Managing Finances Flashcards
how does Canada’s diversity affect finances?
- Creates diversity in how people manage finances
- Families model financial behaviour
- Schools influence financial behaviour
- Fastest-growing population in Canada is over 80 years old (192% increase in Canadians over 100 predicted)
different generations: relationship to money
- Boomers: cash and layaway
- Gen X: credit and cash machines
- Gen Y: debit and online banking
- Gen I: banking apps, tap
different generations: households/relationships to each other
- Boomers: 1 family, 1 household, 1 income
- Gen X/Y: 1-2 families, 1-2 households, 1-2 incomes
- Gen I: multi-family, multi-households, multi-family
different generations: savings and debt
- Boomers: “penny saved is a penny earned”
- Gen X: “don’t pay a dime until 1999”
- Gen Y: “Buy now, pay later”
- Gen I: “Pay day loans”
different generations: wealth and net worth investments
- Boomers: “don’t put all eggs in one basket”
- Gen X: “diversification”
- Gen Y: “global investments”
- Gen I: “socially responsible investments”
debt
- Average household debt increasing
- Debt to disposable income ratio increasing (up 100% from the 80’)
- Debt at retirement: retirees have significant debt, 17x more likely to become insolvent in 2010 than in 1990
- 1/3 of surveyed Canadian students expected to graduate in debt
Childcare costs in Vancouver
- $1200/month spent on infant and toddler care
- 29% of income goes towards childcare
divorce in Canada
- 19% of Canadians surveyed reported that their parents had separated or divorced
- 41% of Canadian marriages estimated to end by the 30th year of marriage
- “Grey divorce” (divorcing in old age) on the rise
recommended financial management goals
- Savings
- Financial goals
- Budget
- Record-keeping
- Wise credit card use
- Insurance
- Estate planning
obstacles (and things that aren’t obstacles) to financial practices
- obstacles to budgeting: no choices on spending, income and expenses irregular
- obstacles to rest of practices: no need to do them
- not given as obstacles: Lack of time, lack of knowledge
payoffs of using recommended behaviours
- Increased satisfaction with finances
- Improved net worth
- Adequate emergency fund
credit
- time allowed for payment; an individual owes a certain amount of money for a certain time, and must pay it on time to avoid fees/penalties
- Was originally associated with gas stations, eating out, department stores, etc.
- For immigrants, having a credit card was a symbol of being Canadian
- older people better at managing credit than younger people
ways to develop a credit record
- Open chequing and savings accounts
- Pay bills, including rent, promptly
- Open a charge account with a store; pay amount promptly
- Indicators of credit worthiness: stability of employment and residence, income, home ownership
- New immigrants: credit record from previous country doesn’t transfer over; can get a secured credit card instead
what doesn’t build credit?
- Visa/debit
- Pre-paid credit cards
- Pay-as-you-go cell phone
- Payday loans
improving your credit
- Make all of your payments on time
- Pay off your credit card in full every month
- Consider a secured credit card with a low limit
- Cell phone contracts can build credit
top factors that lower credit score
- Too many consumer finance company accounts on your credit report
- Having too much available credit can sometimes harm your credit score
- A number of credit applications
- Your account balances are too high – keep your balances below 35% of your available credit limit
- There is not enough recent revolving account info on your credit report
FICO scores (from most to least impact)
- Bills paid on time
- Debt to credit limit ratio
- Length of credit history
- Credit app and loan variety
top reasons people are in financial trouble
- Excessive use of credit or using credit for living expenses
- Unemployment/underemployment
- No budget/lack of financial education
- Injury/illness
- Separation/divorce and family expenses
- High student loan debt/education expenses
- High housing costs
challenges for students
- Student loans are deposited as lump sums
- Students are not taught how to manage irregular income
- Budgeting isn’t exciting and debt is overwhelming with no immediate solution
- Financial institutions offer “student” products (ie. Student credit card, student line of credit, co-signed loan)
who has the most difficulty repaying loans?
- Larger $ loans
- Fields of study (income, getting job)
- Humanities
- Interdisciplinary studies
- Fine and applied arts
students are slower at repaying student loans when
- People are continuing their studies
- Have financial difficulties
- Can’t find a steady, well-paying job to take advantage of lower interest rates
repayment assistance program
- Borrowers will never be required to make student loan payments above an affordable level
- Affordable payments are based on the borrower’s family income and size
- Affordable payments do not exceed 20% of their income