How the MoneySmart Program Works
The MoneySmart Program is very straight forward. We deliver financial education to your team in person, in your workplace or virtually by live webinar (online workshop). Simply select an individual workshop or series of workshops that interests you and your team and we'll deliver the content in an engaging presentation.
The only work you need to do as the employer is:
- Pick the workshop(s) you want
- Book the room with a projector
- Get your team to the workshop(s)
What we’ll do:
- Confirm the details with you
- Deliver an engaging and fun learning experience
- Evaluate the session, after it's over, with a customer evaluation and send you the feedback if you’d like
- Follow up if necessary
To schedule a workshop or for more information, call us at 1-877-389-0298 or email us at [email protected].
Making Financial Literacy Fun
All of the workshops we offer as part of this program are short in length and centered around engagement, which helps the concepts stick well after the session is over. We are constantly accepting feedback to further improve the course content and the delivery method to ensure we are providing a useful and meaningful workshop.
The workshops themselves are organized into four series. Employers can choose to offer their employees one or more series of workshops or pick and choose the workshops that fit best with the needs of their team.
The series include:
Financial Fundamentals
How much better off (financially and otherwise) would we be if we had all been taught the fundamentals of budgeting, using credit wisely, understanding the basics of taxes, and protecting our financial information when we were younger? Participants will walk away with a greater understanding of the fundamentals of budgeting, using credit wisely, and how to protect themselves against fraud and scams.
Budgeting 101
Have you ever wondered why some people are so good with their money and others aren’t? Likely someone taught them how to manage their money so they could create the life they wanted. Most of us weren’t born knowing how to intuitively manage our money, our parents likely didn’t discuss money or teach us, and it wasn’t part of the curriculum when we were in school, so we have to learn by the school of hard knocks.
However, here’s the good news - budgeting is a skill set that anyone can learn! The better news is that we have broken down budgeting into a few easy steps. In the "Budgeting 101" workshop, you will learn how to:
- Set SMART financial goals
- Understand the components of a budget
- Track your expenses and identify areas of change
- Plan and pay for irregular expenses
- Create and manage savings for goals like emergency savings and fun things
- Create a paycheque plan
Cautious Consumerism - Avoiding Scams & Frauds
Unfortunately, frauds and scams cost Canadians billions of dollars every year. Even savvy consumers can have their identity stolen or be scammed out of their life savings.
Join us for this interactive "Cautious Consumerism - Avoiding Scams & Frauds" workshop where you’ll learn how to:
- Protect yourself against identify theft
- Be aware of common scams in Canada
- Report fraud if you fall victim to it
The Truth About Credit
Ever wondered what the difference between a credit score and a credit report is? Do you know what builds (or reduces) your credit score? Credit can be very confusing and this can lead to decisions that may impact our overall credit profile.
Information is key to making decisions that positively affect our credit and overall financial situation. In "The Truth About Credit" workshop, you will learn how to:
- Identify what’s in it for you to be good with your money and credit
- Identify what is on your credit report and the credit rating system
- Identify the 5 factors that affect your credit score
- Check your own credit report
- Name who may be interested in your credit score or report
- Identify some myths around credit
- Identify ways to build your credit and avoid scams
75 Ways to Save on Household Expenses
Have you noticed how the cost of living continues to rise every year and perhaps your wages aren’t keeping up? Groceries are more expensive, the cost of utilities is creeping higher and higher and so is the cost of transportation. Intuitively, we know that there’s got to be a better way to save, but how?
Assuming that every dollar has a job, then every dollar saved can make a difference to your overall budget, saving even a few dollars on monthly expenses can really add up!
In the "75 Ways to Save on Household Expenses" webinar (online workshop), you will learn how to:
- Reduce your electricity and heating expenses with simple fixes
- Save money on your cable, telephone and internet bills
- Reduce your grocery bill every month
- Determine if your transportation costs can be trimmed
- Shrink your entertainment expenses and still have fun with your family and friends
- Implement some easy tips to reduce your personal expenses
- Save on gifts and special occasions
Food and Finance
Two of the most common goals many of us have are to improve our health and do better with our money. Achieving these kinds of goals can be challenging as our busy work days and family lives often consume a lot of our limited time and energy. The good news is that finding ways to save both time and money with our food budget can actually help us towards each goal at the same time!
Join us for our "Food and Finance" workshop to learn some valuable information and easy-to-implement steps. In the session, you will learn how to:
- Recognize the various factors that impact your food budget
- Track your food budget so you know exactly what you’re spending instead of what you believe you’re spending
- Learn how to create a meal plan
- Save money on your groceries
- Make meal preparation easier and less time consuming
- Find low cost recipes
- Use mobile technologies that can help you save money
Homebuying Basics
Buying a home will likely be the most expensive purchase you ever make. It can be an exciting time, marking a real milestone in your adult life, but if you're unprepared, it can also be a really stressful time. Join us for our "Homebuying Basics" workshop to learn valuable information to help you meet the challenge of home ownership head on.
In the session, you will learn how to:
- Identify and articulate what you really need in a home
- Identify all the costs associated with buying a home
- Assess whether you are financially ready to buy a home
- Assess which financing option is the best for you
Ending the Financial Feud - Couples and Money
Love and relationships can bring tremendous joy to our lives. However, combining love and money can also add a layer of complexity that many of us don’t expect when we fall in love. In fact, the frequency of money-related fights is one of the biggest predictors of divorce.
Does it seem like you and your partner are constantly fighting about money? Do you find it hard to even get onto the same page with your finances without it turning into a fight? The good news is there’s hope! Your partner isn’t intentionally trying to make your life difficult financially; they’re just different than you. In the "Ending the Financial Feud - Couples & Money" workshop, you and your partner will learn how to:
- Recognize the money messages you heard growing up and how those shaped your perceptions of money
- Identify your own relationship to money
- Name your money values and how these guide our spending
- Identify your money triggers (what makes you feel angry) and learn how to communicate these to your partner
- Set goals as a couple and understand why and how these goals meet each partner’s values and needs
- Decide who has the desire, skill and ability to create and implement a household money management plan (e.g. budgeting, savings, planning for the future, etc.)
- Identify the three ways couples can handle their money (everything together, everything separate, or a hybrid version)
- Consider if this is a second time around relationship and the things to think about to ensure success
- Implement various financial systems to make life easier
- Create a financial agreement where no “thing” is more important than the relationship
Raising Financially Fit Kids
Canadian households have some of the highest levels of debt in the world. The reasons are complicated and diverse, but much can be attributed to the fact that people just don't know how to manage their money. Most of us weren’t born with money management talent, we weren't taught by our family, and we didn't learn it in school. However, there's hope because money management is a learned skill.
We need to help our children understand the benefits of smart money choices so they can go from being financially fit kids to financially successful adults. We want to shed some light on the mystery of money management. In the "Raising Financially Fit Kids" workshop, you will learn how to:
- Identify what the consequences are of not teaching children about money
- Recognize what kids are learning from us to create their money history
- Start the conversation around money values
- Introduce money management to your children at an appropriate age
- Use an allowance as a strategy to teach money skills
- Identify teachable moments in everyday life
- Help your children to save, spend and give wisely
- Teach your children that money is a tool to be used wisely
The session will give you plenty of opportunity to share your own best practices as well as ask questions of other parents and the facilitator.
This workshop is 1 hour, interactive and fun! We take a "grab and go" approach – grab an idea or two and go try it. All participants will walk away with ideas, tips and resources.
Death, Taxes, and Beyond
Do you know how to file your own taxes? Did you know you have to do a tax return even after you pass away? Have you ever given thought to what happens with your assets and liabilities once you’re gone? Can you or your loved ones find the right paperwork if there’s an emergency? If any of these questions resonate with you then this session will help get you started in the right direction.
While no one wants to die, the reality is, we all will. The benefits to organizing your finances are significant – this means getting your financial house in order before and after your death to make things easier for your loved ones.
Join us for an interactive and informative session on handling our financial foundation which includes organizing your finances, personal taxes, insurance, and estate planning. By the end of the session, you’ll be able to:
- Implement a 4-step plan to organize your finances and be able to quickly find the paperwork you need
- Understand the basics of personal taxes
- Know the importance of keeping accurate and up-to-date records of your tax history
- Understand the penalties associated with filing late or owing taxes to the government
- Articulate the different types of insurance
- Define what's important to you, your family, and your estate to protect through insurance
- Create an "In the Event of an Emergency" document for your family which can include instructions outlining your:
- Health Care Directive
- Power of Attorney
- Funeral Arrangements
- Will
- Define the purpose of an executor in your will and what they are responsible for
- Take the next step and create your own estate plan
This workshop is 1 hour, interactive and fun! We take a "grab and go" approach – grab an idea or two and go try it. All participants will walk away with ideas, resources and a full curriculum upon request.
Retirement Readiness
Dreams of retirement may be on the minds of many of your team members – travel, time at the cottage, time with grandchildren, and time to do anything they want with their time! All of these activities require considerable preparation, planning and savings. Employees who are over 50 years of age may wish to join us to learn more about how to prepare for retirement.
Retiring Without Debt
Is Freedom 55 still a realistic goal? Perhaps Freedom 65 or 70 is more realistic. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians who are retiring with debt continues to increase. In 2000, only 8% of retirees still had a mortgage; it's now up to 64%! There are many reasons for this, but the consequences remain the same – a fixed income needs to service living expenses along with debts.
There is another alternative, and that is to retire without debt. In the "Retiring Without Debt" workshop, you will learn how to:
- Identify the reasons why more Canadians are retiring with debt
- Describe why retiring with debt is so challenging
- Identify the sources of income you will have in retirement (e.g. employment, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), pensions, and/or retirement savings
- Create a 10 step plan to retire without debt
- Identify signs that you may need more help with your finances
This workshop is 1 hour, interactive and fun! We take a "grab and go" approach – grab an idea or two and go try it. All participants will walk away with ideas, tips and resources.
Living Well on Retirement Income
Our golden years can be filled with tremendous joy – travelling, grandchildren, and enjoying retirement! However, all of this costs money and the cost of living is increasing as well. It’s important to make every dollar count. So join us for this workshop where you’ll learn how to:
- Describe various retirement income sources including CPP and OAS
- Create a plan for your money including:
- Knowing all of your income sources
- Ways to increase your income
- Ways to reduce your expenses on housing, transportation, health, food, utilities and entertainment
- Set positive boundaries with family and friends around your finances
Book a Workshop for Your Team
For more information or to book a workshop for your team, email or call us.