Whether you think that loving it is the root of all evil, or that it makes the world go around, money (and financial literacy) is an important part of today’s society. This four-part series will help you understand the basic principles of personal finance, and how it affects your life.
Email publicservices@whistlerlibrary.ca to sign up for these sessions. You can sign up for as many as you’d like! Read on to explore the topics:
Lesson One: Introduction & Borrowing (January 23)
We’ll cover some finance basics and the importance of debt management in personal finance.
- Introduction
- Course Introduction
- Understanding Money
- Income vs. Wealth
- The ‘Four Pillars’ of Personal Finance
- Understanding Credit
- How Banks Work
- Types of Loans
- Credit Scores
- Fifty Shades of Debt
Lesson Two: Spending (February 27)
We’ll cover spending from a marketer’s perspective – what makes us spend and how we can better control our expenditures.
- Types of Spending
- Understanding yourself as a consumer
- The spending log, or why NOT to start with a budget
Lesson Three: Earning & Taxation (March 26)
We’ll cover earning money, including investment earnings and how different types of earnings are taxed.
- Different types of earnings
- Employment, interest, dividend & capital gains
- Types of Taxes (Personal)
- The Income Tax system in Canada & British Columbia
- TFSAs, RRSPs, and non-registered investing
Lesson Four: Investing (April 23)
This session is focused on how investments work, rather than what you should invest in. This will help you understand your own preferences as you decide if you want to use a financial manager or go the self management route.
- Stocks and Bonds
- Key Stock definitions
- Real Estate Investment Trusts, Exchange Traded Funds, and Mutual Funds
- Other investments (time permitting!)