with a singular focus on clients. Find out more at www.odlumbrown.com.

Episode #2 Sponsor:

Odlum Brown


#3 - Travel Hacks: Don’t Leave Home Without Them

Featuring Amanda Butler (Worldwide Quest)

It’s easy to overspend when you’re planning (or enjoying) a trip. But there are tricks and travel hacks that can help you save money. On this episode of My Financial Life, host Kirk Lapointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism, speaks to Amanda Butler, expedition leader for alumni UBC’s travel partner, Worldwide Quest.

This episode of My Financial Life is brought to you by the alumni UBC Travel Club. Learn about the unique travel experiences available to UBC alumni at alumni.ubc.ca/travel.


#4 - Demystifying Personal Credit

Featuring Terry Tan (BMO)

While most of us use it almost every day, credit remains a mystery for many people. On this episode of My Financial Life, host Kirk Lapointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism, speaks to Terry Tan, branch manager for BMO, about personal credit.

This episode of My Financial Life is brought to you by the BMO alumni UBC Mastercard. Reward yourself and support valued programs and services for the global alumni community every time you use it. Find out more at alumni.ubc.ca/bmo.

Episode #4 Sponsor:

BMO alumni UBC Mastercard

BMO alumni UBC Mastercard


#5 - Unsure-ance and Right-Fit Coverage

Featuring Craig Richardson, TD Insurance

Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, you want to know that when disaster strikes, you’re covered. With many home insurance plans it’s easy to be unsure about what is and isn’t covered in your policy. On the final episode of My Financial Life, host Kirk Lapointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism, speaks to Craig Richardson, vice-president of claims operations at TD Insurance about what to look for in home and tenant’s insurance.

This episode of My Financial Life is sponsored by TD Insurance. As a trusted partner of alumni UBC, the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program is dedicated to helping UBC alumni get access to preferred insurance rates on home and tenant insurance. Find out more at alumni.ubc.ca/td.

Episode #5 Sponsor:

TD Insurance