News – Mac's Money Centre

We love talking about taxes! Check us out on CFMU’s MorningFile

Jeff Low — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 19:52:19 +0000

This week, we had a chat with CFMU’s MorningFile about the Tax Squad and tax services provided for McMaster students and community members. Learn about the history of the program, upcoming services and more!

Access the CFMU recording

Learn about tax services

Join the 2022 Tax Squad as a volunteer

Jeff Low — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:40:00 +0000

We have our volunteers for 2022! Come back next year

The next recruitment period begins around January 2023. Get financially empowered and make an impact in the community. Learn to file personal income taxes alongside chartered professional accountants (CPAs) and other volunteers. No tax experience is necessary — we train and supervise.

Register now for do-it-yourself tax webinars and tax appointments

Discover tax services

Read this article to learn more about the Tax Squad in 2021

You could win free textbooks for next term during Financial Literacy Month

Jeff Low — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 20:24:46 +0000

Let’s talk about money! Financial Literacy Month is your chance to take your money management skills to the next level. Attend live webinars, learn about your money personality, access informative resources and more. Your future self will thank you.

Win your textbooks for next term ????????

“Financial literacy” can mean a lot of things. This November for Financial Literacy Month, that definition includes a chance to win your textbooks for the Winter 2022 term. All you have to do is attend a webinar or complete the money personality quiz. Visit the Student Success Centre event page to learn more and get started.

Learn about Financial Literacy Month

Get investing insight from Michelle Hung, AKA the Sassy Investor

Jeff Low — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 15:06:23 +0000

Did you know that you can start building your investments now? Well, you can — take it from Michelle Hung, AKA the Sassy Investor.

During Financial Literacy Month, the Sassy Investor hosted a series of webinars to share her investing expertise with the McMaster community. In case you missed it, you can catch up on the whole series (and all the investing insight) by viewing the recorded sessions.

Sessions include:

Investment Strategies
Investing Basics: From Education to Execution
Fundamentals of a Solid Investment Portfolio
Types of Accounts
All About Robo-Advisors

View all the recordings

Meet the expert

Michelle worked for seven years in investment banking and venture capital. Her experience in advising companies in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and other financial advisory services offered her a rich understanding of capital markets and how it all ties in with the average investor.

In 2014, she received her chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation, a globally recognized investment management credential. She is a contributing writer for Canadian Money Saver Magazine, has done webinars for Questrade and has provided fun videos for Cleo (budgeting app) on TikTok. To date, she’s taught people how to invest (over $2 million total!) and save on average over $9,000 per year.

Learn more about the Sassy Investor on our Instagram (@MacSSC). Check out the Money Workshops highlight for Michelle’s takeover.

November is Financial Literacy Month

Jeff Low — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 15:48:21 +0000

It’s time for a financial check-up! Take part in these activities to better understand your finances and learn how to effectively manage your money. Your future self will thank you.

Investing with Michelle Hung

About the Investing with Michelle Hung series

Did you know that you can start building your investments now? Well, you can — take it from Michelle Hung, AKA the Sassy Investor. Attend this webinar series to learn investment basics, tips and strategies so you can build a solid investment portfolio that works for you. Choose one webinar or attend them all — it’s up to you!

Catch up on the whole series (and all the investing insight) by viewing the recorded sessions. Sessions include:

Investment Strategies
Investing Basics: From Education to Execution
Fundamentals of a Solid Investment Portfolio
Types of Accounts
All About Robo-Advisors

View all the recordings

Meet the expert

Learn more about the Sassy Investor and her upcoming webinars on our Instagram (@MacSSC). Check out the Money Workshops highlight for Michelle’s takeover.

Money, You and COVID-19

Money, You and COVID-19 (Instagram Live)

November 12, 11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. (@MacSSC)

Join us on Instagram Live (@MacSSC) for a candid conversation to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted your finances over the past eight months. What have been some of the challenges? What have we learned about our relationship with money? Our guest host, Rubina Ahmed-Haq, personal finance expert and news personality, will answer questions and help us discover how we can improve our relationship with money.

About the host, Rubina Ahmed-Haq:

Rubina is a journalist and personal finance expert. She regularly appears on TV and radio across Canada, she writes regular columns for several magazines and she has her own website — Always Save Money.

Rubina began her career as a broadcast journalist in 1999.

Follow her on Twitter @alwayssavemoney.

Financial wellness webinars

Finding Ways to Save

October 29, 1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Saving is a habit and skill that you need to develop. It’s the most critical part of any lasting financial plan to ensure your future economic well-being. Why should you save? How can you save? Let’s examine these issues, learn some smart tips and start on your path to building your savings.

Coping with Financial Stress

November 2, 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

For many people, the pandemic has made it harder to find work. How are you coping? Attend this session to get tips and ideas on how to deal with financial stress and learn creative ways to generate some extra funds. The Student Wellness Centre’s Nathan Cooper (psychologist, Faculty of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience) and Terry Bennett (money coach, Mac’s Money Centre) will be there to share their expertise.

How to Deal with Debt

November 5, 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

Debt can cause a great deal of stress. However, there are strategies and programs that you can use to lessen the burden. Don’t let the debt overwhelm you and contribute to feeling hopeless. Let’s talk about it and explore all the ways you can deal with debt.

How to Build a Strong Credit Score

November 9, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Credit has become an essential part of our financial system, and we all need to understand how it works. At this event, we’ll let you in on all the secrets to success in the credit world. You’ll learn about the various types of credit and how using those effectively can build a great credit score.

How to Use Credit Cards Effectively

November 23, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Credit cards can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you use them. Find out how they work, how they can improve your credit rating and learn ways to avoid debt and bad spending habits.

These events are sponsored by the McMaster Okanagan Committee.

Videos and articles

Mac’s Money Show

Meet the money experts at Mac’s Money Centre and learn from financial professionals.

Watch the full series

Mac’s Money Centre webinar recordings

Where Does All My Money Go?

Peer videos

What do financial wellness and literacy mean to you? We asked McMaster students money questions to get the conversation going.

Articles

Mac’s Money Centre’s been working hard to promote financial literacy and wellness for years. Check out these articles to catch up on previous events and initiatives.

Let’s Talk Careers: Part-Time Jobs

Jeff Low — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:06:10 +0000

Are you in the market for a part-time job? Check out this Facebook Live, where our money coach and Student Success Centre careers staff answer questions related to getting experience, short-term opportunities, finding a Mac job and budgeting.

Follow the Student Success Centre on Facebook for more discussions related to financial wellness, part-time job search, career advice and more.

https://www.facebook.com/MacSSC/videos/664837104439905

Letter to Students, Staff, Employers and Community Partners

Jeff Low — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 16:46:32 +0000

To help maintain the health and well-being of the McMaster community during COVID-19, in-person services are no longer available. However, services will be provided virtually (email, phone, audio/video chat) wherever possible. This means that you still have access to our services, including workshops, one-on-one appointments and more.

We continue to be committed to supporting your personal, professional and academic goals. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work together at this time.

For one-on-one or drop-in appointments: Virtual sessions (Zoom, Skype), email and phone communications are available. Virtual options are indicated on OSCARplus.
For workshops: We are exploring alternate formats for our workshops. Please continue to check OSCARplus for details on workshop delivery and potential time changes.
For events: All discretionary events, including tax sessions, are cancelled until further notice.

We’re here to support you and answer all your questions. Here’s how you can connect with us:

If you have any questions about how to access our services at this time, please email money@mcmaster.ca.

Read answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the Registrar’s COVID-19 page.

For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit McMaster’s COVID-19 website.

Stay healthy and take care of yourself.

— Your friends at Mac’s Money Centre and the Student Success Centre

Mac’s Money Show: Money and Confidence

Anas Hussain — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:35:33 +0000

We’re LIVE with the Mac’s Money Show, welcoming stnce, an organization that inspires women to confidently take ownership of their finances, through open conversations.

Today’s topic is: Money and Confidence.

Learn more about Stnce: https://www.stnce.ca/
Learn more about Mac’s Money Centre: https://money.mcmaster.ca/

Canadian Taxes Made Simple!

Anas Hussain — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:57:23 +0000

Why do we pay taxes? Where does the money go? What does this mean for you as a student?

This is the first video in a series to make taxes simpler to understand for students.

We want to thank our 75 Tax Squad volunteers who have provided a combined 900 clinic hours of tax assistance to students of McMaster and members of the Hamilton community. In total, our volunteers filed approximately 1,400+ returns. Refunds total approximately $5 million + in GST Benefits, Ontario Trillium Benefits, Tax Refunds and the Canada Child Credit.

Way to go McMaster students and staff volunteers!Thank you Thrillhouse Studios for your collaboration on this project.

#TaxSquad #TaxPrep #HelpingHamilton #McMaster #MacTalksMoney

Mac’s Money Show: Money and Travel

Anas Hussain — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 14:05:11 +0000

We’re LIVE with the Mac’s Money Show.

Today we meet with Liz Enriquez from Ambitious Adulting and Sam Bhuvanendrarajah who is a Registered Nurse. Liz and Sam are both McMaster graduates who have travelled the world on a budget.

Here are some tips to save for your travels.

Track Your Spending
Small Changes = Big Savings
Set Goals

Visit https://money.mcmaster.ca to find out how to keep your travel goals on track with our online budgeting tools. Our money coaches are here to help! #mactalksmoney