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girl taking picture of food

Do you have the fear of missing out?

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In a society of technology, we continually face the pressure of spending money – seeing what our friends are doing and purchasing and feeling like we have to keep up. This fear of missing out (FOMO) can have a big impact on our finances.

The fear of missing out (FOMO) is real. In a time where social media impacts spending habits, people are often urged to “keep up” and are constantly looking for the next big purchase, rather than save – because you can’t Instagram your savings account balance, but you can Facebook that vacation and Tweet that new pair of shoes. So, is the fear of missing out putting you into debt?

FOMO & debt

According to a recent study by public relations firm Citizen Relations, 56% of Canadian millennials (those aged 18 to 30) feel driven to live beyond their means because of social media. It’s the “fear of missing out” on trips, events, meals, shopping, sales – the list goes on.

Keeping up with your friends’ spending can be linked to social media as often when you make a big purchase you share it. If you miss that trip with your friends you are constantly reminded through social that you’re not there from their posts. Another study from Credit Karma found that nearly 40% of millennials have gone into debt to keep up with their peers. In an age of destination bachelor and bachelorette parties and destination weddings – how do you limit yourself to only spend what you have while still being able to afford the important life moments.

Say no to FOMO

  • Ask yourself “why”
    Before making a purchase ask yourself, “Am I making this purchase because I can afford it and it will make me happy?” or are you purchasing because your friends have it? Being able to identify a want vs. a need is an important question to ask yourself before you spend.
  • Limit yourself
    Figure out what works within your budget and set that as your limit. If you can afford to go out once a week for dinner and drinks with friends then stick to that. Find other solutions to going out, like inviting friends over and everyone brings a bottle of wine and appetizer.
  • Social media detox
    Limit your time on social media. Constantly keeping up with social media can directly relate to the feeling of keeping up.
  • Evaluate who you’re following
    Clean up the accounts you are following on social media by unfollowing stores and blogs. The less you see, the less temptation you will face to “swipe up” and swipe your credit card.
  • Buy for you – not your friends
    Recognize that everyone’s budget is different. We all have different incomes and expenses, so going on the expensive trip or upgrading your kitchen may have fit into your friends budget, but might not fit in yours and that’s OK.
  • Ignore the pressure
    Just like in high school, saying “no” to your friends might seem hard, but your friends should understand that sometimes you have other financial obligations. Finding an alternative hang out plan or trip that is affordable or further in the future that gives you time to save are great solutions to avoid the pressures of going out to spend.

Remember, FOMO is not an excuse to put you into debt. We’re not saying you should deny yourself of every experience, but instead when making purchases ensure 1) you can afford it and 2) it is making you happy – not your friends. Folding to the pressures of social media and your friends will not help your budget and will affect your finances later in life. It’s important to recognize the pressures of FOMO spending habits so you can spend responsibly.

couple looking at tablet

Pay Yourself First

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Paying yourself first means saving first and spending what’s left over. This blog teaches you all about the why, how and where.

You’ve heard the term ‘pay yourself first’ many times, but what does it actually mean? For us, ‘pay yourself first’ means saving first and spending what’s left over – to put money into your savings each payday, as soon as you get paid and before you’re tempted to go and spend on something else.

But why?

Paying yourself first not only helps you reach your short and long-term goals, but you may also be surprised with all the benefits you’ll begin to see, including:

  • Setting saving as a priority;
  • Creating positive financial habits;
  • Being in control of your finances and future; and
  • Improving your overall financial well-being.

By spending only what’s left over after you save, you’ll also begin to understand your needs vs. wants a bit more, and understand how your previous spending habits may have impacted your saving habits.

But how?

Determine your short and long-term goals and the amount you want to save. Prioritize these goals from most important to least important.

When starting the pay yourself first method, start small to become comfortable with saving first, and spending what’s left. As you become more comfortable with the method, increase your contribution amounts.

A great way to ensure you don’t break away from this habit is to set up automatic money transfers each payday to move money automatically over into your savings.

But where?

There are many different ways to save money and your short and long-term goals can help determine which type of account you may need.

For example, if you’re saving for retirement, you may consider putting your savings into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan or Tax-Free Savings Account. If you’re looking to build your wealth, you may consider putting into a term investment or Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC).

Talk to a financial advisor to help understand what savings tool may be best for you and to set up an account.

Being in control of your finances helps you be in control of your future. By paying yourself first, you’re taking a positive step in creating good financial habits and contributing to your overall financial well-being. Now it’s up to you – start paying yourself first… on your next payday!

bill that says past due

Kick-start your finances: eliminating debt

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Debt can have a negative impact on your day-to-day life. Here are a few things to know to become and stay debt-free.

It’s no secret that money can be stressful and is one of the top stressors on individuals, relationships and our ability to give back to our communities. Debt can be one of the reasons for that stress and play a huge roll in your health (physical, mental and emotional) and in the way you interact socially.

Debt can also prevent us from getting ahead financially. Whether one larger debt or a combination of several small ones, it can be difficult to make payments to eliminate that debt while still saving money for your goals. What is the key to eliminating debt and having financial freedom to save more money for your goals?

Don Hendrickson, Conexus Member Experience Coach, says there are three things to know to help you succeed in eliminating your debt:

  1. Being aware;
  2. Creating a budget; and
  3. Setting up automatic transfers.

“It’s key to understand how much you owe and the interest rates on each area of debt so that you can create a realistic plan on how you’ll eliminate this debt,” said Hendrickson. “As part of this plan, you need to create a budget that sets out a schedule on how you’ll spend your monthly income which should include your debt repayment amounts. If you’re struggling to find money in your budget for your debt repayment, look to see if any of your want expenses such as entertainment can be reduced.”

Once you’ve created a plan, set up automatic money transfers to have your debt payments come directly from your account each payday. This helps reduce the temptation on spending elsewhere and keeps you on track to reaching your set goals.

When it comes to multiple debts, Hendrickson says tackling your highest interest debt first will save you the most money in the long run but you may also want to consider paying off a smaller balance first to help motivate you.

“There’s some research that shows paying off a smaller balance first gives you the feeling of success and will help motivate you to continue,” said Hendrickson. “For example, if you have a $1,500 line of credit balance and $10,000 in credit card debt, tackling the $1,500 will give you the feeling of success and may also provide a great learning experience that you can then apply to tackle your other debt.”

When it comes to avoiding debt, Hendrickson said there are many things you can do including:

  • Living below your means and not spending more than you earn.
  • Don’t feel the need to ‘keep up’ with those around you. Only do what you feel comfortable with and that your budget allows.
  • Pay yourself first by making a habit to take 10% or more of your income and put towards your goals including an emergency fund. Having an emergency fund will ensure you’re prepared for whatever curve life throws you.
  • Sit down with a financial advisor at least once a year to review your short-, medium- and long-term goals and make a plan, or re-evaluate your existing plan, to ensure you’re on your way to successfully reaching those goals.

Debt can be stressful and coming up with a plan will not only reduce this stress but also help you towards financial freedom. Be sure to contact your financial advisor for assistance. Not only will they be able to help you come up with a plan to eliminate your debt, but also work with you to set a plan for your future. There’s no better time than now to take control of your finances – get started and make tomorrow, today.

Woman holding piggy bank

Kick-start your finances: automatic savings

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You can’t spend what you can’t see, right? Set up automatic money transfers from your chequing account to your savings account to reduce the temptation of spending somewhere else and keep you on track to reaching your financial goals.

You may have heard the term ‘pay yourself first’ but what does that actually mean? For us, it means setting goals, creating a budget and putting money aside regularly to achieve those goals. An effortless way to do this is by setting up automatic saving transfers.

Through automatic saving transfers, it’s easier than ever to save money. Through the tool, you’re able to schedule reoccurring money transfers between your accounts. Because it’s done automatically, it doesn’t let you think twice about moving the money into your savings and reduces the temptation to spend it on something else. You can’t spend what you don’t see, right?

Once you have your short and long-term goals identified, we recommend opening up different accounts for those that require savings. Talk to a financial advisor to determine what type of account is best for you (e.g., TFSA, RRSP, savings account, etc.). From your budget, determine how much money to transfer into each account and how frequently you’d like to contribute. Then, using online or mobile banking, set up a reoccurring transfer each month.

If you’re paid bi-weekly or twice monthly, we recommend setting up your automatics transfers for each payday. This way, you can have smaller, more frequent transfers that add up to the same monthly amount, but don’t seem to be as large of an impact all at once.

Automatic payments take away excuses and procrastination. There’s no more saying you’ll do it tomorrow as it’s automatically done – making tomorrow, today. By taking directly out of your account, you’ll forget it’s there and won’t be tempted to spend it elsewhere. You’ll also be on track to reaching the goals you set and could be surprised at how quickly it adds up!

Paying yourself first means investing in yourself. It is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your financial well-being. Now it’s your turn – take the challenge and be one step closer to taking control of your finances today.

brown paper bag lunch of a sandwich and apple

What’s your daily lunch costing you?

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Buying lunch may be convenient – and tasty – but the costs can add up over time. Learn how much your daily lunch purchases may be costing you and tips on how to save.

If you’re like me, you’re not a morning person. You hit snooze as many times as possible and you’re usually rushed to get out the door to get to work on time. You haven’t made lunch and decide you’ll just grab something quick from a local restaurant.

Depending on where you work, you may have easy access to a variety of restaurants that makes the temptation to purchase lunch even greater. Add the ‘cheap’ lunch specials and it becomes more of a habit than a once-in-awhile thing.  Unfortunately, it’s not so great for our wallets – let’s look at a few numbers to see the impact.

Looking at 10 different restaurants, I found lunch meal prices vastly ranged with the average person spending anywhere between $8 -$20 – and that sometimes wasn’t even including a drink! A typical lunch purchase will cost you about $14. The number may not seem high, but what does that look like over a year?

Thinking about your lunch routines, how often do you go out for lunch? Once a week? Two – three times per week? More? The more often, the greater the costs:

1x per week = Approx. $728 annually
2x per week = Approx. $1,456 annually
3x per week = Approx. $2,184 annually
4x per week = Approx. $2,912 annually
5x per week = Approx. $3,640 annually

The numbers are substantial once you start adding them up. So how do you save?

The simple answer… pack a lunch. Packing lunch costs a fraction of the cost of eating out and reduces the temptation to run out and grab something. The money you save can then be put towards something else such as a vacation, your retirement or even into your emergency savings fund. Check out the Pay Yourself First video to see how easy it can be.

Bringing the same lunch can become boring, which also can increase your temptation to buy. If this happens to you, consider making one of the great lunch ideas found below.

Packing your lunch the night before will help you save time in the morning and help fight the urge to go out. Even better, you’ll still be able to hit that snooze button one extra time – sounds great to me!

person holding a phone in front of a computer

Kick-start your finances: tracking your spending

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In order to make your budget successful, you’ll need to keep track of your spending. In this blog, learn how to easily track your spending daily, weekly and monthly.

You’ve set goals, analyzed your spending habits from the previous year, and created a budget for the year to come. The next step is to keep track of your spending and ensure you don’t go over budget.

To track your spending, every transaction, whether cash, debit or credit, needs to be accounted for. This means everything! If you find $20 in your coat pocket and buy lunch, you need to track it. If you scour the couch cushions for lost change to buy a coffee, you need to track it. Every penny you spend needs to be tracked to ensure you have an accurate picture of what you’re spending, which will also help you budget later on.

There are many ways you can keep track of your spending. Below are a couple of our favourites:

  • Create an expense tracker similar to the image below. Record each transaction you make under the expense category it belongs. Each week, total up the transactions and subtract from your monthly budget totals to show what amount you have remaining for the month.

  • Create envelopes for each expense category and write the monthly budget on the envelope. When you make a purchase, be sure to get a receipt and place in the correct envelope. Daily or weekly, total up the receipts and subtract the total from your monthly budget amount directly on the envelope.

You can also find a variety of apps and templates online to use. Some even give you the ability to enter your budget and spending and set up notifications when you’re getting close to your budget.

Whatever method you choose, don’t forget to include transactions that may automatically come out of your accounts such as fees, payments, etc. Throughout the month, be aware of how your spending compares to the budget you set. Make sure you know how close your spending is to your budgeted amount. Are you close to overspending? Think about what kind of behaviours, like buying lunch daily, you can change or which categories you can shift money from so you don’t overspend.

At the end of the month, cross reference your expense tracker to your monthly statements to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Then, look at the monthly spending and budgets and analyze how you did. What were your challenges? Were there any categories you thought you’d spend more in than you did? Can any adjustments be made to future budgets?

For example, during your analysis, you see that under the fuel category you budgeted $300 for the month but only spent $150. Is it possible you over budgeted? If so, could you lower the amount in future budgets and place the difference in categories that challenged you or to help grow your savings faster?

To be in control of your finances, being organized and consistent is key. Remember to start with goals and look at how you spend your money. Create a budget specific to you and then hold yourself accountable by keeping track of your spending. Remember to review and adjust as things may change.

person holding sign that says budget

Kick-start your finances: creating a budget

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Create a budget that works for you using the information and templates in this blog.

Let’s create a budget. A budget is a tool that helps you manage your money. It shows you your full financial picture – the money you bring in each month and where you plan to spend it. It helps you determine what a want vs. a need is and shows you where you can cut expenses to ensure you only spend what you have. It also allows you to see where there may be any extra money that you can put towards reaching your overall goals quicker.

This blog focuses on creating an annual budget that works for you. You can complete this challenge manually on a piece of paper or online. If doing online, here are several great budget templates that can assist you:

Whatever method you choose, the process will be very similar.

Determining your monthly income

The first step of a budget is figuring out how much money you’ll have each month (see Kick-start your finances: where’s my money going). Under the income section of your budget, list all sources of money (pay, support, grants, etc.) you’ll receive in the coming months. Remember, this is the take-home amount as it’s the money you actually have available to spend.

For those with a regular pay cheque – one that is the same each time – your income should be around the same amount each month. Note: If you’re paid bi-weekly, there are two months each year that you’ll receive three pay cheques.

For those that have irregular or seasonal income, it can be a bit more difficult and there are two ways you can determine a monthly income amount for your budget:

  1. Use your average monthly income. You can find this by taking your last six months’ total income and dividing by six.
  2. Use your lowest amount of monthly income that you received in the last six months. For example, if you’re monthly income over the last six months ranged between $1,900 and $2,200, use the $1,900 amount in your budget.

Whether you have a regular or irregular monthly income, it’s important to not over-estimate this amount when creating a budget. A budget provides you guidance on how you will spend this money and over-estimating will cause you to budget money you don’t have. If you end up receiving more money in a month than what you budgeted, use this extra money and put towards reaching your saving goals faster.

Remember, you shouldn’t include any non-guaranteed income such as tips and money received as gifts into your anticipated monthly income budget. Non-guaranteed money is exactly that – not guaranteed and unknown – and should be treated as extra money for your goals.

Creating a budget based on what you have

Now that you have noted your income for each month, it’s time to create a plan to spend this money. First, create a list of all your expense categories. The spending analysis you completed in the Kick-start your finances: where’s my money blog can assist you in creating categories specific to your spending habits. Be sure to include categories for your saving goals and any debt payment expenses, such as credit cards, you may also need to budget for each month. Once you have these categories, take it one step further and create sub-categories for each expense. This helps provide a detailed understanding of each category and identifies fixed expenses (ones you can’t change) and variable expenses (those you have control over and can change).

Example:

Next, you’ll need to allocate money to each expense. It may be easiest to start with expenses that are fixed such as mortgage/rent, utilities, etc. and then move into the variable expenses such as groceries, entertainment, etc.  Don’t forget to include expenses that aren’t monthly such as sporting fees, gift purchases, etc. – for these expenses, place the budgeted amount under the month they’ll occur. It’s also okay to leave a category at $0 if you don’t plan on spending anything in that category within a given month.

Once you have your amounts allocated, look to see how it measures against your monthly income. If you’re under-budget, woohoo! With this extra money, look at adding more to your saving goal categories to help you reach your goals faster.

Example:

If you’re over-budget, some adjustments will need to be made. First, look at your variable expenses – are there any places you can reduce your budget such as groceries, entertainment, etc.? Adjust as needed until you become balanced, or even better yet, under-budget.

If money is really tight in one particular month, consider not budgeting money for one of your saving goals. Use this as a last resort though and ensure it doesn’t become a consistent thing. If you’re noticing a trend in not having enough money to cover your expenses month after month, consider bringing in extra income or making some changes in your day-to-day life. For example, pick up a part-time job to bring in more income or start using public transit to help reduce costs related to your vehicle.

One-time, occasional expenses

Expenses that only occur once or twice throughout the year can have a big impact on our monthly budget. For these expenses you can do two things:

  1. Budget the full amount in the month the expense occurs; or
  2. Budget smaller amounts each month leading up to the expense.

The second option helps reduce the pressure of finding these one-time costs within your budget all at once and is especially helpful if you have several large, one-time expenses that all occur within the same timeframe.

For example, your child plays soccer and club fees of $400 are due every September. Consider putting smaller amounts into your budget each month that can be used to pay for the expense when it comes due. If you were to start in February, by putting $30 away each month, you’ll have $210 by September which would only leave you with $190 extra to budget in September to help cover this expense.

Example:

Create separate savings accounts for your goals

When saving for your goals, place this money in a separate account for each goal. Set limits on accessibility (i.e., must go to a branch to access the money) to reduce the spending temptation. By placing in a savings or investment account, you’ll also gain interest and see the money grow faster.

If you put these all together, you have your annual budget – your full financial picture.

Setting a budget helps you focus on what’s important and gives you guidelines on how you’ll spend your money. It’ll be up to you though to ensure it actually happens the way you say it will. You can do this by keeping track of your spending – see Kick-start your finances: track your spending for more information.

Have any questions? Ask below in the comments!

receipt on top of a variety of items purchased

Kick-start your finances: where does my money go?

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Not sure where all your money is going? This blog helps you dig deep into your spending habits and understand where your money is going each month.

When you think about your finances, do you immediately feel overwhelmed and stressed? Do you ever wonder where all of your money is going? Do you keep saying you’re going to get on track with your finances tomorrow, but tomorrow never happens?

In order to do so, you first need to understand how you spend your money. We’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll look at your spending habits and at the end, you should have a better understanding of exactly where your money is going. Before starting though, be sure to check out and complete Kick-start your finances: goal setting.

To complete the steps in this blog, you can do online using a personal financial management tool or manually. Regardless of the method you choose, you will need to gather the following information prior to starting:

  • Any financial statements from the last year including bank accounts, mortgages, investments, lines of credits, credit cards, etc.
  • Pay stubs showing the income you made in the last year.
  • Any other documents that show income or expenses incurred last year that may not show on the documents listed above (i.e., receipts for cash purchases, etc.).

Step 1: What is your monthly income?

This means all the money that you make – any source of income including your pay cheque, support payments, property income, etc. Look back at the last 12 months and write down all sources of income you made each month. Note the take-home amount (after deductions) as this represents the money you have available to spend.

If you received any non-guaranteed income, such as tips or money as gifts, note in a sub-category called ‘Extra Income’. Separating this amount is especially important when determining your monthly income for budget purposes. As this amount is not guaranteed and unknown, it shouldn’t be included as income when setting a budget; instead, any extra money received should be noted as ‘Extra’ and go towards helping you reach your goals.

Knowing the money you bring in helps give you an understanding of what money you have to manage. Later on in this blog, you’ll also use this amount to see if there were any months you spent over what you actually brought in.

Step 2: Where does my money go?

When we see how much money we bring in, sometimes we are shocked and wonder where it goes – especially if we aren’t consistently budgeting and tracking our money. To understand where your money goes, categorize each month’s spending transactions for over the last year. Categories should be specific and could include:

  • Mortgage
  • Utilities (separate per utility to provide a further breakdown of each cost)
  • Groceries
  • Entertainment
  • Restaurants/Eating Out
  • Insurance
  • Gas
  • Investments
  • Savings

If you took out cash and are unsure of what purchases you made with it, place into a category called unknown.

Being as detailed as possible is important to really help you understand your spending habits. In order to compare your spending to your monthly income, categorize each month’s spending individually. To see a yearly total, simply add the category’s total for each month.

Once all transactions are categorized, you’ll be able to see what you spent per category. Take these amounts and compare to the recommended spending guidelines below:

  • 25-40% on housing;
  • 10-20% on transportation;
  • 40-50% on living expenses such as groceries, etc.; and
  • 10-20% on savings.

How do you compare to the recommendations? Were there any categories you didn’t realize you were spending that much on?

When you look at spending as a whole vs. individual transactions, the results can be shocking. Typically, when we make smaller purchases, we don’t tend to think of them as making a difference; grouping similar purchases together though, give us the big picture and some of the small things can actually be bigger than what we thought.

Step 3: Am I spending above my income?

To understand how your spending compares to the money you’re bringing in, take your monthly income and minus the total expenses you had that month. Were there any months you overspent? What products, such as credit cards, etc., did you use to compensate? If you found any months that you overspent, take a look back at the different categories and transactions – was there anything you could have done differently?

An additional bonus for Conexus members:

As a Conexus member, you have access to our Personal Financial Management tool which will make this challenge a bit easier to complete. Through the tool, you not only can see all of your Conexus accounts but you can also connect and see any accounts you may have at another financial institution. The tool does its best to categorize your transactions automatically, but you may need to change the category on some transactions from time to time.

Another benefit of using this tool is that you can set up budgets later on. You can find more information, including tutorials and “how to’s” here. And hey, if you’re not a Conexus member but really want to use this tool, consider becoming a member today!

Now, it’s your turn

Having an understanding of the money you bring in and how you spend it is a big task alone. It can also be a bit stressful and overwhelming when you start to see the big picture of your spending habits. This could be your opportunity to kick that feeling and to help you reduce this stress.

Take the challenge today. Look back at your income and spending over the last year. Is there anything that stuck out? Are there any themes such as one-time yearly expenses that you weren’t prepared for, etc.? Be sure to note any themes or areas you want to improve as next week, we’ll be taking this information a step further and focusing on how to create a budget that works for you. We’ll also show you how to prepare for those one-time yearly expenses and eliminate some of the unnecessary spending you didn’t realize you were doing until today.

We want to hear from you. What is your biggest take away from this blog? Were you surprised by any of your spending habits? For us… let’s just say we didn’t realize how fast those daily coffee purchases were adding up! Join the conversation – share your experiences below.

man kick boxing

Kick-start your finances: goal setting

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Setting financial goals helps you to figure out what’s important, focus on priorities and analyze your wants vs. your needs. 

We all dream about what we want to do and what we want to achieve. From going on a vacation, paying off debt, putting money away for our child’s education or having enough money set aside for retirement; these dreams become our goals and like most things, have a financial component to them.

Unsure of where to start? Taking the time to set goals will provide you with an understanding of your big picture. It allows you to figure out what’s important to you, focus on priorities and analyze your needs vs. your wants. Below you will find some advice on creating realistic and achievable financial goals, helping you make tomorrow, today.

Creating goals

There are three types of goals:

  1. Short-term Goals: These are goals that you can achieve in a short amount of time – less than one year – and can include things such as a minor home renovation, paying off a credit card or starting an emergency fund. These goals can also be shorter goals that contribute to a larger, long-term goal such as starting to put a small amount of money away for retirement.
  2. Intermediate Goals: These goals take a bit longer to achieve – between one to five years. Saving money for a down-payment on a home or saving for a family vacation are great examples that may fit into this category.
  3. Long-term Goals: These goals tend to be longer – 10+ years. These goals are often re-assessed throughout the course of their timeframes to ensure you’re on track and often are adjusted due to changing situations/environments. Some examples of long-term goals may include saving for your child’s education, paying off a student loan or saving enough money to retire.

Now that you know the different types of goals, write down your short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for 2018. When making a list think about things such as:

  • What makes you happy? (e.g., family, vacation)
  • What makes you stressed? (e.g., credit card debt)
  • What do you wish you had? (e.g., new furniture)
  • What things do you like doing? (e.g., traveling, spending time with friends)
  • Where do you see yourself in one year? (e.g., taking a hot vacation) Five years? (e.g., having a down payment for a home) Ten years? (e.g., having my student loans paid off)
  • What does having overall financial well-being mean to you? (e.g., understanding my money and not having to worry if I’ll have enough when I retire.)

When setting your goals include specifics, such as costs and timelines. Also look to see if your goals are realistic and achievable. Small goals are easier to reach and help train your brain into believing you can achieve it. This can also increase your chance of success in future goals. Below is an example of how you can take the things important to you and group into short-term, intermediate and long-term goals.

Prioritize. Prioritize. Prioritize.

Once you have your goals written and organized, it’s time to prioritize. This will help you understand what’s most important and where you should focus your time, money and energy.

Though it is great to have lots of goals, actually achieving them all may be difficult. You must take a look at your goals and ensure they’re also realistic and achievable when you look at them all together. It’s important to set yourself up for success and work within your means.

Prioritizing will also allow you to make any adjustments needed to make these goals achievable. When prioritizing ask yourself:

  • If you could only achieve one of these items, which one would it be?
  • Are there any goals on my list that are needs vs. wants?
  • How long do I have to achieve this goal – is that a must or can it be adjusted?
  • Can I break any of my larger goals into smaller goals?
  • Can I put a hold on any of these goals and begin working on only once I have completed another goal?

When prioritizing and making adjustments, be aware of how achieving these goals will impact your finances now. Online calculators can help you understand exactly what you need to do now to achieve your goal within your timeline. Depending on your current financial situation and the impact your goal will have (e.g., monthly contributions), you may need to re-adjust or plan your goals differently.

Team effort

If you are married or have a significant other in which you share financial responsibilities with, it’s essential you work together when creating your financial goals. Work together to develop a list of goals and discuss what’s a priority and what’s not. Together, determine what is achievable and ensure you’re on the same page – if not, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Once set, be each other’s motivation and hold each other accountable to help ensure success.

Talk to your financial advisor

The most important thing you can do once you’ve created and prioritized your list of goals is to talk with your financial advisor. They will be able to provide you with advice on your goals and help you look at the big picture. They may also identify any obstacles that impact you reaching these goals and provide guidance on what types of adjustments can be made. Your financial advisor will also be able to tell you which products, such as RRSPs, Tax-Free Savings Accounts, mutual funds, etc., you should consider helping contribute towards your success.

When it comes to kick-starting your finances, start off by understanding what’s important to you and what you want to achieve with your finances.  Create short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals and prioritize accordingly. Once you’re done, make an appointment with your financial advisor to discuss and determine what tools and resources are available to help you succeed. Don’t have a financial advisor, no worries – you can request financial advice here.

It CAN Happen to You: Protecting Yourself From Fraud

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Protect yourself from fraud using these tips on detecting scams and keeping your information secure. 

Dora the Explorer was a show that played over and over in our home. Though many of our kids are now older, we still know all of the lyrics to “The Map Song” and who can forget Dora fending off Swiper every episode by saying “Swiper No Swiping” three times. If only it was that easy in real-life when protecting ourselves, and our information, from scammers.

With the ever-growing digital technologies, we’re also seeing an increase in the number of scams out there. Malware, Trojans, phishing attacks and more – it seems to be each new day is another new scam. But how do we keep up with all that’s going on around us? How can we tell what’s a scam and what’s not?

Below are a few tips on how you can keep yourself and your personal information safe. Check them out below.

Look for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Most scam emails contain spelling mistakes, bad grammar or altered logos. A phishing email may look real at a quick glance, but there’s usually something wrong.

Hover over the sender’s email or links to URLs to see if legit.

If you hold your cursor over the sender’s email or a URL that is the email, it should display the full email address or URL. If the email address or link address looks weird, don’t click on it. If you’re unsure about a website, instead, go directly to the company’s website and log in. If there’s something that needs to be taken care of, you’ll usually have a notification within your account.

Don’t give up personal information.

The majority of companies will never ask you for personal information by email or phone. Fraudsters will many times use scare tactics to make you panic and give up the information. Don’t give in.

When it comes to your banking, set up online banking security alerts.

You can set up online banking security alerts so that you can receive a text or email when there is suspicious activity on your account.

Never disclose your PIN or password to anyone.

This information should be kept private. Create strong passwords using a combination of letter, numbers and symbols. Never tell anyone your passwords and when using your pin, prevent others from seeing it by shielding with your hand.

 

Most importantly, if it feels wrong, it most likely is wrong. If you are ever unsure, contact the company directly.

For more tips on protecting yourself including tips for computers, smartphones, wi-fi and more, visit Protect Yourself.