Codie Russell, CFP, CLU, CHS

Codie Russell, CFP, CLU, CHS Helping people turn financial uncertainty into a clear plan. CFP® at Prairie Wealth Planning Consultants. We love to travel and explore new places.

Retirement, estate, tax, and financial planning tailored to your goals. As a dedicated financial planner based in Manitoba, I specialize in helping clients build secure futures through holistic financial planning. This includes all financial pillars stated by FP Canada, which include Regulation, Financial Analysis, Tax, Investment, Retirement, Estate Planning, Risk Management, and Financial Counse

lling. With my CFP, CLU, and CHS designations, along with mutual fund and life insurance licenses, I bring comprehensive expertise to every conversation. I enjoy my time away from the office with my wife Halle, and my daughters Ellery and Isabel. My time is often spent learning more about the financial industry, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Mutual Fund Disclaimer: Mutual funds are provided through Investia Financial Services Inc. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Educational Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. Please consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific situation. All thoughts are my own, and do not represent Sunrise Wealth Management or Investia Financial Services.

09/03/2026

There are some questions your portfolio statement cannot answer.

These are the questions new clients ask me all the time:

Can I retire at 60?
Should I take CPP early?
How much can I safely spend?
Will my spouse be okay if I die first?

These aren't investment questions.

They're planning questions.

Yet these decisions can have a greater impact on your financial future than choosing between two investment funds.

Retirement planning is about more than growing your assets.

It's about creating a strategy for using them efficiently, protecting the people you care about, and making informed decisions along the way.

If these questions haven't been addressed as part of your financial plan, it may be worth taking a second look.

Some of the most important financial decisions you'll ever make won't appear on a portfolio statement.

If it's been a few years since you've reviewed your retirement or estate plan, a fresh perspective can often uncover opportunities that have been overlooked.

09/02/2026

I often have people reach out asking whether a strategy they saw online is a good idea.

The answer is usually:

"It depends."

Financial planning is personal. A strategy that works well for one family may not be the right fit for another.

That's why the planning process should come before the product.

At Prairie Wealth, we focus on understanding your goals, concerns, and priorities before making recommendations.

Good planning drives good decisions.

09/01/2026

With CRM3 bringing greater transparency around fees, many Canadians will have a better understanding of what they are paying for financial advice.

While knowing the cost is important, an equally important question is:

What are you receiving in return?

Financial planning is about more than investment management.

It can include retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, succession planning, cash flow planning, and helping families make informed financial decisions.

That's why engagement agreements are so important. They help define the services being provided, the value clients should expect to receive, and how the advisor will support them.

At the end of the day, the question isn't simply what you pay.

It's whether you're receiving the guidance, education, and planning support you need to achieve your goals.

Do you know what services are included in the fees you pay today?

08/27/2026

One simple question can uncover dozens of planning opportunities.

"Will my spouse be okay if I die first?"

Most people know the value of their investments.

Fewer know:
What income disappears at death
How taxes affect their estate
Whether their spouse has enough income
How their beneficiaries will receive assets

Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy.

It's about making life easier for the people you care about.

When was the last time you reviewed your estate plan?

An estate plan audit can help identify potential issues before they become problems.

08/26/2026

I recently met with someone who felt they were paying for financial advice but weren't getting the answers they really needed.

Their savings account balance kept growing each month.

Not because they were actively saving more, but because their retirement income was exceeding their spending needs.

They knew something could be done differently. They just weren't sure what.

After looking at the bigger picture, the conversation wasn't really about investments.

It was about taxes.

It was about estate planning.

It was about making sure more of their wealth ended up with the people they care about.

Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren't found by taking more risk or finding a different investment.

Sometimes they're found by asking better planning questions.

How much is enough?

What happens to the excess?

Could your estate be more tax efficient?

Those questions rarely show up on an investment statement, but they can have a significant impact on your future.

08/25/2026

For anyone with a student heading to post-secondary school this fall, we recently published a blog on RESP withdrawals.

Rather than repeat it all here, I'll drop the article in the comments. Hopefully it's helpful!

08/25/2026

When people think about retirement risk, they often think about stock markets.

Yet many retirees I meet are more affected by:

Inflation
Unexpected health care expenses
Taxes
Outliving their income
The early loss of a spouse

Investment returns matter.

But retirement success is often determined by planning for lies uncertainties, not by finding the perfect investment.

08/24/2026

Stick to the plan.

That is my response to the recent breakdown in trade discussions between the Canadian and U.S. government.

You can't predict politicians, elections, tariffs or the next headline. But a good financial plan is built with uncertainty in mind. It accounts for market volatility, employment changes, and unexpected twists life can bring.

Economic headlines change every week.

A good financial plan doesn't.

08/20/2026

❌Myth: RESP withdrawals are tax-free.

✅Fact: Some RESP withdrawals can be tax-free (your contributions)

✅Fact: EAP payments, which consist of grants and growth, are generally taxable to the student.

Understanding the difference can prevent surprises at tax time.

08/19/2026

A conversation recently reminded me why financial planning is about much more than investments.

Someone reached out because they were facing a significant change in their financial situation.

They had already been told what options weren't available to them. While that information may have been correct, it didn't address the real concern.

Bills were starting to pile up, and they felt like they were running out of options.

After sitting down and talking through the situation, it became clear that access to money wasn't really the issue.

What they needed was a plan.

We worked through cash flow, debts, available resources, and the trade-offs of different decisions to create a path forward through a difficult period.

No investment recommendations.

No products.

No sales.

Just listening, understanding what was really causing stress, and helping someone move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

Sometimes the most valuable financial advice has nothing to do with investments at all.

It's about helping people understand their options when life doesn't go according to plan.

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927 A 26th Street
Brandon, MB

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