As cash use, access, and acceptance declines in Canada, vulnerable demographics are at risk of being left behind. For many, cash is more than just a method of payment. The growing pattern of electronic payments means that cash could become more scarce, threatening those who rely on it. While a...

When immigrants arrive in Canada, they face many financial challenges. From opening a bank account to using a credit card, from buying a house to paying for insurance, they may find it difficult to navigate the nuances of Canadian markets. Newcomers rely on industry professionals to assist them in...

In this blog, John Stapleton breaks explains income security and personal tax systems in Canada in the simplest way...

Increasing Access to Benefits for Peoples with Disabilities project - Insights and Recommendations This free 60-minute webinar for front line practitioners and government agencies will share the insights and recommendations from the three-year Increasing Access to Benefits for Peoples with...

The Canada Learning Bond is money available to children and youth born in 2004 or later from low and moderate income families. You can get up to $2000 from the Government of Canada by opening an Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). You can access this money when you enroll in full-time or...

The FCAC has updated their dashboard that present the result of two FCAC surveys: the COVID-19 Financial Well-being Survey and the Survey on Canadians' use of Bank Products and Services. The dashboard was updated in July 2023 with data collected between August 2020 and May 2023. Some indicators...

Fresh perspectives and new approaches are needed to generate results and effectively address the complexity and interconnectedness of the social and environmental issues confronting communities. It is imperative that we build our collective capacity in the practice of community innovation. It is...

A collaborative project with provinces to integrate economic, financial and enterprise education into the compulsory school curriculum. See the Building Futures in Manitoba, the Building Futures in Ontario and the new Building Futures in Alberta web sites for more information on these programs and...

Food insecurity is a significant public health problem for Indigenous peoples in Canada. A comprehensive literature review is needed to organize the evidence according to the 4 pillars of food security (i.e., availability, access, utilization, and stability) and identify gaps in the published...

Organizations play a vital role in providing community members with access to benefits. Tax clinics, homeless shelters, food banks, health centres and others can all do their part to provide these services.  This free 60-minute demonstration will showcase our new Bridge to Benefits tool which...

Community organizations play a vital role in supporting people. In these difficult economic times, helping community members strengthen their financial literacy and build their financial resilience is essential for helping them to navigate financial challenges.   Building on Financial Consumer...

Two articles released in Economic and Social Reports provide insights on the poverty rates and changing demographics of racialized population groups in Canada. The article "Poverty among racialized groups across generations," shows that most racialized groups had higher poverty rates...

At first glance, the latest FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households findings are encouraging: rates of un- and underbanked households reached historic lows after trending downward for the last decade. Yet, a lack of access to quality banking remains a problem for nearly 25...

This toolkit contains resources and information which may offer support to organizations, agencies, or frontline staff supporting individuals, during a challenging time. This toolkit was developed in consultation with community partners, focusing on key issues facing their communities since the...

Bridge to benefits: Implementing benefits access in social service has been created for organizations that are interested in starting, refining or expanding their work in access to benefits services. This includes benefits services such as helping to fill out applications, providing access to...

Investing offers a way to potentially grow your money in a different way from savings. Many common investments involve the stock market. Head to the Ontario Securities Commission website to learn more about how investing...

Crypto products are in news stories and in a lot of advertising. But what do Canadians really know about crypto investments and how they work and how they are regulated? The OSC’s Crypto Asset Survey provides useful insights about the crypto ownership and knowledge of Canadians. Key...

The Welfare in Canada reports look at the total incomes available to those relying on social assistance (often called “welfare”), taking into account tax credits and other benefits along with social assistance itself. The reports look at four different household types for each province and...

The Office of the Federal Housing Advocate released their annual report to the federal Housing Minister, outlining findings from submissions they received from 2022 to 2023 through their online public submission process that allows people from across Canada to report directly to the Advocate...

For some individuals with a disability, the main labour market challenge is to find employment. Others may find it difficult to retain their jobs or qualify for promotion opportunities. This study offers important new insights into the life-long evolution of the earnings of individuals whose...

This discussion paper begins by explaining what is commonly understood as child care and how child care expenses currently enter the market basket measure (MBM) methodology. It then describes an alternative approach to account for child care expenses by incorporating them as a separate component...

Between the high cost of living and inflation, many of us are struggling with debt. But with financial advice available everywhere - from your uncle’s friend to social media influencers, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and hard to know whose advice you can trust. Learning some key warning...

Charitable food programs have been the primary response to household food insecurity in Canada since the 1980s. Yet, for as long as there has been systematic monitoring, there has been no meaningful decline in the prevalence of household food insecurity. Based on the most recent data from...

Drawing on survey and interview data, as well as data from Daily Bread and North York Harvest’s member agencies, the 2022 Who’s Hungry report examines trends in food bank use and food insecurity over the past year in relation to three core areas: income and employment, housing, and the cost of...

Food insecurity—the inadequate access to food due to financial constraints—affects 1 in 6 households in Canada, with serious health implications. Family benefit programs supplementing income have shown potential in mitigating the risk of food insecurity, but there is little understanding of...