CREDIT CANADA : SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP

I seem to be catching the same commercials over and over again these days. I should probably change the channel on my television every once in a while or, better yet, maybe watch less television altogether. As I have been making that resolution every new year for as long as I can remember, I will just continue to judge everything I see on the box harshly in the meantime.

There is one particular commercial that keeps catching me off guard as of late. This lady is out and she’s shopping up a storm. She’s got so many designer bags in her arms, she can hardly carry them all up to her apartment. She may be struggling but she is looking slick and swaying her hips back and forth because she knows she’s got it. Then, the happy musical soundtrack to her luxurious shopping spree cuts out just in time for her to almost walk right into the eviction notice waiting for her on her door.

First of all, I’m pretty sure that anyone close to eviction doesn’t have the kind of space on their credit cards to buy groceries, let alone expensive shoes. Plausibility aside though, this is an advertisement for Credit Canada, a not for profit charity that has been in existence since 1966. They want to help you in your hour of need. Or do they?

Albeit, you may not be as far gone as the girl on the TV, you might easily identify with the promise of getting assistance so that you can manage your debt better. Credit Canada offers to make arrangements with your creditors regarding the monthly payments they expect. Once they have negotiated a better rate for you, they set up a monthly payment directly with you that you provide to them and they, in turn, provide to your creditors on time. As a Canadian charity, funded by different banks and financial companies, they do this at no expense to you.

It all sounds too good to be true. The reason for this is because it can very well be too good to be true for some of you. Credit Canada, just like banks themselves, is not about to take on clients who have proven that time and time again, they cannot make their payments when they are due. They can help you get out of debt and get on with your life but they cannot perform miracles.

If you cannot find lending with a chartered bank, Credit Canada may be right for you. With a no cost assessment available either on their website or over the telephone, there is certainly no risk in finding out if you are a good candidate for them. They provide budgeting and planning advice to keep you on track and out of subsequent trouble and, according to the testimonials on their website, they do so without prejudice or judgment.

Credit Canada also claims that consolidating through them does not have a negative impact on your credit report. This is up for debate – they say it looks good that you’re putting your affairs in order; a bank might say that it isn’t good you ended up there to begin with. That said, if you follow their plan right through to the end, you could be debt free. And maybe your landlord will let you back into your apartment at that point.

Note about the author:

Joseph Belanger is a Toronto-based writer who blogs about film at www.blacksheepreviews.com

image source: anataman