Published April 11, 2024 • 3 Min Read
On Instagram, Guillaume St-Amand and Camille Sperandio1 are living a carefree life, visiting places as diverse as Japan and Iceland. What you don’t see is that behind the lens, they’re checking their bank account balance and monitoring their investments.
The Quebec-based couple have spent the last seven years travelling the world and sharing their adventures on social media, building a popular brand as both a couple and individuals. In a video call with Inspired Investor, the content creators tried to count the number of countries they’ve visited together—somewhere around 30, they think. However, they admit they needed help with one journey: how to navigate the world of investment.
“We really wanted to do it, but we just didn’t know how,” Sperandio said.
Further complicating matters, like many young couples, the two came into their relationship with different money styles. They were both in their mid-20s, yet they were living in different financial worlds. St-Amand was comfortable managing his own finances and had a clear philosophy about using money as a tool to help him do what he wants in life. Sperandio came into the relationship with “no knowledge about finances.” She was $15,000 in debt.
Building a successful business and putting debt behind them for good wasn’t easy or straightforward. There were setbacks along the way. In their first year in business together, St-Amand and Sperandio did a big project in Hawaii and pulled in $10,000. What they didn’t realize was that another major bill was coming their way: taxes. As fledgling entrepreneurs, they had no idea that they should have been putting money aside for taxes, let alone how much. After paying what they owed, their business was $50,000 in the red. They had to work twice as hard the following year.
“We learned a lot through our first year of business and now we make smarter choices,” Sperandio said.
One of those smart choices was turning to RBC because they also work with St-Amand’s mother’s and grandmother’s finances.
“We can see the money growing and doing well,” Sperandio added.
The couple are both 32-years old and don’t have a particular investment goal or a long-term financial plan just yet. They see lots of possibilities. Already this year, St-Amand took a trip to India and Bali, while Sperandio worked on the new season of a podcast she’s producing with her best friend.
One idea they’re considering is an early retirement, and they’re putting money into an RRSP to support that.
Mostly though, the couple just knows that whatever their future looks like, they’ll need to work towards it with knowledgeable professionals guiding them. Their experience has taught them that every goal, whether big or small, needs a plan. That could be their business, a home, further education, or retirement
“You cannot regret investing,” Sperandio said. “It’s like a workout; you never regret going to the gym. In the long-term, you’re going to love it.”
1 Camille and Guillaume are RBC clients. They have been compensated for sharing their story.
Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.
This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.
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