The Financial Services Commission invites you to learn the knowledge and skills necessary for effective money management. With better access to information, consumers are equipped to protect their interests. The following websites offer an array of resources and tools to improve your financial literacy.
Resources for Near-Retirees and Retirees
The Financial Literacy portal is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide financial opinions or advice. Content from the linked websites may not be relevant to your situation, current, accurate, or compliant with the laws, regulations or other legal requirements of your jurisdiction. For financial advice, you should consult a qualified professional.
Disclaimer: This information is provided as a public service. Although we endeavor to ensure that the information is as current and accurate as possible, errors do occasionally occur. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. Readers should where possible verify the information before acting on it.
What you need to know...
Canadian resources: Top 5 hits for Youth!
Your Money: Published by the Canadian Bankers Association, this is a one-stop online tool presenting financial information for the young people of Canada.
Investor Education Fund: Canada's unbiased, non-profit source for information and tools that help consumers make better decisions when investing and managing their money. Established by the Ontario Securities Commission, the province's securities regulator, the Investor Education Fund helps people make effective use of financial information.
Canadian Economy Online: This website is a one-stop guide to the national economy where students can learn more about economic concepts, key indicators and how they work, the relationship of government and the economy.
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway: Established by the Office of Consumer Affairs, this is a gateway service with reports and advice on a wide range of consumer topics. Information is organized by consumer type (e.g., young consumers, seniors), by product or service (e.g. buying a used car, televisions), and by issue (e.g., pyramid schemes, privacy protection, identity theft). The gateway also provides instructions on making complaints about products.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Website of the government agency that monitors and supervises financial institutions at the federal level (i.e., all banks, federally incorporated or registered insurance companies, trust and loan companies, and retail associations). The website provides consumers with accurate and objective information about financial products and services. It also features a number of interactive tools such as calculators and complaint letter templates.
Banking
Bank of Canada: The Bank of Canada is the country's central bank. This website provides consumers with the latest exchange rates, interest rates and other statistics.
Canadian Bankers Association: The Canadian Bankers Association provides information on the banking industry and financial issues. The website features a useful Mortgage Wise information booklet which covers the basics of mortgages.
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada: An agency of Industry Canada, a federal government department, the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada provides bankruptcy basics for debtors and creditors.
Mortgages & Real Estate
Tarion: Tarion is the regulator of the new home building industry in Ontario. Its website features tips and resources for new home buyers in Ontario, such as a homeowner information package, top 10 tips for new home buyers, and conducting inspections of your new home.
Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO): RECO's website features a Consumer Information section with information for consumers on real estate listing agreements, commissions, home inspections, mortgage fraud, and title fraud.
Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA): OREA's website features a Questions section that provides consumers with advice on buying and selling a home.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): The CMHC is Canada's national housing agency. The CMHC website features useful consumer information on buying a home, mortgage loan insurance, renting, maintaining and renovating a home.
Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario (IMBA): IMBA's website features information on mortgage brokers, a glossary of mortgage terms, and information on residential mortgage financing, title insurance, and real estate fraud.
Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP) Mortgage Resource Centre: CAAMP's Mortgage Resource Centre provides information to help consumers grasp the mortgage basics, tips for first-time homebuyers, mortgage calculators and other tools.
OmbudServices
General Insurance OmbudService (GIO): GIO offers consumers cost-free, independent and unbiased methods to resolve their complaints regarding car, home and business insurance in Canada.
OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI): OLHI is an independent organization that provides impartial recourse to consumers with concerns and complaints about life and health insurance products and services. OLHI operates the Consumer Assistance Centre which handles over 35,000 consumer complaints and inquiries each year.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI): OBSI is the national independent dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses with a complaint they can’t resolve with their banking services or investments firm. Their services are free to consumers.
Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO): RIBO assists consumers with queries or complaints about an insurance broker. When a complaint is received, RIBO ensures that both sides of the complaint are examined quickly and fairly.
Financial Counseling and Planning
Ontario Association of Credit Counselling Services (OACCS): OACCS offers consumers money management, budgeting and credit use services. This website also offers practical explanations on personal finances and debt problems.
Credit Canada: Credit Canada offers free financial counselling and seminars to help put your finances and bills in order. Credit Canada welcomes anyone who needs confidential advice about how to handle money and reduce or eliminate debt.
ServiceOntario: This website provide resources and information about government services available to assist Ontarians in dealing with significant life events, such as having a baby, registering a death, managing debt, and getting ready to retire.
Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI): SEDI is dedicated to enabling poor and unemployed Canadians to become self-sufficient. SEDI focuses on financial literacy, asset-building and entrepreneurship.
Ontario's Ministry of Government and Consumer Services: Ontario's Ministry of Government and Consumer Services website offers an array of consumer protection resources. The Consumer Protection section of the website features information on buying and selling your home, real estate fraud, and a consumer protection toolbox.
CIBC SmartStart
CIBC's SmartStart and Student Life sites offer kids and students tips on managing their money. The sites feature sections such as Banking 101, Saving for My Future and ABCs of Money.
TD Student Central
TD Bank's website helps students understand the basics of banking and saving money. It offers tools such as a Facebook application for planning a budget and splitting expenses with roommates.
Money and Youth portal, Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE)
CFEE is a non-profit organization which provides Canadians with resources to improve financial literacy. Its Money and Youth portal offers numerous resources for parents and youth, ranging from an in-depth Money Q&A section to a parent's guide to financial education.
Investing
Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA): CSA provides consumers with a broad assortment of educational materials on securities and investing, including brochures on how to choose a financial adviser, mutual funds, and internet investment techniques.
Alberta Securities Commission (ASC): ASC is Alberta's government agency regulating the province's security laws. This website promotes investor protection by offering information on spotting red flags, checking out an investment adviser, avoiding investment scams and investing mistakes.
British Columbia Financial Institutions Commission: The B.C. Financial Institutions Commission is the government agency regulating the pension, financial services and real estate sectors in British Columbia. This website offers consumers information on credit unions and trusts, insurance, pensions, real estate and mortgage brokers.
Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC): CDIC insures the savings of Canadians should a bank or other CDIC member institutionfail or go bankrupt. Use this website to see if your savings are covered and to help you decide where to keep your savings.
Investing Online Resource Centre: A valuable, non-commercial source for information about investing and protecting yourself online, created by the North American Securities Administrators Association for educational purposes.
U.S. Resources
Financial Literacy and Education Commission: The Financial Literacy and Education Commission coordinates the financial education efforts throughout the U.S. federal government.
Federal Reserve Education: The Federal Reserve offers a variety of information and programs for consumers interested in learning about financial markets in the U.S., investment products and the investment process.
My Money: My Money is a U.S. government website committed to providing financial education resources to consumers from balancing a check book to investing or buying a home.
Practical Money Skills: This website assists educators, parents and students in applying better money management for life. It also helps the consumer become more financially confident by offering free online tools, worksheets and quizzes.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency: This website offers an index of information on financial literacy resources, issues and procedures that are significant to bankers, organizations, and consumers of all ages (U.S.).
International Resources
Money Matters to Me: This U.K. website helps consumers comprehend financial matters by teaching them how to control their money on a day-to-day basis. The website offers free calculators and practical tools.
Financial Services Authority: The U.K. Financial Services Authority offers consumers information on money management, financial records, future planning, monetary product choices and general economic topics.
New Zealand Regulator: This is a free independent money guide featuring numerous calculators, tools and information to help consumers manage lifelong personal finances.
Near-Retirees / Retirees Resources
What you need to know...
Canadian resources: Top 5 hits for Near-Retirees/Retirees!
Canada Pension Plan (CPP): CPP provides Canadians with a reliable pension which they can build on for retirement. This website offers general information about the CPP and fact sheets on benefits.
Ontario's Ministry of Government and Consumer Services: Ontario's Ministry of Government and Consumer Services website offers an array of consumer protection resources. The Consumer Protection section of the website features information on buying and selling your home, real estate fraud, and a consumer protection toolbox.
ServiceOntario: This website provide resources and information about government services available to assist Ontarians in dealing with significant life events, such as having a baby, registering a death, managing debt, and getting ready to retire.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Website of the government agency that monitors and supervises financial institutions at the federal level (i.e., all banks, federally incorporated or registered insurance companies, trust and loan companies, and retail associations). The website provides consumers with accurate and objective information about financial products and services. It also features a number of interactive tools such as calculators and complaint letter templates.
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway: Established by the Office of Consumer Affairs, this is an internationally acclaimed information gateway service with reports and advice on a wide range of consumer topics. Information is organized by consumer type (e.g., young consumers, seniors), by product or service (e.g. buying a used car, televisions), and by issue (e.g., pyramid schemes, privacy protection, identity theft). The gateway also provides instructions on making complaints about products.
Banking
Bank of Canada: The Bank of Canada is the country's central bank. This website provides consumers with the latest exchange rates, interest rates and other statistics.
OmbudServices
General Insurance OmbudService (GIO): GIO offers consumers cost-free, independent and unbiased methods to resolve their complaints regarding car, home and business insurance in Canada.
OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI): OLHI is an independent organization that provides impartial recourse to consumers with concerns and complaints about life and health insurance products and services. OLHI operates the Consumer Assistance Centre which handles over 35,000 consumer complaints and inquiries each year.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI): OBSI is the national independent dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses with a complaint they can’t resolve with their banking services or investments firm. Their services are free to consumers.
Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO): RIBO assists consumers with queries or complaints about an insurance broker. When a complaint is received, RIBO ensures that both sides of the complaint are examined quickly and fairly.
Investing
Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA): CSA provides consumers with a broad assortment of educational materials on securities and investing, including brochures on how to choose a financial adviser, mutual funds, and internet investment techniques.
Alberta Securities Commission (ASC): ASC is Alberta's government agency regulating the province's security laws. This website promotes investor protection by offering information on spotting red flags, checking out an investment adviser, avoiding investment scams and investing mistakes.
British Columbia Financial Institutions Commission: The B.C. Financial Institutions Commission is the government agency regulating the pension, financial services and real estate sectors in British Columbia. This website offers consumers information on credit unions and trusts, insurance, pensions, real estate and mortgage brokers.
Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC): CDIC insures the savings of Canadians should a bank or other CDIC member institutionfail or go bankrupt. Use this website to see if your savings are covered and to help you decide where to keep your savings.
Investing Online Resource Centre: A valuable, non-commercial source for information about investing and protecting yourself online, created by the North American Securities Administrators Association for educational purposes.
Investor Education Fund: Canada's unbiased, non-profit source for information and tools that help consumers make better decisions when investing and managing their money. Established by the Ontario Securities Commission, the province's securities regulator, the Investor Education Fund helps people make effective use of financial information.
Consumer Information
Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs: The Office of Consumer Affairs conducts policy research and analysis on emerging consumer issues. Part of Industry Canada, a department of the Government of Canada, the Office of Consumer Affairs is a trusted source of consumer information and resources.
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC): IBC is the national association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurance companies. IBC operates consumer information centres and works to increase public understanding about insurance products and services.
Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association: This website offers an array of consumer publications on life and health insurance to assist Canadian consumers in making informed choices for themselves and their families.
Canada Competition Bureau: The Competition Bureau is a federal government agency that investigates complaints and conducts inspections of consumer goods and services. The Bureau takes reports from consumers on misrepresentation, price fixing, deceptive prize notices, bid rigging, tied selling, anti-competitive practices, deceptive telemarketing and other unlawful business schemes or practices.
U.S. Resources
Save and Invest: Run by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (U.S.), this website offers information aimed at protecting older investors from investment fraud.
My Money: My Money is a U.S. government website committed to providing financial education resources to consumers from balancing a check book to investing or buying a home.
Financial Literacy and Education Commission: The Financial Literacy and Education Commission coordinates the financial education efforts throughout the U.S. federal government.
Federal Reserve Education: The Federal Reserve offers a variety of information and programs for consumers interested in learning about financial markets in the U.S., investment products and the investment process.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency:
This website offers an index of information on financial literacy resources, issues and procedures that are significant to bankers, organizations, and consumers of all ages (U.S.).
International Resources
Financial Services Authority: The U.K. Financial Services Authority offers consumers information on money management, financial records, future planning, monetary product choices and general economic topics.
Financial Services Commission of Ontario