At Leadership 2016, Educators Financial Group—a company owned by OSSTF/FEESO and mandated to provide financial services specifically geared to Ontario’s education community—launched a unique new initiative called the Financial Kickstart Challenge.

The initiative was developed in response to a growing need for education workers, and younger education workers in particular, to learn more about financial planning, budgeting, investing and borrowing.

“Our dedication to the education community not only translates into educator-specific advice, but also into a deep commitment to helping improve financial literacy,” said Chuck Hamilton, President and CEO of Educators Financial Group.

The Financial Kickstart Challenge was devised with the specific challenges of the education community in mind. Participants take approximately two minutes to complete an online self-assessment questionnaire. The short survey assesses the participants’ financial habits and behaviours, and helps determine where they should begin to focus to enhance their financial literacy. Based on information gleaned from the survey, participants are provided with support in the form of relevant financial literacy information, which is made available via the web or by email.

With 41 years serving Ontario’s education community, Educators Financial Group is uniquely experienced with the financial circumstances of education workers, such as how education-sector pensions work, or the challenges faced by newer teachers who are struggling to find full-time work. Drawing on that experience, Educators Financial is able to provide pertinent information that’s written from an educator-specific perspective, and tailored to both the broader challenges faced by education workers and the specific needs of individual participants in the Financial Kickstart Challenge.

OSSTF/FEESO members can participate in the Financial Kickstart Challenge by completing the brief questionnaire at www.educatorskickstart.ca.