November 12, 2019

Financial Agency sets its sights high for ‘Record’ in November

Winnipeg – For November’s Financial Literacy Month, the Manitoba Financial Services Agency (MFSA) has released My Personal Affairs Record Keeper – a free print and online booklet for Manitobans to keep track of important personal details and financial information and as a complement to a thorough estate plan. The Record Keeper is a part of the Agency’s MoneySmart Manitoba financial education initiative.

The document includes prompts and plenty of space to record important details, everything from the location of your will and contact information for your lawyer, to a list of financial assets and your family vet. Over 200 advanced copies have gone out to seniors organizations around the province, with hundreds more already on order.

“The Record Keeper certainly helps with organization, but more importantly it can provide peace of mind.” says Ainsley Cunningham, MFSA Education & Communications Manager and MoneySmart’s project lead. “Imagine your son or daughter, your spouse, or any trusted person scrambling to find critically important information about you when they need it most.”

The handy, easy-to-use journal is available as a printable or fillable PDF on the Agency’s MoneySmart Manitoba website or free-to-order physical copies from the MFSA office. Once completed, the Record Keeper should be stored in a safe, secure place that only trusted persons or an Executor know about.

“It doesn’t take long to fill out some of the basics,” says Cunningham. “and it could save your loved ones needless hours searching for documents and contacts down the road.”

In addition to the Record Keeper, MoneySmart has launched a Family Hub page for Financial Literacy Month, with information specifically for families to learn more about money matters together.

“Studies show we aren’t really talking about money at home with the people most affected by our money decisions: our partners, children and parents.” says Cunningham. “The Record Keeper can prompt the conversation about estate planning with your parents or adult children, while something like our Make it Count! Parent’s Guide is great for introducing financial concepts to children and teens.”

“There’s never a downside to better understanding money. If you can make the time to learn something new yourself, and share that wisdom with the people you care about—that’s the best dividend you can possibly earn.”

Manitobans are invited to learn more about money matters today at moneysmartmanitoba.ca, follow the MoneySmartManitoba.ca Facebook page facebook.com/moneysmartmanitoba, on Twitter @MoneySmartMB, or on YouTube.

MoneySmartManitoba.ca is a project of The Manitoba Financial Services Agency, which through its two divisions, regulates securities, real estate, cooperatives, credit unions, and insurance in the province. Improving financial literacy for Manitobans is part of its mission.

The MFSA includes The Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC) and Financial Institutions Regulation Branch (FIRB), is a Special Operating Agency of the Government of Manitoba.

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