SAINT JOHN – Navigating financial decisions just got a whole lot easier with the launch of Finfo.ca, a new consumer education program designed to help New Brunswickers confidently understand and take control of their financial choices.
Whether buying a home, choosing insurance products or planning for their financial future, New Brunswickers can turn to Finfo.ca for clear, trusted financial information, all in one place.
Finfo is powered by the Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick. It reflects the Commission’s ongoing commitment to help New Brunswickers build financial knowledge and confidence through clear, unbiased information about the areas it regulates.
“Financial confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers -- it comes from understanding your choices,” said Marissa Sollows, the Commission’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs. “Finfo meets people where they are and gives them a trusted place to start.
“It is designed to answer the financial questions they may be hesitant or unsure about asking while comparing financial options, navigating financial considerations when starting a family, managing the financial challenges of supporting aging parents, or just trying to have a sense of control over their finances.”
Amid rising costs and mounting economic pressures, many New Brunswickers are feeling financially strained and uncertain. Finfo will help address these challenges by offering a range of practical, interactive tools, with new ones being continuously added, including:
- a compound interest calculator
- a calculator to compare paying down debt versus savings
- a budget builder
- a calculator to estimate how much money to keep in an emergency fund
- a quiz to uncover your money personality
- a credit myths quiz to explain how credit works in New Brunswick
- a fraud awareness quiz to help spot common red flags
- a fillable record keeper to organize important financial information
The website also guides visitors through major life moments that involve money, like landing your first job to planning retirement, as well as money basics, such as saving, investing, borrowing and protecting yourself from fraud -- without judgment or pressure on what choices to make.
“Finfo.ca is a go-to guide for making sense of money in New Brunswick,” Sollows added. “It brings trusted financial information about the areas the Commission regulates together in one place, so New Brunswickers can better understand their options and make decisions that are right for them.”
Changes to FCNB.ca
In the weeks following the launch, updates will be made to FCNB.ca as that site’s consumer education program content is relocated to Finfo.ca. This shift allows FCNB.ca to focus more clearly on the Commission’s role as a regulator and makes it easier for regulated sectors to find relevant information, reference materials and guidance related to their industry.
“These changes are about clarity,” said Sollows. “Finfo.ca is designed for New Brunswickers looking for trusted information to support their financial well-being, while FCNB.ca remains focused on providing regulatory and consumer protection information and oversight. Together, the two sites make it easier for people to find what they need.”
Audio files of Marissa Sollows, Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Media Contact:
1 866 933-2222 or media@fcnb.ca.
The Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick has the mandate to provide regulatory services that protect the public interest while enhancing public confidence, and to promote understanding of the regulated sectors through educational programs. It is responsible for the administration and enforcement of financial and consumers services legislation for mortgage brokers, payday lenders, real estate, securities, insurance, pensions, credit unions, trust and loan companies, cooperatives, the unclaimed property program, and a wide range of other consumer legislation. To fulfil its education mandate, the Commission offers Finfo, a consumer education program designed to help New Brunswickers make sense of everyday financial decisions related to its regulated sectors. It is a Crown corporation funded by the regulatory fees and assessments paid by the regulated sectors. Online resources related to our regulated sectors are available at www.fcnb.ca.