We run these sessions with Nations directly: no jargon, no sales pitch, no assumptions about what you already know. The material below is free to read, keep, and share. If any of it is unclear, that's on us, and we're glad to walk through it in person.
Everyday steps to take control of your cash. Here's the whole session, at a glance.
A simple test before you buy: if I didn't get this today, would I still be okay? If yes, it's a want.
Income, minus bills and a little savings, equals what's safe to spend, guilt-free. A budget isn't a cage; it tells you where you stand.
Cash at home gets lost, stolen, or spent. Chequing pays the bills; savings holds money you "hide from yourself" so it grows.
Save your first thousand fast, then aim for three months of expenses. Don't touch it unless it's a true emergency.
Move a small amount to savings automatically every payday, before it has a chance to get spent.
Only charge what you can pay off in full each month. And steer clear of payday loans; the fees are built to trap you.
Section 87 may exempt on-reserve income from tax. Either way, file every year. It's how benefits like the Canada Child Benefit reach you.
The full presentation we deliver in community sessions. Read it through or keep a copy.
What you learn here, you can pass on.
Financial knowledge compounds the way money does. One person in a family who understands it can change the next generation.
Once the foundation is in place, with debts down and your emergency fund started, this is how money grows over time.
Your money earns a return, then those returns start earning too. Like a snowball rolling downhill, it starts small and builds on itself. Left alone for decades, small habits become real wealth.
$50 a month from age 25 could grow to about $120,000 by 65, but only about $25,000 if you wait until 45. Same habit, far more time. Make it automatic and let time do the lifting.
Clear high-interest debt and have your emergency fund set. Only invest money you can leave alone for 3 to 5 years or more.
Interest for lending it, dividends for owning a piece of a company, and capital gains when what you own rises in value.
GICs are safest and steady. Bonds are medium risk. Stocks have more ups and downs, and more potential. Most people mix all three.
Spreading money across many places is safer than betting on one company. ETFs and mutual funds hold hundreds at once, so if one falls, the rest hold you up.
A TFSA grows tax-free, an RRSP cuts today's taxes, an RESP earns government grants for a child's schooling. Always take a full employer match.
When a trust payout or PCD arrives, set aside a portion the moment it lands, before deciding what to spend. Even a small share, protected early, compounds.
Figures shown are illustrations only (about 7% average annual return); real returns vary. This is general education, not personal investment advice.
The full presentation we deliver in community sessions. Read it through or keep a copy.
Once your foundation is set, opening a low-cost investment account is simpler than most people expect. We'll walk you through it, one-on-one, at no charge.
We'll sit down with any member and help you open a simple, low-cost brokerage account, one-on-one, at no charge. No fee, no catch, nothing to sign. The goal is to get you set up and investing well, not to sell you anything.
Look for a platform charging 0.50% (50 basis points) or less per year. Small differences in fees add up to a lot over decades.
Several discount brokerages work well. Wealthsimple is one of the simplest to start with; the big banks and other providers offer self-directed accounts too. Compare fees and options.
A TFSA or RRSP shelters your growth from tax. We'll help you decide which fits your situation and open the right one.
A single low-cost, diversified ETF is enough to get started: broad, spread across many companies, and easy to add to every payday.
Want to walk through any of this in person? We offer free one-hour sessions, for you individually, or a larger gathering on-reserve for the whole community. Tell us what you'd like to cover and a time that suits, and we'll send back a link to meet.
This opens your email app with the details filled in, ready to send. Prefer to write directly? Email info@risingtidelp.com.