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

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.

Avoiding the Useless Retirement Plan, Step One

by Sandi Martin | May 27, 2013 | Blog, Personal Finance, Retirement, Series: Avoiding the Useless Retirement Plan | 0 Comments

The point: A realistic retirement plan doesn't start with a number and work backwards; it starts with the question "why?" Quick, go to the personal finance section of you newspaper or feed reader and count how many articles and posts from last week start with the...

July’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | July 13, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

Another monster list for your July reading pleasure. These top three are the ones you shouldn't miss, but the whole list is down there...I'm sure you'll find something interesting on retirement income satisfaction, how to handle a windfall, surviving close encounters...

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.

RRSPs: Hunting Season

by Sandi Martin | May 21, 2013 | Blog, Inside the Bank, Personal Finance, Retirement | 2 Comments

The point: buying an RRSP sometime between January and March doesn't mean you have a retirement plan. Go into any bank between January 2nd and February 28th and you will be haunted by the specter of an underfunded retirement. You will be offered "retirement planning",...

Profiting from Real Estate

by Julia Chung | August 24, 2016 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Planning on earning a fortune in the real estate market? Read this first.

Caring for a Forever Child…

by Julia Chung | May 4, 2015 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

“These are things that are going to seriously affect your life and the lives of people after you,” said Julia Chung, a financial and estate planner with Spring Financial Planning. “Spend the money.” You will likely need both a financial planner and a lawyer that specializes in estates, and possibly an accountant to review tax ramifications.

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...

Effective Retirement Planning is About Spending, Not Saving

by Sandi Martin | June 24, 2013 | Blog, Budgets, Personal Finance, Retirement, Series: Avoiding the Useless Retirement Plan | 4 Comments

The point: planning for your retirement isn't just about your investments, although you can be forgiven for thinking it is. It involves exactly the same activities as planning for tomorrow, next week, and next month: active budgeting, debt elimination, robust savings,...

Paying Your Taxes With Plastiq is a Bad Idea.

by Sandi Martin | March 27, 2013 | Blog, Credit Cards, Debt Management, Income Tax, Paying your taxes with a credit card, Personal Finance, Plastiq | 2 Comments

The point of this post: don't pay your taxes with your credit card. Ever. The big news today (for money nerds who read every scrap of money-related news, that is) is that through the online payment system Plastiq, you can put your income tax payment on your credit...

Cynicism, The Canadian Pension Plan, And You

by Sandi Martin | September 9, 2013 | Blog, CPP, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning | 11 Comments

The point: scoff if you like, but we have a public pension system in Canada that will likely make up a good portion of your retirement income, and its existence should be factored into your plans. I hear it all the time - in banking, in financial planning, and now...

Christmas, Stuff, and Money

by Sandi Martin | December 9, 2013 | Blog, Christmas, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning, Relationships | 0 Comments

The point: frugality isn't a virtue, especially when you're hitting your family over the head with it. Repetitious, I know. Are you upset by the amount of stuff that your family is going to give your kids this Christmas and resent them for their materialistic, showy...

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.

September 2018 Update

by Sandi Martin | September 24, 2018 | Fee Only Financial Planning, Goal Planning, Monthly Spring Update | 0 Comments

Now that summer is officially over (boo! hisss!) it’s time for one of our all-time favourite activities at Spring: using what we’ve learned about ourselves to make life better - for ourselves, our families, our team, and our clients. (We swear we’re fun at...

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...

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...

Is Private School Worth The Cost?

by Julia Chung | November 3, 2014 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Sending your children to private school can mean making some big sacrifices.

Book Review: Living Debt Free by Shannon Lee Simmons

by Sandi Martin | January 15, 2019 | Accountability, Book Review, Budgets, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

If you have any kind of debt at all, go read Living Debt Free, the no-shame, no-blame guide to getting rid of your debt by Shannon Lee Simmons immediately. Companion book to Worry Free Money: the guilt-free approach to managing your money and your life, Living Debt...

How Much Do Mutual Funds Cost, and Relative to What? Part Two

by Sandi Martin | October 15, 2013 | Blog, Investing, Management Expense Ratio, MER, Personal Finance | 15 Comments

The point: management expense ratios do a poor job of communicating the price you're paying for a mutual fund and the value you're getting in return. This is the second of a two-part rant, and you can find the first part here. If you walked into the grocery store...

Where to Start Saving First

by Spring Plans | November 6, 2018 | Cash Flow, Debt Management, Investment Fee Calculator, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

The following article is an excerpt from our ebook “Women & Money”. You’ll note some gender-specific language here, but don’t let that deter you. Our advice is the same regardless of the chromosomes you carry. You can download the entire book for free here. Let’s...

Your Financial Plan is Not a Slap-Chop

by Sandi Martin | August 1, 2013 | Blog, Fee Only Financial Planning, Personal Finance | 2 Comments

The point: If you financial advisor is giving you a financial plan for "free", what's his incentive for doing it well? These days, we all want to believe that we're savvy consumers. We scoff at TV commercials for products that are worth hundreds of dollars but can be...

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...

February 11th: Living & Investing In the Trudeau Era

by Julia Chung | February 7, 2016 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Join us for a free evening of cocktails, dinner, and insight on February 11th. RSVP today! tycuda@3macs.com

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.

Financial Planning: Speak Up for Consumer Protection

by Julia Chung | October 14, 2015 | Personal Finance | 0 Comments

This month, you have a chance to speak up on an issue that is close to our hearts, and affects all Canadians: better protection for those seeking financial planning.

OPTIMIZE!

by Sandi Martin | June 12, 2014 | Blog, Fee Only Financial Planning, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Financial planning is misnamed. It really should be called Figuring Out How Much What You Want Out Of Life Will Cost And How to Pay For It By Finding The Happy Medium Between Doing What You Have To Do And Doing What You Want To Do. I imagine this will never take on....

Price Shock: The Sting of Moving Abroad

by Julia Chung | August 25, 2014 | BBC Capital, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

Imagine being asked to do your job in an exotic city in a far flung country… Julia gives BBC Capital her planning tips.

July 2018 Update

by Sandi Martin | July 24, 2018 | Monthly Spring Update, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

Have you ever experienced a period of time where anything that could go sideways did? Did it feel like nothing you planned to do turned out the way you thought it should? Did it feel like you were too busy to catch a breath, never mind catch up on the vitally...

The Power of Confusion

by Sandi Martin | May 9, 2013 | Blog, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 4 Comments

The point of this post: the world of personal finance can be as confusing as a room full of five-year-olds playing soccer, and the financial industry needs to stop pretending that it's not. Yesterday was my oldest daughter's first day of soccer. It...

A Week in the Life of Sandi

by Sandi Martin | April 17, 2018 | Week in the Life | 0 Comments

Monday, March 26 5:00AM My alarm goes off, and I head downstairs for the best part of the day (the quiet part with hot coffee and no random Marvel movie questions because my son -- and everyone else -- is still asleep). I don’t often get up this early anymore, but I...

How to Get the Best Discount on Your Mortgage

by Sandi Martin | April 10, 2013 | Blog, Debt Management, Inside the Bank, Mortgages, Personal Finance | 2 Comments

The point of this post: do the work to understand how the mortgage lending system works so you can save the most money. If you want to get the very best interest rate (read: lowest bottom line price) on your mortgage, you need to know how to see yourself the way the...

Fill in the Blank (Part One): I Don’t Want to Spend Money On…

by Sandi Martin | September 11, 2014 | Blog, Goal Planning, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

At first glance, it sounds like an incredibly stupid exercise, I grant you. Um, I don't want to spend money on insurance, on my mortgage payment, on those never-ending, teeny-tiny little school activity requests that dribble home every other day, on fixing my car...

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...

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...

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...

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...

April’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | April 10, 2018 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

I have a short reading list for you this month, since most of us are either rushing to file our taxes or rushing to get outside after a long, cold winter. Notable articles that didn’t quite make the top three include this one from Andray Domise on how - if 40% of...

Three Great Reads You Might Have Missed

by Sandi Martin | May 12, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

It's great to be back in the reading saddle again, and have I got some outstanding pieces for you! For those of you who are new around these parts, I'm a reader. (My friend Noel asked me the other day if I'd gotten to the last page of the internet yet. I haven't, but...

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...

The Hierarchy of Financial Needs

by Julia Chung | April 23, 2018 | Accountability, Budgets, Cash Flow, Credit Cards, Debt Management, Personal Finance | 0 Comments

In the world of financial planning, there are different kinds of planning, with different areas of focus and levels of complexity. At Spring, we divide that complexity up into Cash Flow, Comprehensive, and Advanced planning. But here’s a secret: It always comes down...

RRSP Basics

by Julia Chung | January 13, 2016 | Personal Finance, Spring Original | 0 Comments

Many people feel pretty confused about RRSPs – how they work, and why they’re useful. At the same time, people can feel embarrassed to ask for a full explanation.

To help you move forward with this useful tool, here is your RRSP Primer!

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...

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!...

September’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | September 8, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

In my world, September is a BIG month. Summer effectively ends on Labour Day, the kids are at school, and it’s time for a hard reset (what I privately think of as a second New Year) to prepare myself for the whirlwind of the last three months of the year. In your...

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.

On Hiring a Financial Planner

by Sandi Martin | March 26, 2014 | Blog, Budgets, Fee Only Financial Planning, Mint.com, Personal Finance, Personal Financial Planning | 0 Comments

The folks at Mint.com interviewed me a few weeks ago about working with a financial planner, getting started on a financial makeover, and advice for beginners on investing. When enlisting help to manage your money, what should you look for in a planner? You should...

November’s Great Reads

by Sandi Martin | November 14, 2017 | Canadian Personal Finance News | 0 Comments

I noticed when I was reviewing the articles I’d marked for sharing with you lovely people that there’s a pretty heavy behavioural finance theme in this month’s reading list, so if you’re a fan of behavioural finance theory, you’re in for a treat. If you’re not a...

What to do when your parents haven’t planned

by Julia Chung | October 18, 2018 | Personal Financial Planning, Relationships, Retirement, Retirement Planning | 0 Comments

Your parents have been adults for as long as you can remember. They always had things in hand. They paid the bills, put a roof over your head, bothered you about cleaning up your room and doing your homework, and cried at your graduation/childbirth/other meaningful...

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...

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

Success!

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