Take advantage of these free courses and resources to strengthen your money sense
By Matt Smith
November is National Financial Literacy Month, an initiative of the federal government’s Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to help Canadians better manage their money and debt.
There’s a great deal of financial information and advice out there on the Internet, but it can be tough to settle on one place to begin. The FCAC’s Canadian Financial Literacy Database is one helpful resource—“your one-stop source for information on budgeting, saving, investing, fraud prevention and more,” according to the website.
In addition, we’ve narrowed the options to five multifaceted websites offering advice, workshops, and resources to help strengthen your financial literacy skills. The last two of these are American sites, but apart from some of the specifics, they still offer a range of resources that apply to Canadians.
Credit Counselling Canada
Credit Counselling Canada is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping Canadians take control of their finances. Resources include informational handbooks on various personal finance topics, and the association regularly hosts free webinars on these subjects, as well.
Practical Money Skills Canada
Created by Visa, Practical Money Skills offers a wealth of free resources on personal and family finance. These include helpful guidebooks and calculators to help make saving and budgeting a breeze.
Investopedia
A mix of financial news and market insights, Investopedia also has a robust dictionary and reference section to expand your familiarity with financial concepts and related terms. As the name suggests, much of the content is investment-focused, but Investopedia features articles on a variety of personal finance topics.
MyMoney.gov
This US government site provides a number of guides and resources on all manner of personal finance topics. The “Life Events” section covers topics such as retirement planning and unexpected expenses. MyMoney.gov also offers worksheets and quizzes to help you assess your own knowledge.
Smart About Money
Created by the National Endowment for Financial Education, Smart About Money provides a series of free online courses on topics such as Retirement and Aging, Spending and Borrowing, and Saving and Investing. The “My Retirement Plan” course offers a comprehensive look at the various financial considerations leading up to and including retirement.
Photo: iStock/shapecharge.
