30 Short Videos and/or Posts during Financial Literacy Month to Help You Rock Your Finances!
DAY 1:
Let’s cut the jargon and call a spade a spade when it comes to Financial Literacy.
Start here – your 3 columns. Listen up for details.
DAY 2:
Pull open your calendar ’cause you’ve got a hot date coming up!
DAY 3:
Bricks and mortar don’t make a bank safe; insurance does. Here’s the scoop on the safety of the Big 5 banks versus the most common online options.
DAY 4:
When it comes to deciding how to use your money, it’s time to drop the prescriptions and judgements, and start focusing on what really matters.
DAY 5:
An in-depth look at the best chequing and savings account options in Canada at the moment.
Click on the link below to read my analysis:
WHY I’M NOW CHOOSING TANGERINE AND EQ BANK OVER SIMPLII AND KOHO FOR CHEQUING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
DAY 6:
If you’re doing this one thing with your chequing accounts, it’s time to stop. 😊 Because it’s making the bank happy, but it’s hurting your finances.
DAY 7:
This is arguably the most important number in your finances.
Here’s what it is, how to calculate it, and why it matters so much.
DAY 8:
Should you save money if you have debt?
Here are a couple of factors to consider. There’s more to the answer than math.
DAY 9:
Since saving money is such a big part of financial literacy, it’s important to talk about savings accounts.
They are not all created equal! It’s worth digging into the details.
Fyi: Here’s the blog post I reference in the video: Why I’m Now Choosing Tangerine and EQ Bank over Simplii and KOHO.
DAY 10:
The most popular strategy people use to increase their savings is to chop out expenses.
That can lead to good results; but to get great results, you need to move beyond the traditional approach.
Here’s a more effective strategy.
DAY 11:
The second strategy to increase your savings rate is to use technology to your advantage.
This neatly helps you by-pass the human tendency to procrastinate and to forget.
It’s simple and effective. You won’t even notice it on a month-to-month basis, but you’ll be delighted by the results down the road. Have a listen.
DAY 12:
This is the third way to increase your savings rate. It’s probably the most underused approach available to us all.
I break it down into two strategies you can implement right away. I even recommend a book that I love to help you out with one of the strategies. Check it out.
DAY 13:
Ah yes, the Emergency Fund.
What is it? Why does it matter? How much should you set aside?
And why don’t car repairs (and other expenses of that ilk) qualify for emergency fund money in my system?
Check out my answers to those questions and some strategies to ensure you’re prepared for the “what if’s”.
DAY 14:
Knowing your core values isn’t enough to make choices that will get you to financial independence.
You also need to know the end game and work your way backwards.
Here is Part 2 of the formula to guide your spending.
DAY 15:
This is the 3rd and final part of my Spending Formula for optimal use of your dollars.
Knowing your core values is Step 1.
Identifying values-based goals is Step 2.
This is Step 3.
DAY 16:
When people reach out to a mortgage broker or a banker before shopping for a home, they often start with a question that can harm their finances.
Here’s the problematic question and the approach I recommend instead.
Housing is one of three categories in which we spend the most money every month. It’s worth thinking carefully about how we approach this expense.
DAY 17:
How can you get the very best deal possible for your mortgage?
Here are three strategies, including one that may people overlook, which costs them a lot of money.
I also answer the question, “Should I work with a mortgage broker or someone at my bank?”
DAY 18:
If you’re dealing with debt, one of the biggest challenges you face is the number of negative emotions that often accompany it. These emotions make progress toward becoming debt-free difficult at best.
Here’s why and how to ditch shame, blame, and judgement. It involves thinking like a researcher and asking two of my favorite questions.
DAY 19:
There are two parts to becoming debt-free.
The first part is all about getting rid of corrosive debt. Here’s the scoop on three different approaches to do that and how to figure out which one is best for you.
DAY 20:
When does it make sense to get a consolidation loan for your debts?
Here are key factors to consider and how to increase your chance of success if you go this route.
DAY 21:
It’s common practice to refer to debt as “good” or “bad”. In my experience, that’s misleading.
Here’s why I argue there is no such thing as good or bad debt and how I categorize debt instead.
I also share 5 questions to ask before taking on debt.
DAY 22:
OK, you’ve paid off all your corrosive debt. Congratulations!
Now what?
In my experience, there are two reasons why people frequently end up back in debt after having put so much effort into paying it off. Here’s what you can do to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
DAY 23:
One of the most important concepts to understand in financial literacy is compound interest.
Here’s what it is, how it compares to simple interest, and the difference it makes in your investments.
I also share the most important factor in making compound interest work for you.
DAY 24:
Since we’re talking about compound interest, we need to talk about how that plays out in credit card debt.
Bottom line: it’s bad news for you, especially if you take the approach I mention to paying your bills.
Listen up for the details and what you can do instead to ensure that you’re using credit cards in a way that helps you.
DAY 25:
If you’ve encountered a rough patch and your credit score has taken a hit, there is a way to rebuild your credit back into rock star territory.
Here are my top tips to build a strong credit score that will get lenders to say “yes” and offer you their best rates.
DAY 26:
When it comes to retirement, we may need to rethink the entire concept.
It used to be that people would work at one or two jobs during their entire adult life, then call it a day at 65 and head off into retirement.
What if there’s a better way? One that let’s you optimize for joy today while working towards financial independence as soon as possible?
Here’s the reframe I recommend.
DAY 27:
Investing is intimidating for a lot of women, which is why they avoid it or stick with so-called safe investments.
Let’s change that.
In this video, I share why guaranteed investments are problematic and what research says is a more effective strategy instead.
DAY 28:
When you think about financial literacy, it typically involves concepts related to what I call the hard skills – budgeting, investing, and so on.
But in my experience, it’s the soft side of money – your money mindset – that is the most powerful.
Here’s what that is and two questions to ask to help you get past harmful patterns.
DAY 29:
The fastest way to get what you want is to ask for it.
It sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it can be hard to do.
Here are three strategies to get more of what you want by using your voice.