Young Families

With funding from the Education and Good Governance Fund of Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), from September 2016 to March 2017 we piloted a financial education program for young families. After doing community consultation and conducting an online survey, we delivered workshops for expecting parents, new parents, and other caregivers.

In a brand-neutral way, we covered a variety of financial topics that are useful to new moms, dads, grandparents and guardians — topics related to budgeting, saving, and investing.

We are now seeking funding to develop more programming for young families drawing on the experiences of the pilot project.

 Family with baby

Past Workshops

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Heather Watkins, MSW
BUDGETING and the “ESSENTIAL BABY LIST”
Budget tips and strategies for young families. A presentation with discussion.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Jaimie Yue, Registered Dietitian
FEEDING YOUR FAMILY WELL (keeping in budget!)
Recipes and tips for nutritious affordable meals. What to do with leftovers. Storing food so it lasts longer.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Michael Litwin, CPA, CA, CFP™, TEP and Stacey Ehrlick, B Comm, CPA Candidate
TAXES and YOUNG FAMILIES
A presentation followed by discussion with Q&A.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Deborah Leahy, financial advisor, and Emily Reid, financial consultant
PLANNING YOUR FUTURE ON VARIABLE INCOME

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Budgeting: Part 1 – The Theory!
Facilitated by Victoria McKinlay and Heather Watkins, MSW
Budgeting basics and techniques for all ages.
Note: Attendance at Part 2 is optional.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Budgeting: Part 2 – The Practice!
Facilitated by Victoria McKinlay and Heather Watkins, MSW
The second part of our budgeting series is a chance to put theory into practice by spending two hours working on your personal budget on a computer (with support should you require it.)
Feel free to bring your partial worked-out budget or start from scratch.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Everything you wanted to know about Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs), Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs)
Facilitated by Maxime Lemay, Senior Account Manager, and Nadim Ladha,  Branch Manager, RBC Royal Bank.
An information session about budgeting and saving for people whose income fluctuates — freelancers, contract workers and others.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
How to Choose a Financial Advisor
Presented by Michel Gariépy of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
This presentation will help build participants’ confidence when engaging a financial advisor.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Renting vs. Buying: The pros and cons – A presentation with discussion
Bianca Dudin and Marco Lopez, real estate brokers with Groupe Sutton Clodem, and Annie Robillard, National Bank mortgage advisor

Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Wills and Mandates – A presentation with a moderated Q&A session
Ann Soden, Ad.E., elder law specialist
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance to Victoria McKinlay at victoria@atwaterlibrary.ca.  Please note that this session was earlier scheduled for March 15.

Friday, March 24, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
A do-it-yourself investor’s journey – A presentation with discussion.
Paul Delean, Montreal Gazette business columnist