From the Mozaic blog

The Mozaic blog

Long-form notes on Canadian personal finance, calm software, and the design choices behind Mozaic. New posts every couple of weeks.

7 essays · ~83 min total reading

A tortoiseshell cat with golden-green eyes resting in a grey cat-tree alcove, next to a small yellow plush taco toy.
22 min read

I had the cash for my cat's $5,000 surgery. Should I have split the payment anyway?

My cat needed $5,000 of emergency surgery. The emergency fund covered it. The clinic offered a 4-month Fairstone plan at 0%. I took it. Here's the math and the research behind why.
A glass jar of coins on a sunlit windowsill — saving for a first home, kept in plain view.
11 min read

FHSA contribution rules in 2026 — what to track and what to ignore

The 2026 First Home Savings Account rulebook in plain English — annual room, lifetime cap, carry-forward, the 15-year clock, and what to actually keep an eye on.
The geodesic dome of Montréal's Biosphère by the St. Lawrence River under a shifting sky.
10 min read

Quebec's Law 25 and your personal financial data

What Quebec's Law 25 actually changes when you connect a bank or brokerage account to a personal-finance app — concrete obligations, real user rights, and how to vet compliance.
A small Québec coastal village nestled between wooded hills and the St. Lawrence River at golden hour.
10 min read

The best personal finance app in Québec in 2026

An honest guide to the personal-finance apps that genuinely work in Québec in 2026 — the ones in French, the ones worth tolerating English for, and the ones to skip.
A small green seedling sprouts from a glass jar full of mixed coins, against a weathered blue wall.
8 min read

Hardbacon shut down — what Canadians should use instead in 2026

Hardbacon is gone. A narrative guide for Canadians figuring out what comes next — the shutdown timeline, what you can still export, and the apps worth a real look.
Montréal's downtown skyline glows at dusk, lights reflected across the St. Lawrence River.
11 min read

How to track multiple brokerage accounts in one place — a Canadian's guide

A Canadian-tax-aware walkthrough of how to actually consolidate Wealthsimple, Questrade, IBKR, and the big-six brokerages into one read-only net-worth picture.
The geodesic dome of Montréal's Biosphère against a soft summer sky, framed by trees.
11 min read

Best Mint alternatives for Canadians in 2026

An honest comparison of seven Mint replacements for Canadians — Lunch Money, Monarch, Copilot, YNAB, Wealthsimple, PocketSmith, and Mozaic.