Finance Simulator Open the planner (opens in a new tab)

Financial Literacy Month · Talk Money

9 questions to ask about a paycheque.

Open the sample plan on one screen and these cards on another. Each card says where to look, and nobody has to share their own pay.

Open the sample plan (opens in a new tab) Download the PDF (opens in a new tab)

Teaching this? See where it fits your course

By product designer in Montrealchecked

Card 1 of 9Use the arrows to move

1Your first paycheque or a new jobStarting out, or starting a new job

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

On the Income screen, look at

Your take-home

2Your first paycheque or a new jobStarting out, or starting a new job

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

On the Income screen, look at

Federal income tax, Provincial tax, CPP + EI

3Your first paycheque or a new jobStarting out, or starting a new job

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

No screen needed. Just talk.

4A raise, a bonus or a moveWhen your pay or your home changes

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

On the Income screen, look at

the Province list, then set it back

5A raise, a bonus or a moveWhen your pay or your home changes

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

On the Income screen, look at

Marginal income-tax rate

Tax and payroll costs take a share of every extra dollar.

6A raise, a bonus or a moveWhen your pay or your home changes

What is one thing you would do with a raise?

No screen needed. Just talk.

7Planning with someoneWith a partner, a roommate or family

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

On the Budget screen, look at

Needs, Wants, Save & Invest

8Planning with someoneWith a partner, a roommate or family

If we spent $100 less a month on dining out, where should that money go?

On the Budget screen, look at

Dining out (lower it by $100) and Left to allocate, then set it back

How to use it with the planner
  1. Open the sample plan in a new tab, or on a second screen.
  2. Pick a card and read it out. Listen first.
  3. Look where the card says, so everyone sees the same numbers.
Keep the talk comfortable
  • 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?”

Printable version · 2 pagesDownload the PDF (opens in a new tab)

Talk Money · Financial Literacy Month 2026

Finance Simulator
finance.chriscoffin.design

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

1

Open the planner

finance.chriscoffin.design/?mode=community (opens in a new tab). No tip jar, no referral links.

2

Click Look at a sample plan first

You will see a made-up person’s plan.

3

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

1

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

INCOME · LOOK ATYour take-home

2

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

INCOME · LOOK ATFederal income tax, Provincial tax, CPP + EI

3

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

4

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

INCOME · LOOK ATthe Province list, then set it back

5

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

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

6

What is one thing you would do with a raise?

No screen needed. Just talk.

CPlanning with someone

7

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

BUDGET · LOOK ATNeeds, Wants, Save & Invest

8

If we spent $100 less a month on dining out, where should that money go?

BUDGET · LOOK ATDining out (lower it by $100) and Left to allocate, then set it back

9

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

Made for Financial Literacy Month 2026. Use it any time.

Next: keep the talk comfortable

Talk Money · page 2

Finance Simulator
finance.chriscoffin.design

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 card that compares pay with other Canadians on the Income screen. 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 (opens in a new tab)

New to Financial Literacy Month?

Every November, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) leads Financial Literacy Month. The 2026 theme is Talk Money: starting honest, useful talks about money. Talking about pay can feel awkward, so these cards start with a made-up person instead of anyone's real numbers.

The cards are independent. They are not endorsed by or affiliated with FCAC. More about the month: canada.ca/Financial-Literacy-Month (opens in a new tab)

Ways to use the cards

For teachers: where the cards fit

A 15-minute discussion that sits alongside the pay and budgeting parts of these courses. Students work on a made-up person, so nobody shares their family's pay.

Checked against each ministry's published curriculum on 4 November 2026. The cards are a discussion starter, not a full unit or an official ministry resource.

Open the 15-minute lesson planDownload the PDF (opens in a new tab)

Questions people ask

Who are these cards for?

Anyone starting a talk about pay: students, people in a first or new job, newcomers to Canada, couples, families, and the people who teach them.

Do I have to share my own pay?

No. Every question works on the made-up person: 32 years old, lives in Ontario, earns $75,000 a year before tax. Share your own numbers only if you want to.

What does it cost? Do I need an account?

Nothing, and no. Download the PDF or use this page. The planner needs no account and no email.

What happens to what I type in the planner?

The financial numbers you type stay in your browser. They are not sent to a server. The site counts visits and button clicks with Google Analytics, which uses cookies, but never the numbers you type. On a shared computer, open a private window first.

Are the numbers up to date?

The planner uses 2026 tax rules, and the cards were last checked against it on 4 November 2026. Every figure has a source on the methodology page. They are estimates for learning, not financial advice.

Are these cards made by FCAC?

No. Financial Literacy Month is led by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), and these cards were made for it independently. They are not endorsed by or affiliated with FCAC. Learn about the month at canada.ca/Financial-Literacy-Month.

How is this paid for?

The cards are free, with no ads. The wider site is supported by an optional tip jar and a referral link. Every link from this page into the planner opens Community mode, which hides both.

Who made this

I'm Chris Coffin, a product designer (opens in a new tab) in Montreal. Over a decade ago, a friend from high school who had become a financial advisor sat down with me to talk about budgeting, investing and retirement. That one conversation changed how I handled money. These cards are a way to start that kind of talk.

I spent six years planning my own money in a spreadsheet, then used 15 years of product design to turn it into Finance Simulator, the free planner these cards use. It is already listed in two resource lists for teachers: the Alberta Teachers' Association library's financial literacy guide and LEARN Quebec's financial education resources. A listing means they chose to list it, not that they checked every number.

I'm not a financial planner or tax professional, so every number here is an estimate for learning. No company or sponsor is behind the cards, and they carry no ads or referral links.