Get top marks in financial literacy with help from Mac’s Money Centre

Being intentional with your spending is something money coach Terry Bennett wants every student to consider when they head to grad school.

“It’s really important that students plan how they will be spending their money over a term,” says Bennett. “Without a plan, you may find yourself scrambling to pay bills even though you were sure you had enough cash to cover everything.”

This was Bennett’s message at a recent online session for graduate students joining the McMaster community this fall. Managing Your Money highlighted the importance of creating a budget early each fall, so that you can avoid running low on funds before the academic year is over.

Thanks to Bennett (who is also a credit counsellor) and her colleague Gina Robinson, McMaster students are learning not only how to manage their finances while in school but will take with them a solid foundation of money management skills to build on as they begin careers beyond – or on – campus.

Both Bennett and Robinson are coaches at Mac’s Money Centre which is part of the Student Success Centre. Services at the money centre are free of charge to McMaster students.

Upcoming series for grad students

Beginning September 12, a Money Management workshop series – featuring online and in-person sessions – will be offered exclusively to McMaster graduate students, focusing on experiences unique to this group. Topics will cover:

• Dealing with Money and Financial Stress, September 12, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• Organizing My Finances, Part 1, October 16,
• Organizing My Finances, Part 2, October 30
• Building a Great Credit Score, November 8
• Fighting Inflation and Rising Costs, November 28
• Additional workshops to come in Winter 2024

Watch your email inbox for additional information and registration details.

This series is delivered by Mac’s Money Centre in partnership with the School of Graduate Studies.

About Mac’s Money Centre

The centre offers a variety of services including

• workshops and sessions focused on helping students become financially savvy,
• help with preparing and filing your taxes,
• online resources, featuring a budgeting spreadsheet created by Mac Money Centre coaches and other helpful tools from across the web, and
• one-on-one appointments with a money coach.