Credit Counselling Society Serving Melfort, Saskatchewan
Free Debt & 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’re members of Credit Counselling Canada, a national association for non-profit credit counselling agencies that follow strict standards for quality and transparency.
• They’ll work with you to understand your entire financial picture, build a practical budget, and help you explore all your options to resolve your debt and improve your financial well-being.
• Their credit counsellors are not paid commission or incentives of any kind that are tied to the solutions they recommend to the people they help.
• 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.

Here is what credit counselling organizations often look like that have lower success rates:

• 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.
• The “credit counsellor” is paid commission and this is reflected in the “solutions” they promote and the alternative options they discourage. Sometimes the person who helps you is called a “debt consultant” and will attempt to charge you thousands of dollars for their help before then referring you to a less than reputable Licensed Insolvency Trustee. A quality non-profit credit counselling organization will not charge you fees and then refer you to someone else. If it looks like an insolvency option is in your best interest, then they’ll provide you with contact information for a number of local trustees they are comfortable with entirely for free.
• The “solution” to your situation will likely be a consumer proposal because that is the option that pays them the most and it sounds better than its big brother, bankruptcy (both are legal options governed by the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act). For many people who call themselves “credit counsellors” but aren’t a member of Credit Counselling Canada, there is quite possibly an 80% chance that you won’t leave their office without being convinced to sign up for a program that pays the credit counsellor or debt consultant money.
• The recidivism rate (repeat rate) for all insolvency options (consumer proposals and bankruptcy) is around 20%. This means that 20% of people who complete these programs will repeat them again in the future. There are many reasons for this but one is that many times no one takes the time to help these people figure out what caused their financial problems in the first place and what proactive steps they can take to avoid similar financial problems in the future. Quality non-profit credit counsellors do this, and it’s one of many reasons why their success rate is very high.

To wrap up this up, not all credit counselling is the same. Some providers focus more on generating revenue than helping people, while reputable non-profits—often members of Credit Counselling Canada—put individuals first, even if that means they don’t earn anything. In fact, about 95% of people who call us for help of some kind end up receiving it completely free without ever paying a thing. It’s easy to see why profit-driven counsellors wouldn’t be interested in offering this kind of support – it doesn’t generate the profits they’re looking for.

You can meet with a credit counsellor as many times as you like without it ever showing up on your credit report. However, if you choose to join a Debt Management Program through a reputable non-profit like the Credit Counselling Society, this will appear on your report but will be removed two years after your last payment. This is a much shorter period than the six years a bankruptcy remains on your credit report and about a year less than a consumer proposal. But unlike a proposal, it also leaves no trace in public court records – because it’s completely private.

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.

What happens in a credit counselling session depends on what kind of an organization you are dealing with. If you’re dealing with a for-profit agency, the goal is often to help you by getting you to sign up for one of the programs that pays the credit counsellor or their employer. If you’re dealing with a quality non-profit credit counselling agency such as a member of Credit Counselling Canada, they will typically spend close to an hour with you listening to you, finding out what your financial challenges are, finding out what your financial goals are, and the begin the solution process by first helping you put together a realistic budget. With your input, they will construct a budget for you from which you can then begin having a conversation about options that may work for you. The credit counsellor will then help you explore all options that could potentially address your situation. They’ll discuss the pros and cons with you with an eye towards finding something that will help you accomplish your financial goals, get you out of debt within a reasonable time period, and work within your budget.

Good counsellors are experts at budgeting and as part of their process will help you make the most of what you have.

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 you’re considering a Debt Management Program, a good non-profit won’t pressure you into signing up right away. They’ll encourage you to think it over and talk it through with someone you trust.

If a consumer proposal or bankruptcy appears to be a better choice, they’ll refer you to a local Licensed Insolvency Trustee that they trust.

Whether you simply came here looking for credit counselling near me or want more structured financial guidance, these sessions are designed to give you a clear picture of your situation and a path forward.

Yes, our staff provide credit counselling to the whole province. Before the pandemic, we served everyone from our offices in Regina and Saskatoon, but so many people preferred phone or online meetings that we continued with this model. Today we still serve the entire province by phone. Give us a call. We’d be happy to help you.

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, there’s plenty of free support available. Our non-profit provides no-cost counselling, financial education, and free educational resources. More than half of the people we assist end up choosing a free solution they can manage on their own. In these situations, they receive a personalized action plan, and they’re welcome to follow up with their counsellor (at no cost) for ongoing support or advice as they implement it. If it looks like our debt repayment plan is someone’s best option, but their budget can’t afford our small fee, then we’ll waive it. We’re all about helping people find workable solutions and removing barriers that keep them from moving forward.

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 offer professional, non-profit help to people throughout the province and across the country. If you’re looking for the best credit counselling Melfort has to offer, we are a trusted, certified, accountable, and highly rated option.

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.

There was a time when a lot of provinces once ran their own credit counselling programs. However, most eventually found that quality non-profits like ours proved to deliver better results without relying on public funding. Once they discovered this, most switched to referring to non-profits rather than providing the service themselves.

It just so happens now that a lot of the people we help are referred to us by various government bodies from across the country. Some government departments and agencies are even regular users our educational resources and often invite us to provide financial literacy training for their employees.

Over the years, CCS has helped more than a million Canadians through one-on-one help in person and over the phone. We’ve also helped millions more online through our websites. We also operate the largest network of offices among non-profit credit counselling agencies in Canada, and our staff are frequently featured in the media offering insights and advice on personal finance.

A couple of our staff members also write weekly and bi-weekly columns for two major publications, the Financial Post and The Province. The articles are often re-published by media outlets in cities across Canada.

The organization has earned over 80 awards for its outstanding work and along with more than 1,500 online reviews, with an average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Each year we survey of over 10,000 of the people we help and for many years now, these surveys show that 98% would recommend CCS 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:

• We’re governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of financial and professional experts from all across Canada.
• An external, independent accounting firm audits our finances each and every year. This is a level of transparency and accountability that no other service provider in our industry adheres to.
• We’re accredited by Credit Counselling Canada (CCC), our industry’s national association with the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
• We are governed as a non-profit registered with the Government of Canada.
• We were the very first international affiliate of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)—North America’s leading 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.

Most definitely. The Credit Counselling Society (CCS) is very legitimate. It’s one of the most trusted and recommended credit counselling organizations in Canada. The fact that it’s non-profit and is well known for the high quality of its service have allowed it to continue serving Canadians for almost 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.

In fact, many of our clients are referred to us by government departments and agencies from across the country. Some government organizations even use our educational resources and invite us to provide financial literacy training for 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 contribute weekly and bi-weekly articles to two major Canadian publications, The Province and the Financial Post, which are often re-published by media outlets nationwide.

The organization has earned over 80 awards for its outstanding work and along with more than 1,500 online reviews, with an average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Each year we survey of over 10,000 of the people we help and for many years now, these surveys show that 98% would recommend CCS 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 independently audited every year by an external accounting firm—something no other credit counselling organization 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 governed as a non-profit registered with the Government of 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 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 don’t believe commission based compensation is the best way to serve those who look to us for help. Unlike many organizations out there, our staff are never paid commission of any kind. This ensures that every client receives unbiased, objective advice that’s truly in their best interest.