Information helps in time of transition

Free financial literacy workshop for newcomer and established Island seniors

Handling finances can be difficult at the best of times. For seniors it can be particularly intimidating as they transition from the workforce into retirement, lose a spouse who tended to handle the financing or begin to consider how to live on a pension or reduced income.

The P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada and Family Service P.E.I. are partnering on a new integration and skills-based learning course for newcomers and established Islanders 50 years and older to improve their financial literacy. This 10-week program, being held at P.E.I. ANC at 49 Water St., Charlottetown, will take place on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., beginning on Feb. 3 until April 6. It will cover topics such as budgeting and basic money management, strategies to track spending, planning for the future, lending and donating, safeguarding against scams, frauds and financial abuse, and setting financial goals.

“This is a gap that we identified through conversations with senior clients,” says P.E.I. ANC information officer Yvette Doucette.

“We were pleased to discover that Family ServiceP.E.I. had already developed a curriculum that covered many of the key topics and were eager to partner with us. Their toolkit called, It’s Your Right - Protecting Yourself Financially As You Age, as well as other work-pages and resources, will be tailored to meet the needs of participants in the program.”

Alex Walsh, outreach education specialist with Family Service P.E.I., will facilitate the course.

Guest speakers will present segments of the course, and participants will develop individualized financial plans which take into account their present situation and their long-term needs and goals.

Walsh says her organization is excited to be working with the P.E.I. ANC. The opportunity to work with new and established Canadians together in this new partnership is something they look forward to.

“We are pleased to be able to share the information that we have developed through It’s Your Right (www.itsyourright. with the participants in this program. I will also be available after the workshop for thirty minutes to cover off any questions that participants may have arising from the evening’s material.”

Any interested Islander 50 years of age or older should contact Doucette on or before Feb. 1 to register by email at yvette@peianc.com or by calling 902-628-6009. Space is limited. More information is available at peianc.com.