Yorkton, Saskatchewan Credit Counselling Society
Free Debt and Credit Help

The effectiveness of credit counselling can be very strong—provided you work with the right kind of organization. Those with the highest success rates tend to share the following traits:

• They belong to Credit Counselling Canada, a nationwide network of non-profit agencies that follow rigorous standards of transparency and service quality.
• They take time to fully understand your financial circumstances, create a workable budget with you, and review all your available options to deal with your debt and strengthen your financial stability.
• Their staff members aren’t paid commissions or given incentives tied to the recommendations they make, so they are able to provide you with objective guidance.
• Roughly 95% of people who contact these organizations receive help at no cost, and only about 20% end up enrolling in their repayment plan. The rest either get practical guidance they can implement themselves or are referred to another professional for very specific assistance.
• If you choose to enroll in their repayment plan—known as a Debt Management Program—you learn practical money management skills that last a lifetime. Consequently, the relapse rate is under 1%. This compares to roughly 20% of people who file for bankruptcy or a consumer proposal needing to redo the process again at some point in the future.

On the other hand, organizations with lower success rates often operate very differently. Here’s how things tend to look there:

• The help you receive may end up feeling more like a sales pitch than a genuine counselling session.
• Their “credit counsellors” providing advice may lack professional accreditation, have no oversight from a regulatory body, and may not be bound by a strict ethical code. Credit Counselling Canada is the only national credit counselling association in Canada that does not allow it’s members to take advantage of trusting consumers by double charging them for consumer proposals (only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee should charge you money for a consumer proposal).
• They often steer clients toward a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (bankruptcy trustee) for a consumer proposal because this is more profitable for them. Tragically many will effectively double charge their clients when they do this by charging them thousands for a consumer proposal before then referring them to a bankruptcy trustee who by law is the only one allowed to charge for a consumer proposal.
• These “credit counsellors” tend to earn commissions on specific “solutions” they sell. This naturally influences their recommendations and may result in certain viable options never being mentioned. Some of these salespeople also call themselves “debt consultants” and will charge hefty upfront fees before passing you on to a less than reputable bankruptcy trustee. Reputable non-profits never do this. If it looks like either a consumer proposal or bankruptcy are your best option, they’ll simply offer you a list of trustworthy trustees for free.
• Their go-to “solution” is frequently a consumer proposal. While this can sound better than bankruptcy, it’s still insolvency and falls under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. If the credit counsellors or debt consultants helping you aren’t members of Credit Counselling Canada, there’s a strong chance—possibly as high as 80%—that you won’t leave their office with being convinced to sign up for a program that benefits them financially.
• With consumer proposals and bankruptcies, about 20% of people end up having to file for one of these again in the future. One of the reasons why this can happen is because the underlying causes of financial trouble are never addressed. Quality credit counselling organizations tackle these root issues, which is a big part of why they see better long-term outcomes.

In short, credit counselling isn’t all the same. Some providers prioritize revenue over real help, while long-term results orientated non-profits—often members of Credit Counselling Canada—put people’s needs first, even if it means earning nothing from the interaction. In fact, about 95% of those who contact us receive support completely free of charge, which is something profit-driven agencies simply can’t match.

You can talk to one of our credit counsellors as often as you like, and it will never be recorded on your credit report. However, if you decide to complete a Debt Management Program through your credit counsellor and a recognized non-profit like the Credit Counselling Society, any notation on your credit report will disappear no later than two years after your final payment. This is much faster than the six years for bankruptcy. It also clears from your credit report about a year sooner than a consumer proposal and, unlike proposals, doesn’t leave any record in the public court system or impact future employment options.

Just talking to a credit counsellor won’t impact your credit score—it’s completely private and isn’t reported to anyone. But if you enroll in a Debt Management Program, then this may impact your credit score. Sometimes it affects your score, and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s safer to assume that it will. That said, the impact only lasts until two years after you finish the program. At that point, the credit agency removes the program from your credit report, and with the right steps, your credit score can recover quickly. Your counsellor can let you know what to do to rebuilding your credit score. A credit rebuilding program is actually a part of our Debt Management Program.

In the big picture, any negative effects of a Debt Management Program (DMP) on your credit report are very short term compared to the alternatives. The alternatives could be:

• Repaying your debt on your own. If you’re really struggling to pay your bills, then your credit has likely already been dramatically impacted so going on a DMP will only help you fix your credit sooner. Continuing on your own at this point would likely drag things out for an extended period of time and just keep your credit in the ditch for a longer period of time.
• Trying to qualify for a debt consolidation loan if your credit cards are maxed out and you don’t have some good collateral to offer such as a newer vehicle (without a loan or lease) or real estate probably isn’t going to work out great, and if you end up getting a loan with an interest rate near 30% or higher, you’ll have difficulty paying it off and improving your credit any time soon.
• Getting rid of your debt faster by filing for insolvency through either bankruptcy or a consumer proposal. One of the downsides of this approach is that it destroys your credit for a minimum of 6 years and leaves you with a permanent legal record.

We don’t share all of this to discourage you, but rather to point out that a DMP can be a very helpful and effective tool when used in the right set of circumstances. These other options can also be viable when used in the right set of circumstances. Feel free to speak with one of our credit counsellors to see what options might work best for your financial situation.

Your experience will depend on the type of organization you choose. If it’s a for-profit company, their priority may be enrolling you in a program that earns them money. But if it’s a non-profit like one accredited by Credit Counselling Canada, the session will be very different.

You’ll likely spend close to an hour with a counsellor who listens to your concerns, learns about your situation and goals, and then helps you build a realistic budget that works. From there, you’ll review all the options that might help, weighing the pros and cons of each. The goal is to find a solution that fits your situation, helps you get out of debt within a reasonable time, and stays within your budget.

Top quality credit counsellors are experts at budgeting. As part of their process they’ll help you find many ways to fine-tune and optimize your budget to get the most out of it.

By the end of the session, you’ll probably have a plan of action and a clear sense of your next steps. If you need more help later, a follow-up session can be scheduled—also free of charge.

If a Debt Management Program seems like your best option, they’ll encourage you to take time to decide and even run it by someone you trust.

If it turns out that a consumer proposal or bankruptcy makes the most sense, they’ll refer you to a trusted Licensed Insolvency Trustee they trust—often providing a list so you can choose.

Whether you’re just looking for credit counselling near me or desire more structured financial guidance, these coaching sessions are intended to give you a better picture of your situation and a clear path forward.

Yes, credit counselling services are available across Saskatchewan. Before the pandemic we served Saskatchewan from our offices in Regina and Saskatoon, but with so many people preferring to meet over the phone or virtually, we now serve all of Saskatchewan by phone and online.

Often, yes. Many people use a Debt Management Program from a non-profit as an alternative to bankruptcy or a consumer proposal. A credit counsellor can review your finances in detail and help you determine if this is a realistic solution for you.

Yes, a whole lot is available for free. Our non-profit offers free credit counselling, free financial education, and free educational resources. After meeting with one of our credit counsellors (either over the phone or in person), over 50% of the people we help end up pursuing a free option. In these cases, both the credit counsellor and the individual agreed that their best first choice was to address their situation on their own. In each of these cases, the credit counsellor would provide the individual with a realistic action plan. Then as the someone is implementing their plan, they can check in with their credit counsellor at any time (for free) to review their progress, bounce ideas off them, or get advice on how to tackle a particular challenge. If our Debt Management Program looks like an ideal option for someone, but we can see that they can’t afford to pay our small fee, then we’ll waive it. We’re here to find solutions that actually work, and we go to great lengths to help people find the right solution that will fit their financial situation.

Yes. The Canadian Credit Counselling Society provides free counselling appointments with certified professionals, complimentary financial education webinars, and a wide range of online tools and resources at no cost. A fee only applies if you decide to participate in one of their debt repayment programs. Even then, the costs are minimal, and in some cases, fees can be waived if someone is unable to pay.

The Credit Counselling Society is well known for the top quality, free help it provides. In fact, it’s been providing free help ever since starting out as the Credit Counselling Society of BC in 1996. Now we provide services across the country from BC to Quebec, which is why we are sometimes called the Credit Counselling Society of Canada.

We provide professional, non-profit support to individuals across the province and throughout Canada. For those seeking the best credit counselling Yorkton can provide, our team is recognized for being dependable, accredited, and highly recommended.

No. Years ago, the Saskatchewan government provided credit counselling services and operated a program called Orderly Payment of Debts. In 2012, however, after recognizing the results achieved by the Credit Counselling Society (CCS), the province ended its own program and began referring residents directly to CCS. So while government credit counselling Yorkton is no longer available, CCS has taken its place and carries on the best aspects of its service.

That would be a strong yes. The Credit Counselling Society (CCS) is a very legitimate and highly respected non-profit organization that’s been assisting Canadians for close to 30 years.

At one time, a lot of provinces offered their own credit counselling services, but they eventually discovered that non-profits such as ours provided better results provided at a lower cost. Consequently, most provinces now refer people to trust non-profits such as ours.

As it turns out, many of the people we help are now referred to us by government agencies and departments across the country. Some government entities even make use of our educational resources and invite our staff to provide financial literacy training to their staff.

Over the years, we’ve helped over a million Canadians one-on-one—and have reached millions more through our websites. We have more offices than any other non-profit credit counselling organization in Canada, and our team is frequently featured in the news offering expert advice and insights on financial issues that impact Canadians.

We also regularly write articles for two major news outlets, the Financial Post and The Province, which are often re-published by media outlets across the country.

Our work has earned us more than 80 awards at the regional, national, and international levels. We’ve also received over 1,500 online reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook—with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Every year, we survey more than 10,000 of our clients, and for many years, over 98% have said they would recommend our service to others.

Education is central to our mission, with a team of full-time educators on staff, multiple awards for excellence in financial literacy, and a self-help educational website that has helped millions.

The organization is also known as a great place to work, with multiple recognitions from Great Place to Work Canada® for supporting young professionals and women, giving back, fairness, including others, and overall employee satisfaction.

When it comes to trust and accountability, we go the extra mile:

• Our finances are audited each year by an independent accounting firm—something no other credit counselling agency in Canada does.
• Our organization is governed by a diverse board of directors who serve as volunteers and come from many different financial and professional backgrounds across Canada.
• We are accredited by and maintain the highest level of standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) along with Credit Counselling Canada (CCC), Canada’s credit counselling association with the highest standards of transparency and accountability.
• We maintain our registered non-profit status with the Government of Canada.
• We were also the first international affiliate of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)—North America’s largest and most trusted non-profit credit counselling organization.

Finally, we’re convinced that commission based compensation is not the best way to serve those who look to us for help and guidance. Unlike many organizations you’ll find out there, our staff are never paid any kind of commission – only a straight, competitive salary. This makes sure that every individual we help receives objective, unbiased advice that’s truly in their best interest.