More Canadians are living solo than ever before, yet the systems shaping our financial lives still assume everyone has a partner.

From taxes to housing to retirement, single earners navigate a reality that is more expensive, more complex, and far less visible than we like to admit.

My guest, Renée Sylvestre-Williams, is an award-winning Canadian financial journalist and the author of The Singles Tax, which launched January 6. In this timely conversation airing February 4, just ahead of her Toronto book launch, Renée breaks down the hidden costs of singledom and the practical, no-nonsense ways solo earners can build security, confidence, and freedom on their own terms.

This episode lands in the heart of Valentine’s season, but it takes a different approach. This is not about being anti-relationship. It is about agency, advocacy, and understanding that coupling does not make someone more worthy of stability, adulthood, or belonging.

I also share my own lived experience of spending most of my life in relationships, missing a “single chapter” because of timing, divorce, COVID, and later choosing to marry my best friend during his cancer journey. Together, we unpack why these conversations matter even if you have never been single yourself.

In this episode, we explore:

• What the “singles tax” really is and why it exists

• The policy and workplace blind spots that disadvantage solo earners

• Financial independence as self-trust, not selfishness

• Aging, care, and community without default assumptions

• How to advocate for fairer systems without waiting for permission

This is a conversation about money, yes. But more than that, it is about dignity, choice, and redefining what a full, secure life can look like.

To find out more about Renée, visit https://budgette.substack.com/