What to consider
Ask about qualifications, fees and the services included before agreeing to a plan.
Who can help?
Credit counselling organizations. This describes a provider type, not a confirmed DebtHelpers partner.
Questions to ask
- Is the initial appointment free?
- What fees would a proposed plan involve?
Your debt-help services reading guide
Start here, then explore the specific questions that matter to your situation.
- Government debt relief programs in Canada: what is actually official?
- Debt settlement companies in Canada: what to check before paying
- Debt settlement vs consumer proposal in Canada
- Credit counselling in Canada: services, costs and questions
- Debt consolidation vs a debt management plan in Canada
- Licensed Insolvency Trustees in Canada: who they are and what to ask
- Consumer proposal process in Canada: steps and timeline
MAKE THE CONVERSATION COUNT
Three things to have handy
- 1Debts and payments you want to discuss
- 2Usual income and essential bills
- 3Questions about meeting costs and written fees
Start with what is making repayment difficult
A useful first conversation can start with missed payments, balances that barely change, or difficulty budgeting for essentials. Credit counselling can include budgeting help and debt management plans. Ask which service is being proposed before agreeing to it.
Understand the costs of the next service
DebtHelpers is free to use; that does not make every provider service free. Ask a counselling agency about its qualifications, any plan fees and which creditors would participate. Compare the proposed costs with the benefit of the arrangement.
Does this request book a counselling appointment?
No. This form saves a contact request with DebtHelpers.ca, a lead-generation service. It does not book a counsellor or apply for a loan. We’ll ask before sharing your details with a provider.
Check the source
Related options
Questions about your situation
- Debt settlement companies in Canada: what to check before paying
- Debt settlement vs consumer proposal in Canada
- Debt sent to collections in Canada: your first steps
- Paying collections in Canada: what happens to your credit report?
- Government debt relief programs in Canada: what is actually official?
- Credit card minimum payments in Canada: time and cost
- Using home equity to consolidate debt in Canada
- Joint credit-card debt in Canada: who is responsible?
- Why did my credit score drop? A practical review checklist
- Bad credit loans in Canada: compare the offer, not the label
- Payday loan alternatives in Canada: address the gap, not just payday
- Cash Money review: products, costs and questions before borrowing
- Credit Canada review: counselling, debt plans and questions to ask
- Credit Counselling Society review: services and repayment-plan questions
- Debt.ca review: debt information and a provider-introduction service
- Credit Canada vs Credit Counselling Society: compare the counselling conversation
- Loans Canada vs Debt.ca: loan search or help with existing debt?
- Debt relief in Canada: compare your options
- Debt consolidation loans: pros and cons in Canada
- Consumer proposal process in Canada: steps and timeline
- Consumer proposal pros and cons in Canada
- Student loan forgiveness in Canada: repayment help explained
- Personal bankruptcy in Canada: process, duties and alternatives
- Credit counselling in Canada: services, costs and questions
- Unpaid credit card debt in Canada: what can happen?
- How to negotiate credit card debt in Canada
- Debt relief in Ontario: local rules and next steps
- Debt relief in British Columbia: local rules and next steps
- Debt relief in Québec: local rules and next steps
- Credit-card debt help in Canada: where to start
- Payday-loan debt help in Canada
- Consolidation loan declined? Other next steps in Canada
- Debt relief options in Alberta: understand the different routes