About First Year Canada
What this is. A weekly newsletter for new Canadians navigating their first 1-5 years here — banking, taxes, credit, investing, remittances, first home. Tactical, not generic.
Why it exists. I moved to Canada, made every avoidable money mistake in my first year, and couldn't find a single resource that just told me the things I needed to know in plain English. This newsletter is the guide I wish I'd had on Day 1.
Who writes it. I'm Sush — a senior data analyst based in Vancouver. I've lived the OWP-spouse situation, the USD→CAD conversion trap, the "should I do FHSA or RRSP first" question, the RSU-taxation curveballs, and the first-Canadian-tax-return headache. I write from experience, not from a textbook.
What I won't do
- Sell you a "course"
- Recommend products I haven't personally used
- Hide affiliate disclosures
- Pretend to be a licensed financial advisor (I'm not — this is education, not advice)
Get in touch
The fastest way to reach me is email: hello@firstyearcanada.ca
I read every message but reply in batches — usually within 48 hours. If you have a topic you want me to write about, just send it. The best newsletter issues come directly from reader questions.
Disclosure
Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. They never affect what I recommend — if I link to a product, it's because I use it or have personally tested it. Recommendations stay the same whether or not the link pays.