This is a one-hour webinar on matched savings programs and personal savings strategies that work for people living on low incomes. Our panelists share experiences from their programs in Ontario and Calgary. The presenters in this webinar are: Dean Estrella, Momentum, Calgary, AB John...
As student loan reform continues to dominate national discourse, a NEFE-funded study shows that financial education in states with state-mandated personal finance graduation requirements causes students to make better decisions about how to pay for college. It increases applications for aid,...
This is a one-hour webinar on increasing take up of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) among people on low incomes. Our panelists share challenges and success stories in their work to help clients save for their children’s post-secondary education. Learn successful outreach strategies,...
This brief explains the asset-building approach to poverty reduction. While many families who live on low incomes struggle to meet basic needs, they miss out on opportunities to save and invest - opportunities that are critical in overcoming poverty. Without income, people are unable to get by...
Children’s education savings accounts are a vital tool in boosting high school completion rates, increasing post-secondary education attainment, and reducing poverty. Research shows that saving for a child’s education is connected to improved child development, greater educational and career...
The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is an educational savings incentive that provides children from low income families born in 2004 or later with financial support for post-secondary education. Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB, however take-up remains low among the eligible...
This one-page fact sheet tells you everything you need to know to make your child's future possibilities grow! The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is a grant of $500 up to $2000 from the Government of Canada to eligible families to help with the cost of a child’s education after high school. It...
This case study is about the Omega Foundation’s SmartSAVER program. It has effectively elevated the Canada Learning Bond (a post-secondary education savings program for low income families) from a struggling idea to a fully-fledged and well-utilized national resource. In so doing, Omega and...
This document explains the basics of group RESPs, including what they are, what they may cost, what you need to know about your group RESP if you are already enrolled in a plan, and how to figure out your...
Through the Group RESP Research and Education Project, SEED Winnipeg, Momentum (Calgary), the Legal Help Centre of Winnipeg, and an interdisciplinary research team studied the regulation of group plan RESPs and the experiences of low-income subscribers, and developed public legal education...
An infographic highlighting how to attend post-secondary education with no student debt. It shows how a family eligible for the Canada Learning Bond, with average family savings, student earnings and available grants can cover the cost of post-secondary education (PSE) with no need to...
Building savings is a fundamental strategy for empowering individuals and families with low incomes. Even relatively small amounts of savings can serve as a buffer against inevitable financial shocks that can otherwise undermine social service efforts and successes – and short-term savings offer...
People manage their money in a variety of different ways, sometimes in ways that others fail to understand, but that work well for them. The research in this new report focuses on one of those ways: informal saving. Informal saving can take many forms: saving in cash at home (sometimes literally...
This Economic Insights article documents the characteristics of families with children under the age of 18 who hold registered education savings plan (RESP) investments. The article also examines the relationship between holding an RESP account at age 15 and postsecondary enrolment between the ages...
Using data from a survey of young, enlisted Army service members, we explore whether soldiers have emergency funds and other types of savings. We find different sets of predictors for having an emergency fund and for the amount held in the fund. In general, education and money management...
Canada’s performance in higher education and skills development has been fairly strong for many years. On key measures we are at or near the top of international rankings and our highly skilled people contribute to economic competitiveness, social innovation, and political and community...
These are the webinar slides from the Center for Financial Security webinar on the role of education in retirement...
A registered disability savings plan (RDSP) is a savings plan that is intended to help parents and others save for the long-term financial security of a person who is eligible for the disability tax credit...
The Omega Foundation commissioned this research to better assess the influence of education savings and the federal government’s savings incentive grants for saving on post-secondary access. Our hope was to clarify the facts which have until now been largely obscured. This information gap has...
This is a webinar presenting the results of the Building Savings For Success evaluation report of matched savings account programs in 2 United States cities. One city used a coaching model, the other a case management model. The program showed that participants increased their liquid assets and...
This is a short brief on the RESP and Canada Learning bond. Education savings are an important first step in making a post-secondary education more attainable for a low income student. The Canada Learning Bond, a federal grant that can only be received into a Registered Education Savings Plan...
Canada has quietly moved from the era of the health care review to the era of the review of postsecondary education. Having digested (or set aside) the recommendations of the Romanow and Kirby commissions, federal and provincial governments have developed an appetite for proposals on how to enhance...
In 2008, research conducted by Omega revealed that high-income families took advantage of Canada’s programs to encourage education savings at four times the rate of lower-income families. The findings also showed that only 16% of eligible Canadian children had received their CLB. In response to...
Individual development accounts (IDAs) help low-income families save by matching their personal savings for specific investments, such as a first home, business capitalization, or higher education and training. The Assets for Independence (AFI) program is a federally supported IDA grant program...
This is a brochure about the Canada Learning Bond: what it is, how to get it, and how much it gives you. As a parent, you do your best to help your child succeed. You may have already started thinking about your child’s education after high school. The Government of Canada can help you save in a...