9 questions to ask about a paycheque

Pick a card. Ask it. Listen first. Nobody needs the answers: asking is the start.

Try the questions on a made-up person first, so nobody has to share their own pay.

Start in 3 steps

Open the planner

finance.chriscoffin.design/?mode=community. No tip jar, no referral links.

Click Look at a sample plan first

You will see a made-up person’s plan.

Click Income

Now everyone is looking at the same screen.

The made-up person: 32 years old. Lives in Ontario. Earns $75,000 a year before tax.

AYour first paycheque or a new job

Before you look: how much of the $75,000 does this person keep?

LOOK ATYour take-home

Which line took the most? Why do you think that is?

LOOK ATFederal income tax, Provincial tax, CPP + EI

What did you expect from your own first pay stub? What surprised you?

No screen needed. Just talk.

BA raise, a bonus or a move

If this person moved to another province, what would change?

LOOK ATthe Province list

If this person got a raise, would they keep all of it?

LOOK ATMarginal income-tax rateTax and payroll costs take a share of every extra dollar.

What is one thing you would do with a raise?

No screen needed. Just talk.

CPlanning with someone

What do we need each month, and what do we want?

LOOK ATBuild my budget, then Needs, Wants, Save & Invest

If we had $100 more a month, where would it go first?

LOOK ATDining out (lower it), Left to allocate

What is one money goal for next year? Who could help us reach it?

LOOK AT“What to do with your money, in order”, step 1: Track your spending

Talk Money · page 2

Finance Simulator
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Keep the talk comfortable

Four ways to keep it easy

Start with the made-up person.

Nobody has to share their own pay.

Share only what you want.

A pass is a fine answer.

Ask, then wait five seconds.

Quiet means people are thinking.

Follow up before you advise.

Try: “What makes you say that?”

Good to know

Using a shared computer? Open a private window first. Changing the sample saves it in that browser.
Skip the “Your income” card on the Income screen. It compares pay with other people, and a talk is not a contest.
Call every number an estimate. It is a plan, not a promise.

Words you may hear

Take-home pay: What is left of your pay after tax and other deductions.
CPP: Canada Pension Plan. A pension you build while you work.
EI: Employment Insurance. Money if you lose your job.
TFSA: Tax-Free Savings Account. Savings that grow tax-free.
RRSP: Registered Retirement Savings Plan. Lowers your tax today. Taxed when you take it out.

Our one next step

One thing we will talk about next:

Who will bring it up:By when:

Talk Money is the 2026 theme of Financial Literacy Month, led by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. These cards are independent. They are not endorsed by or affiliated with FCAC. More about the month: canada.ca/Financial-Literacy-Month