November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada and we are big fans of celebrating this topic. The Government website explains the mandate of Financial Literacy Month this way:
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada helps coordinate the efforts of, and increase collaboration between, organizations from the private, public and non-profit sectors to strengthen the financial literacy of Canadians and empower them to:
- manage money and debt wisely
- save for the future
- understand their financial rights and responsibilities
Throughout November, organizations and individuals from across the country are encouraged to host and participate in events and share resources aimed at helping Canadians learn how to manage their personal finances successfully.
Collaboration, education, empowerment - we recognize that we are biased but this is exciting stuff. This year the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill, The Globe and Mail and RBC have launched an online financial literacy program available to all Canadians for free. The course is broken down into 8 short modules and aims to provide the confidence and knowledge to make smart financial decisions. Well worth the investment of a couple of hours.
Information and registration for the course is available here. The Globe and Mail article covering the initiative and why it is so crucial at this time is here. Financial Literacy Month resources from the Government can be found here and, for one-on-one discussions, I am available here.