Join us every Friday in July and August and learn about the Decoda staff’s summer reading picks. Today Alexander Jang, Decoda’s Library Technician, is sharing his summer reading pick.

Every summer, I read self-improvement books across various topics. Although, I have read numerous books on financial literacy in the past, the book I wish to cover is titled A Canadian’s Guide to Money-Smart Living by Kelley Keehn. What made me pick up this book is that it was written by a combination of a financial educator Kelly Keehn along with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. I initially felt this would give me further insight on various financial topics, given this book is written using Canadian knowledge as opposed to other personal finance books which are published in the United States.

What I got out of the book, is the in-depth knowledge regarding credit scores, financial planning, financial legal services and life insurance. For example, most books discuss how to obtain a good score as well as what impacts it. However, this book contains an interview with Laurie Campbell, CEO of Credit Canada Debt Solutions. Through this interview, Campbell discusses the warning signs of when to seek a credit counsellor, what a credit counselling company offers and what you should look out for. This book also contains interviews with other financial professionals such as Keith Costello, President and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners, Yolanda Wachem of McLennan Ross LLP and Greg Pollock who is the President and CEO of Advocis, The Financial Association of Canada.

Overall, this book is full of useful information and is a great read in your spare time. I honestly wished this information was taught when I was in high school. However, it’s never too late to increase your financial knowledge at any age. Given the current economy of our country, financial literacy becomes even more important as it may impact various aspects of one’s life.

This book is available to borrow in the Decoda Literacy Library and can offer readers good information to not only improve their financial literacy, but may also change their life in general.