Teaching kids good money habits can be an important part of their childhood. The knowledge and values that a child develops will stay with them long after they’ve entered adulthood. Parents can play an important role in guiding a child's ability to grasp basic financial concepts, helping them understand core money values like distinguishing between needs and wants, and developing confidence in handling risk and reward. Learn more

Retirement Cash Flow Calculator

Will your savings be enough for retirement? Try our new Retirement Cash Flow Calculator to plan your cash flow in retirement. You can estimate how long your money will last given the impact of different rates of return, spending habits and lifestyle choices.

Visit GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca for more popular and free articles, tools and calculators to help you with your finances.

Balancing Your Budget

A budget is a great tool to help you plan for your financial needs. The benefits are more than just having a plan to spend. A budget can help prioritize spending needs, find ways to save money, and give you better control over your financial future.

If you’re new to budgeting, your budget may not balance the first time you try – for many people, that’s part of the budgeting process. Learn more about creating a balanced budget and use our Budget Worksheet to help you along the way.

Self-Directed Investing

Self-directed or do-it-yourself investing is when you build and manage your own investment portfolio. You decide which investments you want to buy and sell, and when. There are potential benefits like the satisfaction of controlling how you invest, but you'll also be responsible for doing your own research and developing an investment strategy that meets your needs. Read our new article  

Asset Mix

You may have heard the phrase “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. If you hold just one investment and it performs poorly, you could lose all of your money. By having a mix of different investments, you can better balance risk with your expected rate of return on your investments.

The right mix is different for each person and situation, but it could include having a mix of cash and cash equivalents, equities, and fixed income investments. Learn more

Socially Responsible Investing

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is an investment strategy that aims to provide financial return while encouraging positive social change. It considers both the financial return and the social good that a company generates.

To determine if a company fits the requirements, investment advisors as well as individual investors screen companies based on a variety of environmental, social, and governance factors. SRI-based screening can be either positive or negative. Read our new article

Application of Behavioural Insights to Retail Investor Protection

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), which the OSC is a board member of, recently released its report, Application of Behavioural Insights to Retail Investor Protection. The report looks at how securities regulators around the world are using behavioural insights to enhance disclosure effectiveness and identify other tools to protect retail investors. Learn more

Tax Time

It’s tax time and most Canadians' income tax and benefit returns are due on April 30, 2019. Self-employed individuals have until June 15, 2019 to file their returns but any balance owing must be paid by April 30, 2019 (since June 15, 2019 falls on a Saturday, the CRA will accept returns until midnight June 17, 2019). Follow these 5 steps to help prepare for this year’s tax filing.

Tax rules and rates depend on the types of investments you have and if you are holding them in a registered account like an RRSP, RESP or TFSA, or a non-registered account. Visit our Understanding Tax hub to learn how taxes could impact you as an investor and how certain tax deductions and credits can help you reduce your tax bill.

Compound Interest Calculator

You can make your money grow faster if you also invest the money you earn (your return) along with the money you started out with. This is called compounding. Compounding works for both guaranteed and non-guaranteed investments. Use our Compound Interest Calculator to find out how your investment will grow over time with compound interest.

Visit GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca for more popular and free articles, tools and calculators to help you with your finances.

Volatility and Your Investments

The value of your investment can change over time, sometimes unexpectedly. The stock market is a good example of this as a stock’s price can experience daily fluctuations. 

A well-defined investment plan tailored to your financial goals and financial situation can help you be ready for the normal ups and downs of the market, and to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Read our new article

Investing in the Cannabis Industry

All investments, including those made in the cannabis industry, come with some amount of risk. Generally, the higher the potential return of an investment, the higher the risk. There is no guarantee that you will actually get a higher return by accepting more risk.

When you invest in the cannabis industry, you’re exposed to different types of risk that can affect your potential return. Learn about these risks

Cryptoassets

Last year, the Investor Office launched GetSmarterAboutCrypto.ca to educate people on cryptoasset products and services, the OSC’s role in regulating them, and tips for exercising due diligence. We also created TBACoin.ca which mimics what a typical fraudulent initial coin offering website may look like to help people recognize potential red flags. Visit our Cryptoassets hub for information and resources.

The OSC held its first public roundtable on reducing regulatory burden on March 27, 2019. Read the full transcript or watch the video of the roundtable, including remarks from the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Finance.

The OSC previously published OSC Staff Notice 11-784: Burden Reduction, which seeks suggestions on reducing regulatory burden with a focus on eliminating unnecessary or outdated rules and processes while protecting investors and the integrity of Ontario’s capital markets. The Notice outlines plans to broadly consult Ontario market participants on ways to further reduce regulatory burden as well as on improving the investor experience.