Empowering the Independent Woman: Take Control of your Personal Finances

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Creditaid

Gail Vaz- Oxlade has a message for women everywhere – be an “Island” before becoming a “Peninsula”. The tough-talking money expert and host of popular reality TV shows such as Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess maintains that all women should be financially independent , even in marriage rather than expecting a partner to become their financial safety net.

In her latest book, It’s Your Money: Becoming a Woman of Independent Means (HarperCollinsCanada, $21.99), Vaz-Oxlade argues that women have unique challenges when it comes to managing money such as motherhood, divorce, widowhood, disability and caring for the elderly. Instead of relying on others, whether it be a partner, parent or financial planner, women should take action to understand and plan around their unique needs.

The first step of taking control is keeping track of where money is spent. Vaz-Oxlade suggests keeping receipts and entering expenses into a journal or spreadsheet and to distinguish clearly between the wants and the needs. Read the full article from the Winnipeg Free Press on Gail’s financial tips for women here.

Credit Aid is a proud sponsor of “You and Your Money with Gail Vaz-Oxlade” taking place in Winnipeg on February 9th, 2012. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at www.youandyourdollar.com or by calling 254-2595.

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Money-Smart Kids

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Creditaid

Where are the Money-Smart Kids?

If basic, yet essential, information on budgeting, borrowing, saving and investing isn’t learned early in life, most young people will have a huge deficit in this very important life skill when they leave home to live on their own.

Kids need to know the meaning of credit and debt before they get out into the “real” world and begin signing contracts on cellphones and credit cards without knowing the trouble they could be getting into. Too often they find themselves with an overdue bill and no money to cover it.

Parents and schools need to band together to teach our young people the basics (at least) of money management. According to comedian James Cunningham, who has set up a national financial literacy program that is sponsored by the IEF and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization, young people need to know how to save, invest and spend their money.

Cunningham uses humor in his program “Funny Money” to give young people the following three tips regarding money management:

1) Know how much money you have and the sources of your income and write it down. Keeping track of your money allows you to see how much money you make, what you can afford and how long it will take you to pay back a loan based on this income.
2) Take control of your money; don’t let your money control you! This means that before you get a credit card and charge a bunch of purchases, make sure you have some income so you can pay that bill off in full every month.
3) Save some money with every paycheck. You will be surprised at how quickly your money grows and you will love the feeling of taking the money you have saved and buying something outright, rather than making payments on it for the next several months.

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You and Your Money with Gail Vaz-Oxlade

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Creditaid

Creditaid is pleased to announce that we are a proud sponsor of You and Your Money seminar series with Gail Vaz-Oxlade. Gail Vaz-Oxlade will be in Winnipeg, Thursday, February 9, 2012 at Canad Inns Polo Park.

Also, don’t miss this opportunity to hear some expert financial advice from a variety of seminars from 2 pm-5 pm. Creditaid will be holding seminars on budgeting at 2:00, 2:30, 4:00 and 4:30.

Visit www.youandyourdollar.com for more information. Tickets can be purchased at Sofias Boutique 836 St Mary’s Rd, Winnipeg, Phone Number: 254-2595.

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Tips to Help Kids Understand Debt

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Creditaid

In order for children to fully understand finances and how money “works,” they have to learn about debt. The age of your child will determine how you define debt so they can understand.

Make sure you use terms and examples that they are already familiar with.

You can begin with the concept of borrowing something such as a toy from a friend. Explain the need to return the toy to its owner. And if the toy can’t be returned in its original condition then it needs to be replaced by a similar item of equal value. Your child should be able to understand that until that item is replaced, paid for, he is in debt to the person who owned the item.

For the “tween” set you can use real money items and examples. Set up a scenario where your child wants something, a new bicycle, for instance. Write down and discuss the amount of money the bike costs, the amount of money your child has, the amount of money he earns through allowance, or anticipates receiving for a gift, etc.

Talk about whether or not he can “afford” the bike right now, and if he can pay it off within a reasonable amount of time. This discussion will include installment payments where instead of paying back the “loan” with all of their allowance each week, they pay smaller amounts so as to keep some money for their usual “living expenses.” It’s important to work financial terms into the conversation as soon as you child is able to understand them.

Then, actually carry out a transaction. Keep it written down; sign a contract, have them make payments and even set up an amortization schedule so they can see how interest works. Going through this process will give your child an excellent opportunity to learn about personal finances.

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New Year-New Beginnings – Financial goals

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Creditaid

The beginning of a new year is a time to start fresh, make some changes and set some goals.  Now is as good a time as any to evaluate your income, expenses and overall financial health and set some goals.

Here are a few things to look at when it comes to setting financial goals:

Retirement: Depending on your age, retirement can seem like a lifetime away, or it can be right around the corner. No matter your age, now is the time to look at what is available for retirement income, and if it is deemed to be not enough, now is the time to start saving towards that goal.
Insurance: get out your policies, health, life, auto, property, etc. Talk to your agent to see if you are appropriately covered.

Debt Reduction:Consolidate current debt and don’t create more- that means cutting up the credit cards and gaining control of spending.

Savings: Besides controlling spending, you’ll want to amass some savings; typically the interest rate on investments is considerably lower than the interest rate on your line of debt so by saving rather than paying down debt, you’re actually losing money. That’s where you need to strike a balance: you need to invest some, but at the same time reduce the debt.

Additional Income:Think about the possibility of getting a second part time job. If you’re living comfortably on your current income, the income from a second job can go directly on debt or mortgage or into retirement or another fund for education or a trip or an emergency.

Once you set your financial goals, it’s good to revisit them every few months. Six months from you will be motivated to continue your financial plan when you see how well it’s working for you!

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