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

Is my pension… a pension?

by Julia Chung | October 17, 2017 | CPP, Personal Finance, Retirement, Retirement Planning | 0 Comments

“I have a pension through my employer,” says Tim*, in a recent call. “But I don’t understand it.” If you’re like Tim, you’re not alone. In Canada, we have many different potential sources for retirement income, with all kinds of different names. Pensions can be...

Salesman or Advisor?

by Sandi Martin | May 2, 2013 | Blog, Carnival of Wealth, Fee Only Financial Planning, Personal Finance, Retirement | 0 Comments

The point of this post: If your financial advisor is paid a commission based on what products they sell to you, instead of a straight fee for their advice, that advice is compromised by self-interest. What if I told you that your otherwise competent and experienced...

August’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | August 14, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

I’ve got a kind of dense, philosophical reading list for you this month, just in time for that Second New Year feeling that September always brings. Don’t miss the Top Three (below), but if you have more time be sure to check out Dan Bortolotti’s bond performance time...

Kickin’ Chickens

by Julia Chung | May 27, 2015 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Whether you’re gathering eggs, building a reputation, gathering customers, or just making enough money to pay the bills, you can choose to kick chickens like everyone else, or you can stop and think of a better way.

February 2019 Update

by Julia Chung | February 25, 2019 | Fee Only Financial Planning, Financial Planners | 0 Comments

Happy Lunar New Year! If you’re a regular reader, you already know that some of the team got together at the end of January to retreat and discuss what we did in 2018 and what we’re hoping to do in 2019. Our annual executive retreat, facilitated by the fabulous...

Because Money Episode 14

by Sandi Martin | March 21, 2014 | Because Money, Blog, Fee Only Financial Planning, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Despite +Robb Engen's absence from this week's podcast, +Jackson Middleton and I had a great time talking with our guests about why regular Canadians should care about the regulation of financial advice. I've written about the incentives that are holding even the most...

UPDATED: How (and Why) to Choose Between NestWealth, Wealthsimple, WealthBar, ShareOwner, and Steadyhand

by Sandi Martin | November 18, 2014 | Blog, Investing, Investment Fee Calculator, NestWealth, Online Investment Management, Personal Finance, ShareOwner Model Portfolios, Steadyhand, Wealth Management, WealthBar, Wealthsimple | 0 Comments

Each online investment management company has a slightly different fee structure and value proposition. Calculating their relative cost for your circumstances will let you compare their relative value depending on the kind of service you want to pay for. (Includes a link to the Canadian Online Investment Advisor Fee Calculator.)

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.

How A Financial Planner Can Lighten Your Load

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

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...

Financial Facelifts, Eric and Ilsa, Soundbites, and Showing Your Work

by Sandi Martin | January 23, 2015 | Because Money, Blog, Eric and Ilsa, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Most of the value in a financial plan (or facelift, or makeover, or what-have-you) is in showing your work, not in the answers themselves. That is, the fact that recommendations are made for you is equally – if not more – important than the fact that recommendations are made at all.

Design Thinking: Income & Cash Flow

by Kathryn Mandelcorn | February 19, 2019 | Budgets, Cash Flow, Debt Management, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

As promised in our What We Want for you in 2019 article, we are jacked about design thinking this year, and how you can use it to optimize your life and your finances to create the life that you didn’t know you always wanted. This month, we are applying this thinking...

Money 201 with Yours Truly and John Robertson

by Sandi Martin | January 29, 2015 | Blog, Money 201, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Once you’ve already mastered the basics of paying off debt and saving, what are the next steps to take in your financial life? We’ll walk through long-term planning to provide the context for how to fit the financial pieces of your life together, that takes into account your individual needs and goals, and will help you make sensible investing decisions.

What We Want for You in 2019

by Spring Plans | January 28, 2019 | Goal Planning, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning | 0 Comments

A wish for our readers for the year ahead is becoming a tradition for us. If you’ve been reading the Spring blog for a while, you may remember that past years included wishes for clarity, ownership, structure, and momentum. If you’re new here: welcome—and buckle up....

Making it on his own

by Julia Chung | November 15, 2016 | Money Sense, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Sam Omeretti feels financially ready to live on his own. His parents aren’t so sure.

Learn to Love the NOPE

by Sandi Martin | November 17, 2017 | Christmas, Goal Planning, Income Tax, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

There’s a mostly fun deluge of events, meals with friends, and parties just over the horizon, and, depending on what holidays you celebrate, what your family is like, and how much pie is involved, you might be looking forward to the end of the year with some...

Distressingly Common Investment Advice

by Sandi Martin | August 20, 2015 | Blog, Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning | 0 Comments

I was recently part of a presentation for financial advisors, put on by someone whose work I respect (and who I imagine probably would not have said this if he had had more time to think about it). Just before the end, this came out of his mouth: Words I just heard!...

UPDATED: Canadian Investment Fee Calculator

by Sandi Martin | February 10, 2016 | Blog, Investment Fee Calculator, Justwealth, NestWealth, Online Investment Management, Personal Finance, Portfolio IQ, ShareOwner Model Portfolios, Steadyhand, WealthBar, Wealthsimple | 0 Comments

NOTE: The calculator has outgrown its old Google sheet and is now at autoinvest.ca. As of 2017, Sandi no longer manages the site, and the new managers have chosen to set up referral fee arrangements with some providers Welcome to the investment fee calculator, built...

If You’ve Ever Tried and Failed at Budgeting

by Sandi Martin | July 21, 2015 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

If you've ever tried and failed at budgeting, or if you've never tried at all because it sounds so hard and boring, this post is for you. Those of you with a budgeting system that works and that you possibly even love and want to have babies with are excused for the...

Money Matters: Take Control

by Julia Chung | May 2, 2016 | Personal Finance, PowHERHouse Magazine | 0 Comments

Julia Chung’s article in the Spring 2016 PowHerHouse magazine outlines the basics of goal setting.

Managing Uncertainty

by Julia Chung | January 22, 2018 | Accountability, Big Picture, Investing, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Oh, January. The calendar New Year starts smack-dab in the middle of winter, and as much as we try to gear up and get excited about this first month, there’s something so exhausting about January. It’s cold. The bills from the holidays are rolling in. We had holidays...

You Don’t Have to be Normal

by Julia Chung | July 23, 2018 | Big Picture, contentment, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ~ Maya Angelou We get pretty excited working with each unique individual, family, and business we encounter - and a lot of that is because you’re unique. We’ve never hoped to provide...

How Much Is Enough for Your Emergency Fund?

by Julia Chung | January 28, 2016 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

While the basic rule of thumb is to have enough money to cover at least three months of net income, even that may not be enough, says certified financial planner Julia Chung of Spring Financial Planning in B.C.

“Most people severely lowball their expenses; they think they spend way less than they actually do,” Ms. Chung says. “If you spend 100 per cent of your paycheque when it comes in, as many people do, then your expenses equal your net income.

Pension Income Splitting

by Julia Chung | January 4, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Yes, you can still split your pension income. The income splitting credit that the new Federal Government vowed to abolish in their 2015 election campaign was the Family Tax Cut. The opportunity for pensioners to split their qualified pension income with their spouses is still alive and well.

October’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | October 10, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

A real short list this month since we’re all still figuring out how this back to school stuff works (are those of you with kids surprised every year? I’m surprised Every. Single. Year.). You have to check out the top three, but if you have time for more there’s a...

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...

August 2018 Update

by Julia Chung | August 27, 2018 | Big Picture, Cash Flow, Debt Management, Goal Planning, Monthly Spring Update | 0 Comments

Just before you slam your nose into the grindstone that September often brings - regardless of whether you have kids in school or work full time, it can still be a thing - let’s stop and consider: What is it you want to achieve in the back half of this year? What is...

Money Mindset: Scarcity vs. Abundance

by Kathryn Mandelcorn | December 18, 2018 | Budgets, Cash Flow, contentment, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

We ask some pretty tough questions at Spring. Open-ended, thoughtful and curious questions are among the many keys we use to unlock how we can truly help you move into great success. Without a doubt, some of the toughest questions we ask - the ones we agonize...

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...

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...

The Coming Housing Crash, And What You Can Do About It

by Sandi Martin | June 11, 2013 | Blog, Budgets, Canadian Housing Crash, Debt Management, Inside the Bank, Personal Finance | 7 Comments

The point: there are two things you can do if there's going to be a housing market crash, and worrying isn't one of them. You're here, so I'm going to take a long shot and guess that you read about money online, unless you're here for the outstanding graphics, in...

Announcement: Sandi Martin

by Julia Chung | July 5, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Announcement! A new collaboration with Sandi Martin of Spring Personal Finance…

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...

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...

June’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | June 12, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

Finally, summer is here! While I heartily encourage you to spend every possible minute outside (as I write this indoors because I’m tired of wiping pollen off my laptop screen), you may find yourself wishing for some great reads, and boy do I have some for you. If you...

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...

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...

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.

The Screaming Ninjas Are Coming

by Sandi Martin | August 27, 2013 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning, The screaming ninjas of financial catastrophe | 5 Comments

The point: Learning to live within your means is discipline you have to practice. Financial catastrophe always strikes, and having the necessary skills already mastered will mean the difference between dealing with it and moving on or being overwhelmed and giving up....

May 2018 Update

by Sandi Martin | May 28, 2018 | Fee Only Financial Planning, Monthly Spring Update, Personal Financial Planning, Real Customer Service | 0 Comments

You might not know this, but at Spring, we kiss a lot of frogs. In my neck of the woods, it’s spring peeper season, which means that if you’re near a pond at dusk you’ll hear a chorus of tiny little frogs making some of the most beautiful music on earth. (Have a...

Cooking At Home To Save Money Will Still Cost You

by Sandi Martin | February 16, 2015 | Blog, Meaningful Spending, Personal Finance, The cult of frugality | 0 Comments

If you want to get your spending on food or any other category to line up with your income and goals, you’ll have to spend one of your other resources – your time, your capacity, even your social capital – until it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice anymore.

Why Budgets Don’t Work (The Real Reason)

by Sandi Martin | June 18, 2015 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Sandi's note: I'm not happy about the introduction to this post anymore. Helaine is right: budgets don't work if there's not enough money go go around and government can do something about it. She's been a pretty vocal advocate for policy change on poverty, and...

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...

Fun With Retirement Calculators

by Sandi Martin | June 20, 2013 | Blog, Personal Finance, Retirement, Retirement Calculators, Series: Avoiding the Useless Retirement Plan | 1 Comment

The point: retirement calculators are only as good as the information you put in them and the underlying assumptions of the calculator itself, and are useful only to model the future, not predict it. The lure of the retirement calculator is that it will tell you your...

The “Invest Better” Calculator

by Julia Chung | November 23, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Our own Sandi Martin collaborated with John Robertson, author of the Value of Simple, to create this useful calculator to help investors make an educated decision when choosing from the variety of low-fee robo-advisors now open in Canada. You can try it out...

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...

Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

by Julia Chung | April 23, 2019 | Accountability, Big Picture, Book Review | 0 Comments

The Power of Habit and its follow-up, Smarter, Faster, Better, by Charles Duhigg were some of the bright shining spots in my nonfiction reading over the past year. You never know what you’re getting into with any kind of reading, but at least with fiction, you know...

January 2019 Update

by Julia Chung | January 22, 2019 | CPP, Monthly Spring Update, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Happy New Year!! Feel free to attack this month’s blog content in bits. Like everything else in January, it’s just best to take it at your own pace, as we have lots to talk about, starting with the markets and moving into tax updates, TFSAs & RRSPs, CPP...

Book Review: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

by Sandi Martin | September 18, 2018 | Financial Literacy, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown is one of those few books that I want to keep multiple copies of, so I can press it into people’s hands and say, “Just read it, trust me.” Brown, if you’ve never heard of her, is a research professor who studies vulnerability,...

What I Want For You In 2016

by Sandi Martin | December 29, 2015 | Accountability, Blog, Financial Infrastructure, Goal Planning, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Last year, what I wanted most for you was clarity, remember? How would your life be better if you were absolutely clear about what you want your life to look like, the resources you have or will have at your disposal, and the obstacles that you’ll have to get over,...

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

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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

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Don't Be Shy