Financial Glossary
New to this stuff? Start here \u2014 40 FIRE, investing, and Canadian finance terms explained in plain English, no jargon.
Browse the Full Glossary
Every term, organized by category \u2014 FIRE concepts, investing basics, Canadian accounts, and money fundamentals.
What Is FIRE?
The four letters behind an entire movement, explained from scratch.
What Is a TFSA?
Grows tax-free, withdraws tax-free \u2014 what that actually means.
What Is Compound Interest?
Why it's called the 8th wonder of the world, explained simply.
Personal Finance Fundamentals
What Is a Good Savings Rate?
The one metric that predicts your retirement age more accurately than anything else — and how to improve it.
How Long Does It Take to Reach $1 Million?
The math behind hitting your first million — and why your starting conditions matter less than you think.
What Is the FIRE Movement?
Financial Independence, Retire Early explained from scratch — the philosophy, the math, and how to start.
Compound Interest Explained Simply
Why Einstein may have called it the eighth wonder of the world — and how to make it work for you.
How to Increase Your Savings Rate
Practical tactics to save 40%, 50%, or even 70% of your income — without misery.
How to Start Investing in 2026
A beginner's guide to index funds, ETFs, and building a portfolio from zero.
Benjamin Franklin on Money & FIRE
Franklin: The First FIRE Person
He retired at 42 on passive income — 300 years before FIRE had a name. The story of history's original financial independence case study.
Franklin's 200-Year Compound Interest Experiment
He left £1,000 to two cities and told them not to touch it for 200 years. The results prove everything about compound interest.
Franklin's Best Money Quotes Explained
His most powerful personal finance wisdom — with modern context and the math that backs each one up.
A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned — Explained
What Franklin actually said, what he meant, and why it's even more powerful than it sounds in a world with income tax.
Time Is Money — The FIRE Interpretation
Franklin coined it in 1748. It's not about hustle culture — it's the foundational principle of every early retirement strategy.
Poor Richard's Almanack Money Lessons
Every financial insight from the Almanack, explained with modern context and connected to FIRE calculators.
Franklin's Will — The 200-Year Proof
A deep dive into the exact terms, the timeline, the math at every interest rate, and what the experiment proved.
Franklin's Savings Rate Philosophy
He built wealth on a tradesperson's income. How his savings rate principles apply at $40K, $80K, $150K, and beyond.
FIRE Strategy
Lean FIRE vs Fat FIRE
Which FIRE variant fits your life? The real tradeoffs between retiring lean and retiring large.
The 4% Rule in 2026 — Does It Still Work?
The Trinity Study's famous rule, stress-tested against modern market conditions and longer retirements.
Index Funds vs ETFs — What's the Difference?
Two very similar investing vehicles with important practical differences. Here's which to use and when.
Can You Achieve Financial Independence by 30?
The math, the sacrifices, and the real stories of people who did it. Is it possible for you?
ETF Deep Dives
VFV Explained
Is Vanguard's S&P 500 ETF right for your FIRE portfolio? Cost, yield, and the RRSP tax quirk.
XDIV Explained
iShares' concentrated Canadian dividend ETF, and why it pays monthly.
XDG Explained
Building global dividend income into your portfolio with 385 holdings.
VFV vs XDIV
Growth vs dividend income — which wins for FIRE?
XDIV vs XDG
Canadian dividends vs global dividends — concentration, tax, and currency.
VFV vs US S&P 500 ETFs
Why Canadians choose the CAD-listed version — and when they don't.
The 50/25/25 Portfolio
Why combine VFV, XDIV, and XDG — and the blended yield math.
TFSA or RRSP?
Where to hold VFV, XDIV, and XDG for the best tax treatment.
How Much Do They Pay?
Real yield numbers for VFV, XDIV, and XDG on real dollar amounts.
Building $75K/Year in Dividends
How much you'd need invested — and the growth-vs-income trade-off.
AlgoPotato Guides
How to Play AlgoPotato
Complete beginner guide — career progression, best investments, and pro tips.
FIRE in AlgoPotato
How the game models FIRE mechanics and what you can learn from playing.
AlgoPotato vs Universal Paperclips
Two idle masterpieces, very different experiences. How do they compare?
Best Idle Games 2026
The definitive ranked list of the best idle and incremental games you can play right now.
Stop Reading — Start Playing 🥔
All of these concepts come to life in AlgoPotato. Free browser game, no download.
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