News release

Program Helps Young Adults With Important Life Decisions

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

From whether or not they should join a CDs-by-mail club to where they choose to live, young Nova Scotians face a sometimes bewildering number of consumer decisions in their daily lives. Now they are also getting the information that can help them make more informed choices.

The Reality Choices program aims to help Nova Scotians aged 18 to 30 face financial hurdles, manage money, understand property rental agreements, make decisions relating to vehicle expenses and provide other important consumer satisfaction information.

"Making life decisions can be overwhelming, regardless of your age," said Barry Barnet, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "It is important for young Nova Scotians to understand the legal consequences that go with these decisions, so they can then make informed choices."

Reality Choices provides information on understanding credit history and ratings from the time a person is issued a credit card, loan or line of credit from a bank, or even a subscription to a CD or video club. It explains how credit agencies operate and their purpose. The program explains the importance of developing a spending plan and how to budget monthly expenses.

The program also includes important information relating to:

  • the pros and cons of buying versus renting a home
  • living expenses and shared costs
  • rental agreements
  • landlord and tenant responsibilities
  • the importance of tenant insurance and the legal liability of associated accidental property damage
  • buying and leasing vehicles
  • consumer satisfaction relating to refunds, exchanges, warranties, door-to-door sales, online shopping, rebates and identity protection.

The program was developed jointly by provincial, territorial and federal governments through the consumer measures committee. For more information about Reality Choices, see the website at www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/consumer .