"Past performance is not indicative of future performance."

You've probably seen that sentence hundreds of times—on mutual fund brochures, investment websites, and marketing materials.

Most people treat it like legal fine print.

I think it might be the single most important sentence in investing.

In this video, I explain:

  • Why regulators require this disclaimer
  • What it actually means (and what it doesn't)
  • How unrealistic return expectations can quietly derail a retirement plan
  • Why "10% expected returns" deserve far more scrutiny than they're often given
  • How to think about investment assumptions the way professional planners should

Every financial plan is built on assumptions.

Those assumptions will eventually be wrong.

The goal isn't to predict the future perfectly—it's to make assumptions that are reasonable enough that your plan still works when reality inevitably differs.

If this video helped you think differently about investing, consider subscribing. I publish evidence-based videos on financial planning, investing, behavioural finance, and retirement planning for Canadians who want to make better long-term financial decisions.