Illustration by Wenting Li
Have you recently arrived in Canada? The Globe’s Newcomers’ Guide to Finances in Canada was made for you.
Welcome! My name is Erica Alini, I’m a personal finance reporter at The Globe and Mail and I, too, was once a newcomer in this country. This is the roadmap to navigating financial decisions in Canada that I wish I’d had when I first arrived.
Whether you’ve just landed, have lived here for a few years, or are just getting ready to come over, I’ve created a financial guidebook to help, in the form of a newsletter course that will come right to your inbox. I’ll show you through the good, the “meh” and – let’s be frank – the ugly of managing your money in Canada.
Subscribe to the Newcomers’ Guide and you’ll receive an e-mail a week over five weeks exploring a different aspect of personal finance basics in Canada. Lessons will land in your inbox Wednesday afternoons.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Week 1: Bank accounts and credit scores. The pros and cons of newcomer bank accounts, why loyalty to your bank doesn’t pay and how to start building your credit score right away.
Week 2: All about renting – plus, a bit about buying your first home. How to find a rental, what to know about tenant rights and rent control, and the best way to save for a house down payment.
Week 3: Borrowing money. From car to career loans, how to navigate Canada’s varied – and occasionally treacherous – world of debt.
Week 4: Taxes and government benefits. How to estimate your take-home pay, file your tax return and claim the benefits you’re entitled to.
Week 5: Investing. The low-cost, low-effort way of growing your savings. Plus, how to avoid overpaying for investment products and advice.
So you want to know how to succeed in Canada
Introducing the Newcomer's Guide to Finances in Canada, a straight-talking, five-part guide to money management for people new to the country. Sign up now – each lesson will land in your inbox on Wednesdays.
Erica Alini