Our Mission

We believe that you need the tools to create financial success on your own terms.

Conflict-free financial planning equips you to make educated decisions about your future with the information available to you today.

Our Mission

We believe that you need the tools to create financial success on your own terms.

Conflict-free financial planning equips you to make educated decisions about your future with the information available to you today.

Julia Chung, CFP, CLU, FEA, TEP

Partner, Sr. Financial Planner

Areas of Specialty: Retirement Planning, Private/Family Business, Cross-Border Planning

Sandi Martin, CFP

Partner, Financial Planner

Areas of Specialty: Retirement Income Planning, Family Goal Planning

Kathryn Mandelcorn, FMA

Director, Cash Flow Strategies

Areas of Specialty: Money Coaching, Cash Flow Planning

Karen Richardson, FPSC Level 1®

Cash Flow & Associate Financial Planner

Areas of Specialty:
Cash Flow Planning, Retirement Planning

Meet the whole team

Connect with the team on social media

What We Do at Spring

We believe that you need the tools to create financial success on your own terms…whatever they may be. Although our process is the same with every client, the outcomes are always delightfully different, and as unique as the people we have the privilege to work with every day.

Your values are the driving force behind any recommendations we make.

We want our recommendations to our clients to be influenced only by what’s in your best interest, and never by the potential for referral fees or third-party compensation.

We don’t sell products , accept commissions, pay or receive referral fees, or earn affiliate income.

We sincerely believe that financial planning – done well – can benefit everyone, and are actively invested in mentoring and developing new financial planners.

We’ve been running a practice management peer-mentoring group since early 2016…it’s how we met, in fact!

Comprehensive Financial Planning
Retirement Income Planning
Cross-Border Planning
Family/Private Business Planning
Portfolio and Cash Flow Audits

Our Process

What We’re Writing

Julia Chung at PowHerTalks Victoria June 18th

by Julia Chung | May 10, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

We’re proud to announce that Julia Chung has been selected to speak at the upcoming PowHerTalks Victoria on June 18th! We invite you to join us at this powerful event.

Finding the RIGHT Financial Advisor

by Spring Plans | November 26, 2018 | Fee Only Financial Planning, Financial Planners, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Given the sheer number of articles, 10 point lists, podcasts, and even books out there on the subject, it’s time to face the truth: choosing a financial advisor is hard. We are asked all kinds of questions in many different ways that all boil down to the same...

November’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | November 13, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

Halloween has passed us by, but there are still some slightly daunting things to contemplate throughout the month of November, including talking to your parents about money, what really happens when interest rates rise, and how disclosure isn’t necessarily the...

April’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | April 12, 2019 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

What is success? What is best? How do you make the right decision? The intricacies of personal finance require deep dives into countless areas, from investment vehicles, through decision making and your own definitions of success. Jenny Anderson takes a swipe at the...

June’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | June 7, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

I've got a monster reading list for you this month, and I'm still fighting that nagging feeling that there was way more good stuff out there than I managed to catch. If you've got the time, scroll through the entire list down there at the bottom, and catch Preet...

I’m 22…do I need a financial planner?

by Sandi Martin | August 10, 2015 | Blog, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Hi Sandi, I am a 22-year-old and just starting my career. Do I need a financial planner and is talking to a financial advisor at the bank the same thing as talking to a financial planner? Thank you, Denise -- Hi Denise, You know, you have an enormous opportunity to...

Family Values: How to Pay For a Large Family

by Julia Chung | March 10, 2014 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Want to have four, five, even six children? Plan ahead and make some smart decisions early to ease the financial burden. Full article on BBC Capital: Family Values: How to Pay For a Large Family

Free Money for School: A Guest Post for Renegade Planner

by Julia Chung | February 17, 2016 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Julia Chung from Spring Financial Planning is excited to provide a guest post for Renegade Planner, a “Startup Concierge” that helps businesses grow and learn. Jessica Oman, the founder of Renegade Planner, is providing tips and information to her business owner audience on personal finance, something that really does confuse everyone.

Julia’s article “Free Money For School: Yes, Even Entrepreneurs Can Save for Their Children’s Education” provides a clear outline of how to use the RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan) to maximize grants, reduce taxes, and pay for post-secondary school.

Life Insurance as an Investment

by Julia Chung | May 17, 2017 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

We get asked about this every once in a while. Life Insurance and its salespeople get a bad rap. Some of it is incredibly well-deserved, and some of it is just not. Here’s a breakdown of some life insurance basics that you should understand.

February’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | February 12, 2019 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

Winter weather often brings blankets, fireplaces, and hot drinks. While you’re thawing your toes, you may feel inclined to dream a little, and Sandi has the reads for you to do just that. Dreams about retirement, and who you might be when you stop working, are right...

New Love: A Retirement Dream – or Nightmare?

by Julia Chung | June 1, 2016 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

You’ve found true love in your 60s. It might be a dream come true, but there’s far more to consider than just companionship. BBC Capital interviewed Julia Chung from Spring Financial Planning for her tips on starting successfully.

A Spender Marries a Saver – Now What?

by Julia Chung | November 2, 2015 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

You’ve heard that money is the cause of many arguments between partners. But can a spender marry a saver and live happily ever after? BBC Capital interviewed Julia Chung of Spring Financial Planning to find out.

Spring’s Summer Reading List

by Sandi Martin | July 17, 2018 | Financial Literacy, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

We’re readers at Spring. There’s nothing we like better in the summer than pairing up a good book, the great outdoors, and a cool drink. And let us be clear: we don’t sit around reading about money all day. That way lies madness (believe us). We want to read All The...

The Three Certainties

by Julia Chung | December 14, 2017 | Big Picture, Goal Planning, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

At the end of the year, things get undeniably gloomy - particularly on the southern west coast, where we like to brag about our summers and lack of snow, brushing aside any mention of the solid six to eight months of grey skies and relentless rain that can only...

2019 Federal Budget Summary

by Julia Chung | March 25, 2019 | Budgets, Home Buyer's Plan, Income Tax, Personal Finance, Retirement | 0 Comments

Every spring, the Federal Government comes out with their budget for the year - all the ways they’ll be putting our tax dollars to use and running this national operation. They often have a news release in fall that telegraphs some of the things they’re thinking about...

The Best Discount Brokerage for Small Index Investors, and How Much it’s Going to Cost You

by Sandi Martin | July 16, 2013 | Best Discount Brokerage, Blog, Investing, Personal Finance | 8 Comments

The point: If you're starting out as an index investor, and are going to be regularly contributing in a self-directed brokerage account, the best discount brokerage for you is TD Direct Investing, but not for any of the reasons most reviewers list. *UPDATED* This post...

Frugality Isn’t A Virtue

by Sandi Martin | June 3, 2013 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning, The cult of frugality | 6 Comments

The point: being frugal just for the sake of being frugal isn't being virtuous. It's being cheap. Let's pretend this is the first time you've been on the internet, and you feel like you need personal finance advice (one of these scenarios is probably easier to imagine...

What I Want for You in 2017

by Sandi Martin | January 3, 2017 | Big Picture, Blog, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

What I dearly want for you this year is structure. (Just what you'd expect from an introverted money nerd who once answered "spreadsheets" when asked to name one thing that made her happy to her son's kindergarten circle, am I right?) Listen, when you hear "structure"...

What I want for you in 2018

by Sandi Martin | January 3, 2018 | Big Picture, Blog, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

For 2018, I want you to have time. Sweet, precious, time. And understand me: I don’t want you to have more time, or productive time, or fulfilling time - all good things, don’t get me wrong, but not the kind of time I so desperately want for you. No, the kind of...

Not A Litre Of Milk: Evaluating The Utility Of Management Expense Ratios, Part One

by Sandi Martin | September 27, 2013 | Blog, Investing, Management Expense Ratio, MER, Personal Finance | 1 Comment

The point: When you buy mutual funds from the bank, or an advisor, or through your employee plan, how do you know if you're getting what you're paying for? I'm not a fortune teller, but I can probably guess what mutual funds you hold in your RRSPs. You have at least...

Self-Employed & Corporate Income Taxes: Installments, Penalties, and Planning Ahead

by Kathryn Mandelcorn | March 26, 2018 | Income Tax, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Your accountant, the tax software companies, and that place down the block have all been sending you endless lists of deductions, paperwork, and requests for information. It can feel a little daunting. If you’re self-employed, a...

November 7th – Open House

by Julia Chung | October 30, 2015 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Join Julia on Saturday November 7th from 10 AM to 12 PM at Steadyhand Funds in Vancouver, where she’ll be answering all your financial planning questions.

How (Not) to Consolidate Debt

by Sandi Martin | August 14, 2013 | Blog, debt consolidation, Debt Management, Personal Finance | 1 Comment

The point: it doesn't matter what method you use to pay off debt, or if you use any method at all. What matters is that you stop creating new debt. It's out there: the mathematically precise, strictly rational formula for paying off your three credit cards, small car...

The Family Cottage

by Julia Chung | September 26, 2017 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

One of the great joys of summer for many Canadian families is a family cottage, cabin, or camp. No matter what name you may give the place where your clan gets together to enjoy the outdoors and each other, it’s often an important part of who you are, and how your...

Book Review: Lynne Twist

by Kathryn Mandelcorn | May 24, 2018 | Budgets, Cash Flow, Relationships | 0 Comments

The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist is not a personal finance book. It’s a book that will have you exploring your values, how you define money and how you use money. Twist’s work stems from 4 decades of experience in fundraising to eradicate world hunger. She has...

Take Their Business… Please

by Julia Chung | September 21, 2015 | Personal Finance, The Gastown Gazette | 0 Comments

“We’ll be there between 10 and 2 on Tuesday.”

This is not a utility company, which generally has customers at their mercy due to a bureaucratic structure that has legislated monopolies. This is a furniture company – a “high end” one at that. A private business that, just like any other business, needs its customers.

Success = Joy + Freedom

by Julia Chung | September 29, 2016 | Niche Magazine, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Have you ever set goals and just felt kind of… “meh”? Julia’s latest article for Niche Magazine gets to the heart of why that happens, and how you can change it.

RESP Rules & Tips with Sandi Martin & Julia Chung

by Julia Chung | August 8, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Summer is the best time to learn about saving for post-secondary education. Julia Chung and Sandi Martin chatted with Modern Advisor on July 21st. Click here for the recording.

December 2018 Update

by Julia Chung | December 20, 2018 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

MERRY HAPPY!!! We hope that by the time you’re reading this, you’re feeling well-prepared for the holidays, however you celebrate them. Regardless of whether you partake of religious, non-denominational, or just no activities throughout this season, we hope you...

An Admittedly Biased Argument in Favour of Banning Embedded Commissions and Instituting a Fiduciary Standard

by Sandi Martin | June 26, 2013 | Banning Embedded Commissions in Mutual Funds, Blog, Fee Only Financial Planning, Fiduciary Standard, Personal Finance | 2 Comments

The point: I stand to benefit if embedded commissions in mutual funds are banned, and if a fiduciary standard for advisors is enacted. I don't think it invalidates my argument, but - unlike some of the voices clamouring against the increased safety for investors - at...

Design Thinking: Retirement

by Sandi Martin | March 12, 2019 | Design Thinking, Personal Finance, Relationships, Retirement Planning | 0 Comments

There is a truth about retirement that I want you to understand: You don’t have to know precisely what you want to plan for the day when you stop working. Sure, it helps financial planners if you can say that you want to retire in the summer of 2021, stay in your home...

Double the Trouble…

by Julia Chung | September 25, 2015 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Two kids in university at the same time means double the costs. The secret to saving for – and affording – two.

The Budgeting Resource Everyone Has (And Nobody Uses)

by Sandi Martin | October 29, 2015 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Does this sound familiar? You've read a book or a blog series or watched a show about budgeting and getting your money under control. You're all fired up, ready to really get it together, and get to work on that budget. The first few lines are easy: Monthly net...

Now What?

by Sandi Martin | January 12, 2016 | Blog, Clarity Model, Goal Planning, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Hi Sandi I know you are often looking for article ideas and I'm wondering if you would feel in the mood to write something to motivate folks who are doing okay, have a plan, no debt,....but need to avoid the temptation to go into debt (aka buy a cottage). It's nice...

How A Financial Planner Can Lighten Your Load

by Sandi Martin | February 17, 2012 | Budgets, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Because Money Episode 21 | The Rise Of The (Not) Robo-Advisors

by Sandi Martin | August 26, 2014 | Because Money, Blog, Investing, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

This month, we were delighted to welcome Michael Katchen of WealthSimple to the show to talk about what's wrong with the asset management industry, how he and others like him plan to break it, and why regular Canadians who, for whatever reason, shouldn't or can't DIY...

See, Now This Just Makes Me Angry

by Sandi Martin | April 19, 2013 | Blog, Fee Only Financial Planning, Financial Planners, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

"If you were to assume that many experts use their information to your detriment, you'd be right. Experts depend on the fact that you don't have the information they do. Or that you are so befuddled by the complexity of their operation that you wouldn't know what to...

Rainbows and Unicorns: What lenders really mean when they say “affordable”)

by Sandi Martin | March 8, 2013 | Affordability, Blog, Debt Management, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Total debt service and savings ratio, Total debt service ratio | 0 Comments

The point of this post: it's your job as the borrower to figure out if you can actually afford the mortgage the bank says you can. When you think about how much money you make, do you use made up numbers or real ones? If you think that's a strange question, then...

October’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | October 5, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

Just in time to cozy up in a comfy chair with whatever scalding hot drink you prefer, I present to you a few reads that got me thinking this month. They are loosely grouped around themes of cash flow and money management (like this pair on creating a financial routine...

Violating the Foundational Tenets of Personal Finance for Fun and Profit

by Sandi Martin | November 26, 2013 | Blog, Budgets, Financial Infrastructure, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

The point: There's no universal equation into which you can plug your details and receive a perfectly optimized solution to all your personal finance questions. I still pay bank fees. (Hear that? That's the sound of ten thousand personal finance bloggers...

When You Can’t Afford Your House, Do this

by Julia Chung | December 29, 2015 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

If you’re in a cash flow bind, you don’t want to wait too long before you take action. But you should take some time to calculate the size of the problem. “A lot of times people don’t really look at their expenses,” said Julia Chung, a financial and estate planner with Spring Financial Planning in British Columbia in Canada. “They have a hard time managing the numbers.”

August’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | August 11, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

I love my reading list this month, I really do. I know I say that almost every month, but guys: there’s some real gold in here for everyone, whether you’re spending the month of August toiling away at work like you do every month, relaxing in a canoe or on a beach...

January’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | January 9, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

The New Year is always a really exciting, invigorating time for me. I’m that annoying chippy chipmunk who runs her annual spending summary on December 31st and who starts work on January 2nd with a really long list of the organizing she got done over the holidays...

In the Trenches: Living With Your Financial Plan and Avoiding Budget Fatigue

by Sandi Martin | April 4, 2013 | Blog, Budget Fatigue, Budgets, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

The point of this post: living on a budget is (most of the time) tedious and hard. Reward yourself and remember why you're doing it to make it seem less so. If you are in the first, exciting stages of setting up your financial plan, organizing your money, and living...

Book Review: Mindset: The New Psychology by Carol S. Dwek

by Kathryn Mandelcorn | October 23, 2018 | contentment, Personal Financial Planning, Relationships | 0 Comments

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is the outcome of decades of research by Stanford University psychologist, Carol S. Dwek. Her findings produced the idea of fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. Dwek describes the Fixed Mindset as belonging to those who believe...

Capital Dividend Account: Changes to Note

by Julia Chung | December 15, 2016 | IAFE, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

The March 22, 2016 federal budget has resulted in significant changes to the credit to the capital dividend account arising upon the receipt of life insurance proceeds. While these proposals are not yet final, it is expected they will be enacted before the end of 2016 with certain retroactive effect.

October 2018 Update

by Julia Chung | October 29, 2018 | Fee Only Financial Planning, Goal Planning, Monthly Spring Update, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

For many of our clients, one of the most frustrating moments of working with expert advisors is when you have this realization: There is rarely one “right” answer. Even when you process this initial realization, and think to yourself, “Sure, everyone is...

Book Review: The Laws of Wealth by Dr. Daniel Crosby

by Sandi Martin | March 5, 2019 | Book Review, Financial Literacy, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the Secret to Investing Success by Dr. Daniel Crosby isn’t a book that I’d normally pick up off the shelf¹. However, after having deeply respected his work on investor behaviour and following him on Twitter for many years, it...

Dear Big, Enormous Bank With Little Competition, Please Blow My Mind

by Sandi Martin | October 24, 2013 | Blog, Inside the Bank, Personal Finance, Real Customer Service | 11 Comments

Hi. You probably don’t remember me. I was one of a series of warm bodies in that cubicle in Newmarket, the office (with a door!) in Huntsville, and the other office (with a window!) in Bracebridge. I mostly didn’t meet my sales targets and never made my cold-call...

Book Review: The Value of Simple by John Robertson

by Sandi Martin | August 21, 2018 | Financial Literacy, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

By day, John Robertson is a science communicator. If that sounds like the opening panel of a comic book to you, you’re not wrong. John’s got a superpower, and it’s his unique ability to take big, complex, sometimes messy ideas and make them simple. Here’s the...

Working with Sandi was everything I hoped for. I felt like you got to know me well and very quickly. I feel like your recommendations reflected my current reality as well as my personality. That is, you didn’t recommend things that I would never commit to.

After going through this process, I feel like I have a much better understanding of my financial picture. I so wish that I would have done this years ago!! H. Bellerose

Having an impartial 3rd-party review our entire financial situation is one of the best business decisions my wife and I have made. We consider Julia our personal CFO and have incorporated her services into all aspects of our financial lives.

There’s no pressure to purchase any investment or insurance through her or any associate she has introduced us to; but rather an assessment and guidance on plans we have for the future. C. Dewar

Well, it’s been a year since we came to see you last and enacted our plan and we are writing to tell you that we are DEBT FREE on November 1ST ON SCHEDULE!!!

Coming to see you, using your services, was the best decision we ever made as a couple. We can’t thank you enough. We couldn’t have done any of it without you. Thanks, Kathryn.

K. & J. Shorrocks

Don't Be Shy

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and schedule a free inquiry call so we can get to know each other.

Let's Get Started

Our Mission

Our Mission

Julia Chung, CFP, CLU, FEA, TEP

Sandi Martin, CFP

Kathryn Mandelcorn, FMA

Karen Richardson, FPSC Level 1®

Connect with the team on social media

What We Do at Spring

Our Process

What We’re Writing

Success!

Don't Be Shy