Kent Chin is a retired Canadian real estate entrepreneur with a passion for personal finance and long-term wealth building. He believes financial freedom starts with small habits and continuous learning. Kent’s deep knowledge of finance stems from personal research as well as a Master of Finance degree from Queen’s University in Ontario. Outside of finance, his passions include martial arts & fitness, cooking, music, and movies.
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Q: What made you interested in personal finance in the first place?
Kent Chin: I lived in a very poor neighbourhood in Toronto as a kid. My parents were working-class Asian immigrants. Money was always very tight. This took a toll on my quality of life growing up. During high school, I managed to save enough money to leave home and pursue a higher education. I earned my Bachelor’s in Health Sciences at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 1995, followed by an MBA at TMU in 2008 and a Master of Finance at Queen’s University in 2013. I also started studying crypto and stocks. Investing time in learning about finance was life-changing for me in so many ways.
Q: A lot of people claim they don’t do well with budgets. What’s your take?
Kent Chin: I used to believe that as well. I’d talk myself into creating a spreadsheet, track everything for a week, and then stop. What helped me was focusing on one thing per month, like cutting down on fast food or cancelling subscriptions. Those small changes made a huge difference in my life. My budget isn’t perfect, but I know what’s coming in and what’s going out, and where I can adjust if things get tight.
Q: How did you first learn about crypto and stocks?
Kent Chin: I started with crypto because it felt more accessible. The apps were easy to use, and I liked the idea of owning assets outside of traditional bank systems. At first, I would buy coins I heard about online without really knowing what they were. I made a few quick gains but also lost money when things dipped. That’s when I realized I needed to learn more, so I started reading up on stocks. Now I invest in both, but I’m more careful.
Q: What was the one financial habit that turned things around for you?
Kent Chin: Tracking my spending. It’s not exciting, but it’s the thing that actually worked for me. People often swipe without paying attention to what they’re spending, but when you see the numbers piling up in your bank account, it’s hard to ignore. I stopped judging myself for it and considered it data. Once you understand your patterns, you can change them without feeling that you have to surrender everything.
Q: What would you say to someone who wants to be better with money but does not know where to begin?
Kent Chin: You don’t need to do everything at once. Just pick one thing, whether it’s building up a small emergency fund or checking your bank balance regularly, and go from there. Read a little, question, mess up, keep going. You don’t need to be a finance whiz to improve. A lot of it is staying curious and not giving up after a tough month. If you can establish a handful of beneficial habits, the rest of it tends to take care of itself.
