Personal Finance
Towards a Healthier Financial Future
Topic: "Financial Planning"
← Curating the web to find the most interesting and helpful
information about your money.
Did you know?
According to Sallie Mae’s How America Saves For College, families reported spending an average of $28,026 on college in the academic year 2022-23, an 11% increase from $25,313 in 2021-22.
How America Pays for College 2023 →Word of the week
FAFSA®
You need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for federal student aid such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of aid to help you pay for college or career school.
What is the FAFSA® form and why should I fill it out? →Budgeting
Trying to get your spending under control? Just like with dieting, it can help to add some structure by following a plan. There are just about as many approaches to handling your daily finances as there are to counting calories.
The WSJ Tested 5 of the Best Budgeting Methods. Here’s what they found →Serious stuff
6 Estate Planning Must-Haves Everyone benefits from ensuring assets and finances are managed as they wish.
Here is an estate planning checklist of items every estate plan should include →Word of the week
Collateral
Capital or asset pledged to a bank or other lender in the event that the borrower is unable to make all of the repayment instalments on a loan.
Collateral Definition, Types, & Examples →Serious stuff
Demystifying your health insurance plan it can be confusing to decipher all the acronyms and lingo of health care — so how do you pick the right health care plan
Life Kit NPR break down commonly used terms and offer a strategy to help crunch the numbers →Word of the week
60/40 Budget
Richard Jenkins, financial journalist and author of A Simpler Way to Save: the 60% Solution advocates: 60% of your income goes to fixed expenses: - Housing - Utilities - Groceries - Transportation 10% to retirement savings 10% to long-term savings 10% to short-term savings 10% “fun money” for activities, trips, or other infrequent splurges
How to Make A Budget: The 60% Solution Explained →Serious stuff
How to talk to your parents about their money. There comes a time when it's the kid's turn to take care of mom and dad. Here's how to broach this sensitive subject with your parents.
Life Kit NPR: Yes, end-of-life planning is a tough subject. How to talk to your parents about it →Saving
How to pick a bank that works for you
Are you happy with your bank, or is it time for a change? →Infographic of the week
Charted: Retirement Age by Country
The retirement landscape can look completely different depending on what country you’re in. And charting the retirement age by country reveals a lot of differences in the the makeup of a labor force, both for economic and cultural reasons.
Exploring retirement age trends around the globe →Serious stuff
Should I still be investing in this uncertain stock market? Uncertainty is a normal – even necessary – part of investing, but it becomes a problem when people spend so much time worrying that they miss out on market returns.
Four tips for nervous investors from Benjamin Felix →Serious stuff
What to Do If Your Partner Is Bad With Money
Brides.com - An expert weighs in on how to navigate this tricky situation →Investing
How to Invest in Bonds
Bonds are a way for an organization to raise money. Let's say your town asks you for a certain investment of money. In exchange, your town promises to pay you back that investment, plus interest, over a specified period of time.
A Beginner's Guide to Buying Bonds →Saving
Many millennials and Gen Z’s have done everything “right” - they’ve graduated, found good jobs, are paying off their debt and saving money. So why is it so hard to live the middle class lifestyle their parents and older peers had at their age?
Podcast: Stress Test by columnist Rob Carrick - Is the middle class dead for millennials and Gen Z? →Word of the week
The 30% Rule
How much should you pay in rent? As a general rule, housing should be no more than 30% of your total monthly income, including utilities. The 30% rule is based on how much you can reasonably spend and have money left over for everyday expenses like food, clothes and transportation.
Neontra auto-categorizes your expenses so you can quickly see how your budget is tracking →Neontra on TikTok
We believe financial planning should be simple, engaging and understandable for everyone. View Neontra on TikTok where we help simplify the complex world of personal finance.
Join 339k viewers of this Neontra TikTok →Budgeting
6 money moves to make in your 20s from CNBC: 1) Create a budget and stick to it 2) Build a good credit score 3) Set up an emergency fund 4) Start saving for retirement 5) Pay off debt 6) Develop good money habits
Making smart money decisions in your 20s has long-term benefits →Investing
Financial advisors agree: These are the 3 best investing tips for beginners
1. Audit your finances before you even start to invest 2. Utilize retirement accounts as much as you can 3. Know you don’t have to be an expert
If you’re just getting into investing, consider these 3 tips. →Saving
The Bank of Parents - Exploring a touchy subject for every family: borrowing money from your parents.
Half Banked Podcast: Hosts Cadeem, Bethan and Lauren on the Bank of Parents →Budgeting
Student discounts to help you save on back-to-school expenses in Canada
Here is a handy list of student discounts you can take advantage of across Canada →Infographic of the week
How Long Does it Take to Double Your Money?
At first glance, a 7% return on your investment may not seem that impressive. Yet what if you heard that your money could double in roughly 10 years?
Why it Pays to Know the Math →Saving
The Real Costs Of A Wedding in Canada — and How to Handle Them
Half Banked Podcast: Hosts Cadeem, Bethan and Lauren as they tackle today’s biggest money problems facing Gen Z and millennials →Word of the week
Credit Utilization Ratio
A comparison of your available credit to how much you have actually utilized. A good credit score can be attributed to a low utilization ratio. The ideal target is to use 30% or less of your available credit.
You can view your personal ratio with our Health Check →Infographic of the week
The Monthly Cost of Buying vs. Renting a House in America
With home prices and mortgage rates both rising, the U.S. is now witnessing the biggest numerical gap in the monthly cost between owning a home and renting in over 50 years. Americans, however, have seen similar scenarios occur since the early 1980s.
See the difference of buying vs. renting a single-family residence in the U.S. since 1970, adjusted for inflation. →Saving
Dear Life Kit: My husband shuts down any time I try to talk about our finances
Podcast: NPR Life Kit on talking about money with your partner →Serious stuff
Why making more money may not solve your financial problems
Rob Carrick on why making more money doesn't always solve your money problems →Serious stuff
Fifty Money Questions to Ask Your Partner
Use these 50 questions across four categories to jumpstart the conversation. →Did you know?
While today’s Canadian currency is very recognizable and strong, it’s only been in place since 1870. Prior to that, a variety of currencies were in use throughout 'Canada', including the British Pound, the American Dollar, and even the Spanish Peso.
Track your all your $CAD, $USD, £GBP, €EUR and ¥YEN in one place with Neontra →Budgeting
What to consider before you start a budget: - Think about your financial goals - Identify your short-term and long-term goals - Make saving for those goals part of your budget
Take these simple steps before you make your budget →Word of the week
Net Worth
Your net worth is simply the difference between your assets (what you own) and liabilities (what you owe).
See your net worth and take the pulse of your overall financial health →Did you know?
The average price for electricity in Canada is around 17.4¢/kWh. If your apartment or house is averagely consuming around 1000kWh, your electric bill will be roughly $174. The average cost of utilities in Canada is $304.75 per month.
Learn how your spending compares to national averages with our NEOs →Budgeting
While you would be forgiven for being nose-deep in your books, it’s time to take a minute to reflect on how you’re managing your money. Do you have a budget? Or are you spending on the go?
21 money-saving tips and tricks for students →Saving
Without emergency savings in place, an unexpected car repair or job loss could force you into debt and derail your goals.
Do you have 3 months’ worth of expenses in your emergency fund? See your scorecard today →Word of the week
Compound Interest
Compound interest is the interest on savings calculated on both the initial principal and the accumulated interest from previous periods.
Discover the magic of compounding and why it's important to increasing wealth →Infographic of the week
How Gen Z Feels About Its Financial Future
Gen Z is an optimistic and driven generation. Many young people in this generational cohort are turning to entrepreneurship and side hustles as a way to supplement their income and build a brighter future.
Gen Zers have a more positive outlook on their financial well-being than their millennial or Gen X peers →Word of the week
Deposit Insurance
Deposit insurance protects your savings if your financial institution fails. The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) automatically insures your eligible deposits. This applies to deposits held at CDIC member institutions in Canada.
Find out if your financial institution is a member of CDIC →Infographic of the week
Mapped: How Global Housing Prices Have Changed Since 2010
Houses fulfill a rare mix of necessity, utility, sentimentality, and for many, also act as a primary investment to build wealth. And it’s that last angle, combined with increasing demand in many countries, that is driving housing prices skyward.
See how Canada measures up →Word of the week
Inflation
Inflation is a persistent rise in the average level of prices over time.
Price check: Inflation in Canada →Did you know?
According to Canada's Food Price Report for 2023, a family of four will spend $16,288.41 on food this year ($1,357.37 a month) —that's up $1,065.60 from 2022.
Learn about how to start monitoring your food spending with Neontra →Budgeting
How the magic of a three-pay cheque month can give you a financial head start
There are lots of ways to play that extra payment →