When Calgary-based content creator Neha Haider began her financial journey, she didn’t know where to start. As a 24-year-old living with her partner in downtown Calgary and working an unconventional job, budgeting and saving was a learning experience. Today she is thriving — well on her way to meeting some major savings goals and sharing some tips she’s learned along the way. But it all started when she decided to meet with an ATB everyday banking advisor to get some personalized financial advice. 

Here are six reasons why she says working with an everyday banking advisor helped her build a solid financial foundation.

It helps dispel financial myths

Before meeting with an everyday banking advisor, Neha’s financial knowledge was limited. “I understood the general concept of saving — that it’s important to set aside a portion of my income each month — but I didn’t really have a structured plan. I wasn’t sure how much I should be saving, how to prioritize short-term versus long-term goals, or which types of savings accounts would be the best fit for different goals.”

When it came to investing, Neha didn’t feel confident enough to even take the first step. 

“Honestly, I thought meeting with an everyday banking advisor was something you only did once you already had wealth, major assets, and more complex financial needs,” she admits. She worried about the process being overwhelming or intimidating, and felt pressure to have all the right answers about her finances going into it.

But after navigating some big adult transitions over the last few years, like graduating university, moving out of her parents’ house and paying her own bills for the first time, Neha knew it was time to take the plunge and meet with an expert who could help her plan for the future.

You can get personalized advice

Before meeting with an everyday banking advisor, Neha got most of her financial advice from Google, TikTok or friends and family. And while there is a lot of great general advice online, Neha says being able to ask an expert about her specific financial situation was more helpful.

“I started combining finances with my husband, Yousuf, after we moved in together last year, so we wanted to be proactive,” she says. “We didn’t want to get into bad habits or miss opportunities to set ourselves up for bigger milestones, like buying a home.”

Whatever your goals are, ATB’s experts have the financial knowledge and experience to help you design and manage a plan that feels right for you.

You’ll get clear on your goals

Meeting with an everyday banking advisor forced Neha and her husband to sit down and look at their current financial situation. Before the first meeting, they filled out ATB’s Budgeting Worksheet, which gave them a birds-eye view of where their money was going each month. The worksheet helps you track your average monthly income against your fixed and variable expenses, debts, and savings goals. 

“Thinking through this ahead of time helped us get clear on what we wanted to ask about and what areas we needed guidance on,” Neha says. “It was a good opportunity for us to think about what we want to work towards together.”

Their everyday banking advisor helped Neha and Yousuf create a manageable plan to reach their goals. “We didn’t want to just keep winging it,” Neha remembers. “We wanted an intentional plan that made sense for where we are now and where we want to be in a couple of years. It was important to have someone explain not just what to do — like “save money” or “open an account” — but also how and why. I wanted to learn and understand financial terms.”

Having a financial plan can reduce stress

Managing finances as a young adult can be stressful and overwhelming. When you’re first entering adulthood, there are so many things to learn. Even small steps like setting up bill payments or setting aside a percentage of your paycheque for savings can cause feelings of anxiety and worry. Learning about financial acronyms and how to invest your money might feel too daunting to deal with.

But Neha says an everyday banking advisor can help take away some of that stress and uncertainty. 

“It helps set the tone for this new era in your life by giving you steps toward building a solid financial foundation,” she says. “Meeting with an everyday banking advisor also made me realize that financial planning isn’t just for people who are already wealthy or established. It’s something that can start early, even if you’re just working with a small budget.”

“Plus, the tools and accounts at ATB are actually designed with young people in mind, which is so helpful.”

It helps you make saving a habit

Neha’s everyday banking advisor started with the basics, ensuring she had some no-fee fundamentals set up, like a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) with pre-authorized contributions. She received personalized advice about monthly savings goals and how to budget on a small income.

“Our everyday banking advisor broke down realistic savings goals for us and suggested that setting aside even a small percentage of our net income could make a huge difference over time,” Neha says. “They also emphasized the importance of setting up separate savings accounts for different goals to stay organized and motivated, like one for emergency savings and another for travel or future purchases.”

Neha remembers how that emergency fund came in handy more quickly than she expected. “We locked our keys in the car on a trip and needed to pay for a tow truck!” 

Next, Neha learned about accounts that could support future planning, including a First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).

“Retirement planning felt like something that I could wait to figure out until much further down the road,” she admits. But experts say the earlier you start saving, the better, because your money can earn interest longer and grow more.

It’s a reminder to check in regularly

Neha and her husband plan to meet with an everyday banking advisor at least once a year for a financial “check up”, or whenever there is a big life change, like one of them getting a new job or planning for one of the big purchases they’ve talked about.

And they regularly track their expenses using the interactive budget sheet. This helps them spot opportunities to save, like cancelling duplicate subscriptions or reducing unnecessary spending.

“Realistically, we know there will be months where we don’t save as much, and that’s okay,” Neha says. “We set ourselves up for success by working with an everyday banking advisor, contributing to our emergency fund, and continuously learning about the best ways to manage our finances to maximize what we earn.”