Personal-finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq helps us find the proactive, informed sweet spot between day trading with three desktop monitors and keeping your savings under your mattress.

TAKE STOCK(S).

“The 2008 crash scared a lot of people out of buying stocks, but history tells us that investing in them long term is still a good bet. Over the past 30 years, for example, the average annual rate of return for the TSX has been about 10 percent. Savings accounts at a bank or credit union often pay less than 2 percent. If you are buying individual stocks, make sure you read the prospectus that is prepared by the company before it offers securities to the public.”

ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS.

“Don’t ever invest in a product or idea that you don’t understand. If you’re working with a financial adviser, ask them to explain the fund they are recommending as if you were a 10-year-old. Dig deep and ask what fees are attached to the investment they are recommending.”

TAKE A BREAK.

Take your vacation time. “Studies show that employees who take a holiday and get away from work are more productive than people who work straight through. Sometimes in order to move forward, we have to step away.”

For more money tips, watch our Q&A with Rubina Ahmed-Haq below.

This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of ELLE Canada.