By MoneySense Editors on July 17, 2026 Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Chexy co-founder Liza Akhvledziani on investing, debt, and why you should always negotiate

By MoneySense Editors on July 17, 2026 Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

After learning Canada's financial system from the ground up, Chexy co-founder Liza Akhvledziani shares the money habits that helped her build wealth.

When Liza Akhvledziani moved to Canada as an international student, she quickly realized that money worked differently here. From building a credit history to understanding how debt could affect her financial future, she had to learn a new set of rules while rebuilding her financial life from scratch. Those experiences eventually led her to study economics, work on Bay Street and, later, co-found Chexy.

Today, as the company’s CEO and co-founder, Akhvledziani is focused on helping Canadians get more value from their everyday spending. In this edition of My MoneySense, she shares the financial lessons that have stuck with her—from why everyone should negotiate more often to the benefits of automating your finances and using debt strategically.

Who are your financial heroes?

I’m incredibly motivated by people who solve problems in very legacy, traditional industries but whose work reaches millions of people. David Vélez at Nubank is a great example. He went after one of the most traditional, entrenched parts of financial services in Brazil and proved that consumers will move when the product is meaningfully better. I study that playbook constantly.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I’m very active. Some form of exercise almost every day, whether that’s Hyrox training, gym, cycling, or beach volleyball. Depending on the season, I’m an avid skier and hiker. I also........

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