Canadians and Their Money

IV. Delivery and PromotionOne of the challenges of raising financial literacy levels is to ensure that peopleknow about targeted education initiatives available for their benefit and are able toclearly understand and utilize them. Many Canadians are either unaware of theconsiderable amount of financial information readily available across the country,are unsure of its credibility, or simply do not understand it. Moreover, some peopleunderestimate their need for financial education.In previous sections of this report we discussed reaching targeted segments of thepopulation through specific delivery channels such as schools, workplaces andvoluntary organizations. In this section, we focus on delivery in a broader sense:reaching Canadians on a mass scale. We recommend a variety of awareness-buildingtactics: a single source website; a broad public education campaign, as well asone specifically geared to financial fraud awareness; a self-assessment tool to helpCanadians evaluate how savvy they are about their own money; and financial literacyawards and contests. As another “building block” for making lasting improvements infinancial literacy, we also emphasize the importance of clear communication.Single Source WebsiteTo become financially literate, Canadians across the country need to be able to readilyfind reliable, trustworthy information. We believe the Internet can be a powerful toolin this regard, given that Canada has one of the highest rates of Internet use in theworld: 80 percent of Canadians aged 16 years and older used the Internet forpersonal reasons in 2009, up from 73 percent in 2007. 3333 Statistics Canada. (2010). “Canadian Internet Use Survey.” The Daily. (May 10, 2010). Retrieved fromwww.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100510/dq100510a-eng.htm60TASK FORCE ON FINANCIAL LITERACY – IV. Delivery and Promotion