Free Seminars Help Saskatchewan Students Learn the Financial Basics

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 1, 2012) - Do you ever wish you had someone to teach the basics of managing money when you were in high school? Well today the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) does just that for Saskatchewan students with its free, non-commercial, financial literacy seminars, taught by local volunteer bankers, through the Your Money program.

The CBA and banks in Canada have been dedicated to boosting financial literacy levels for years. For over a decade, the CBA has brought financial literacy to Canadians through its high school seminar program, Your Money, which has taught more than 5600 Saskatchewan high school students about budgeting, borrowing, saving, investing, and protecting themselves from fraud. In these non-commercial seminars, bankers from the local community volunteer their time to teach young Canadians about responsible money management.

"Our program gives young adults the opportunity to learn good money management skills early in life, and that's extremely important," said Terry Campbell, President of the Canadian Bankers Association. "We challenge high school students to think about how they can become financially prepared to rent an apartment, buy a car, attend post-secondary education, or whatever their goals may be."

"I never had anything like this when I was in school," said Javid Safi, a Senior Financial Services Representative with CIBC in Regina who teaches the seminars on a voluntary basis. "We try to make the seminars interactive and engaging, by asking them questions and having them preparing a budget. Many of the students are surprised to find out the cost of everyday expenses like rent, utilities or having a car and how hard it can be to set aside money with those expenses. It's a reality check for them at a time when many of them are just starting to earn their own money."

Students, teachers, parents, and interested bankers who would like to find out more about the Your Money program, or teachers who wish to sign up their class, are encouraged to visit www.yourmoney.cba.ca.

About the Canadian Bankers Association

The Canadian Bankers Association works on behalf of 53 domestic banks, foreign bank subsidiaries and foreign bank branches operating in Canada and their 267,000 employees. The CBA advocates for effective public policies that contribute to a sound, successful banking system that benefits Canadians and Canada's economy. The Association also promotes financial literacy to help Canadians make informed financial decisions and works with banks and law enforcement to help protect customers against financial crime and promote fraud awareness. www.cba.ca.

Follow the CBA on Twitter: @CdnBankers