(NC) You have completed school, landed a good job, and are looking to move out of the family nest. Or perhaps you are recently married, have bought your first home, and are now expecting a baby. Or maybe you are starting to think about your retirement plans. Whatever life stage you are at or whatever goal you are aiming to achieve, have you mapped out a financial plan to help you get to where you want to go?

November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada, an opportune time for people of all ages to improve their financial know-how to help plan for life’s major milestones, like these:

• The options when buying your first home can be overwhelming, but knowing what you need and want in a mortgage, shopping around, getting pre-approved and making the right decisions according to your needs are just some of the steps detailed in the Owning a Home life event from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC).

• If you are expecting, the cost of diapers, clothing, baby equipment, and child care can really add up. FCAC’s Having Children life event and budget calculator can help you draw up a plan to financially prepare for a baby and ease the strain on your family budget.

• Whether we retire early or work well into our senior years, we all want to know that we will have enough money to retire comfortably. Early and careful planning is key. How much money will you need? What sources of income will you have? The agency’s Planning Your Retirement life event offers tips and advice on these questions that you can use when planning your retirement.

All FCAC’s life events, resources and information about financial literacy month are available at itpaystoknow.gc.ca/flm.