The holiday season brings out the generous, gift giving spirit in people.  It also brings about holiday scams. Scrooges are out there ready to take advantage of your kindness and your money. 5 tips To Avoid Holiday Scams Research The Charity You Are Giving To The request for charitable donations ramp up during the holiday giving season. Be sure you know the charity you are considering donating to so you don’t give your cash away to those with less than charitable intentions.  It’s OK to say “no”. Try offering “thank you, but I am not in the position to donate right now”. You could a ..read more

We live in an age where at the touch of our smartphones or computers, we can instantly connect with those we know, and yet more people are lonelier than ever. Virtually surrounded, and yet alone. When a person’s self-worth errantly seems to be connected to the number of social media followers, profile picture likes and comments. Despite having scores of friends online, not feeling comfortable enough to call someone when in need. Chatting with friends for hours, and yet so few to confide in. Members of ever an increasing number of virtual groups but cut off from actual relationships. We really ..read more

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reports that more than 1 in 5 Canadian professionals are employed in a precarious job. Precarious employment could mean no benefits, medical coverage, sick days and also the inability to be part of a union. Essentially, these workers are filling permanent positions but are denied permanent employee rights. This creates uncertainty for the employee and contributes to the emotional and financial stress of the family. Just like high blood pressure and stress, chronic job insecurity has a negative effect on a persons overall health. What is a Prec ..read more

The holidays are fast approaching and budgets are really tight this year.  The good news is that there are ton of ways to better manage your money – including using online resources. Credit Counselling Canada members offer a wide range of online financial literacy tools that can help you tidy up your finances and sharpen your financial management skills. These tools help with topics such as; budgeting, debt management, planning for retirement, handling credit, saving and more. Here are the top 6 online financial literacy tools offered by our members: 7 Steps Money Management Workbook- Th ..read more

As the Novel Corona pandemic disrupts every aspect of our lives, our focus has been  dealing with the challenges many of our members’ clients face due to layoffs and/or a reduction in their household income, working with our hard-working Creditor Relations Committee. We’re pleased to report that the vast majority of national creditors are now supporting our members’ debt management programs (DMP) clients through our new COVID19 Respite Program, which calls for an up to six months accommodation.  These creditors are not defaulting  DMP clients that members bring to their attenti ..read more

CCC’s Annual Members Conference held during June 7-8, 2021, represented Canada’s key stakeholders in the financial services industry including the FCAC, OSB and Canadian Tire Bank. The sessions were very informative, enlightening, and inspiring. Conference attendees were happy to interact with the presenters on topics of utmost importance to the industry right now. Whilst the gathering had to be virtual this year, we absolutely enjoyed the energy and cheer participants brought to the event. It was great to see the high-energy vibes of the discussion boards, chatrooms, polls, virtual meetups, n ..read more

September – A Time for New Beginnings, including Your Budget September is such a beautiful month with the cooler, crisper weather and all the vegetation turning into the brilliant colours of fall, including a few of my pumpkins I planted in the spring. For many of us who still have the muscle memory of starting school in September, this time of year can feel like a new beginning. For me, it’s a time for reflection on how the last eight months of the year have gone and then I step into that fresh piece of paper and a pen and start to dream about new goals. This time of year, can also bring abou ..read more

As businesses and technology firms beef up their security systems, adding hedges and guardrails to protect their clients, so have the number of scams and phishing attacks on unsuspecting populations in Canada. Scammers have been known to employ a variety of tactics from warm and friendly phone calls, dubious sales and offers, to outright threats and manipulation. While there seem to be endless ways people are targeted with fraudulent programs and scams, here are some red flags to watch out for. Being asked to do something urgently because the matter is time sensitive. Told not to share the de ..read more

Emotional spending gets to all of us at one time or another. You walk into a store merely to window-shop and walk out feeling like Santa Claus! Those red shoes were just so pretty, or that cordless toolset too cool to miss. An irresistible sale beckoned, or, you needed a little emotional boost that day. We all can identify with that. The flurry of excitement doesn’t always last, changing to a feeling of regret. If you are struggling with impulsive buying, here are some keys to tackling it! 1. Does this fit my budget? Before anything, you need a budget to decide what you need and how much you a ..read more

It is that time of the year – golden boxes of chocolate, long-stemmed roses, red velvet cupcakes, sparkling pink champagne and diamond rings! A time for joy and laughter. A time of excitement for shoppers and shop owners alike, and I may dare say for the latter even more! Whether happily coupled, or single and carefree, if you are looking for heart-felt and meaningful ways to make this season one to remember, here are some fun ways to make that happen, without the glare of advertising’s tempting lights! 1. Enjoy dinner and a movie night in your backyard. Try cooking together, or maybe it is ti ..read more