November is Financial Literacy Month

FinancialLiteracyMonth.ca will help Canadians find information about activities and events planned for the month

To view the Social Media Release, click here: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency-of-canada/november-is-financial-literacy-month

OTTAWA, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Fall is always a great time to get your house in order to prepare for the coming winter. And there is no better time for Canadians to get their finances in shape and strengthen their financial literacy. To help Canadians find the resources they need, the Financial Literacy Action Group (FLAG), in collaboration with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), announced today that it is organizing Financial Literacy Month (FLM) this November. 

Financial literacy means having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions. Financial Literacy Month will raise awareness of the need for financial literacy and encourage Canadians to seek information, programs, and services to help strengthen their financial knowledge.

The FLAG members, in collaboration with FCAC, have joined forces to develop a series of activities and events across the country. To support Financial Literacy Month, FLAG and FCAC have launched a new website to help inform Canadians about the multiple programs and services offered by many organizations across the country: financialliteracymonth.ca also contains links to the Financial Literacy Month in Canada Facebook page and LinkedIn group, which the organizers will use to share relevant information and engage with partners and the public.

"We're pleased to launch the FLM website, which will be a key resource for details on the dates and locations of activities linked to Financial Literacy Month. It will highlight the programs, services and tools right across the country that will help Canadians strengthen their financial literacy," said Laurie Campbell, Executive Director of Credit Canada.

"As the Government of Canada's lead agency on financial literacy, we are pleased to be working with FLAG to bring Financial Literacy Month to Canadians," says Ursula Menke, Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC).

In addition to FLAG members and FCAC, several national, provincial, community-based and not-for-profit organizations will also participate in Financial Literacy Month to raise awareness of the need for financial literacy in Canada and to encourage Canadians to reinforce their financial knowledge. The FLM website lists the activities that will be offered by all participating members across Canada in November 2011. Activities range from those for all Canadians, to those especially developed for people with specific needs, such as seniors, youth, students and teachers.

For more information, visit financialliteracymonth.ca.

Disponible en français

About FLAG
The Financial Literacy Action Group is a coalition of seven non-profit organizations who have joined to organize Financial Literacy Month (FLM). FLM will raise awareness of the need for financial literacy, and to highlight the programs, services and tools available to help Canadians strengthen their own financial literacy. The group includes: ABC Life Literacy Canada; the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE); Credit Canada; Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC); the Investor Education Fund (IEF); Junior Achievement; and Canadian Centre for Financial Literacy, a division of SEDI (Social and Enterprise Development Innovations). FLAG have come together to organize November as Financial Literacy Month (FLM). They are working in collaboration with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) and will reach out to other organizations across the country to participate in FLM.

About FCAC
With educational materials and interactive tools, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) provides objective information about financial products and services to help Canadians increase their financial knowledge and confidence in managing their personal finances. FCAC informs consumers about their rights and responsibilities when dealing with banks and federally regulated trust, loan and insurance companies. FCAC also makes sure that federally regulated financial institutions, payment card network operators and external complaints bodies comply with legislation and industry commitments intended to protect consumers.

You can reach FCAC through its Consumer Services Centre by calling toll-free 1-866-461-3222 (TTY: 613-947-7771 or 1-866-914-6097) or by visiting fcac.gc.ca. FCAC is also active on both Twitter and YouTube.

For event specific inquiries contact the FLAG organizations:

• ABC Life Literacy
  Media contact: Nadia Flaim
  
  
• Credit Canada
  Media contact: Laurie Campbell
  
  
• Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE)
  Media contact: Gary Rabbior
  
  
• Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC)
  Media contact: Heather Mills
  
  
• Investor Education Fund (IEF)
  Media contact: Tom Hamza
  
  
• Junior Achievement
  Media contact: Tom Miller
  
  
• Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI)
  Media contact: Laura Watts

SOURCE Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Image with caption: "Financial literacy means having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions. (CNW Group/Financial Consumer Agency of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110928_C6985_PHOTO_EN_3883.jpg