[download information package here]

Welcome to the Credit Counselling Service of Peterborough. We recognize that you have taken a big step toward improving your financial situation and we hope to be of help to you. The decision to seek counselling may have been a difficult one and we commend you.

This website is designed to give you the information you need in order to fully understand who we are and what we do. As a not for profit, United Way member agency our only goal is to offer you the information and advice as well as the tools you will need in order to successfully resolve your personal debt problem.

Credit Counselling publishes an information booklet called:  Help You Help Yourself, a  guide to making the most of your money.  Free copies of this booket are available at all CCRC locations.  Copies can be mailed to residents in the County of Peterborough.

Making an appointment [top]

If you would like to book a free and confidential appointment with one of our counsellors you only have to call us at 705-742-1351 between the hours of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

What to bring

Before we can advise you we will need to know the details around your income, monthly expenses, assets and debt information. You can print off and complete the forms found here, and bring them to your appointment. Also bring all recent credit card statements, overdraft and personal loan balances.

What to expect at your appointment

We maintain a professional and friendly environment where you won't need to worry about anyone being the least bit judgmental. Sessions usually take about one hour and can be rebooked if more time is needed. In order to serve you more efficiently we ask that you complete your information forms before you arrive.  It is recommended that you not bring your children with you so as to avoid any disruptions during the session.

Who do we serve? [top]

Our client group ranges from students who have not yet experienced the effects of personal debt to those individuals who are deeply burdened with unmanageable personal debt and who are in need of direct intervention or advice.
Our service area includes Peterborough County, Northumberland County, Haliburton County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. Counselling facilities exist in each location.

Program Objectives [top]

The primary objective of the service is to provide to our clients a framework for financial rehabilitation, money management education and debt management programs. During the process we provide our clients with the education, tools and skills they need to be able to regain control of their personal finances.

Description of Service [top]

The Credit Counselling Program has been serving Peterborough and the surrounding area since 1973. At that time a group of concerned citizens and professionals saw the need for an unbiased source of advice and intervention to help with the growing problem of unmanageable personal debt within the community and the resulting legal and social effects.
The service uses a variety of assets and techniques to accomplish its mandate to the community. The direct service staff consists of four full time professional counselling and client support individuals who serve over two thousand clients and families each year. Service may range from simple, brief, once only telephone advice to comprehensive five-year contractual repayment programs. A typical client might require a budgeting session in order to better understand their financial position and occasionally will ask us to negotiate directly with their creditors in order to arrange a mutually agreeable and workable repayment program. Under the terms of the Debt Management Program we can often have interest charges reduced or suspended on a variety of credit card debts. The Agency maintains a special registered trust account specifically for this purpose.

The program also provides counselling services for those individuals who have filed for personal bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Act requires two mandatory sessions be completed for all bankrupt individuals and must be done by certified BIA counsellors.
Community education is considered by us to be one of the most important functions of the program. We try to provide, whenever possible, seminars and workshops to elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities and other interested groups. It is our belief that with preventative education we can help prevent many individuals from experiencing major financial difficulties in the future.

Partners and Referral Sources [top]

Most new clients of the service have come to us as self-referrals. They have either carried out their own research and found us on their own or in many cases a friend, co-worker or family member has made them aware of the service. Other clients may have been referred to us by their own doctor, lawyer, social worker, church, banker, creditor or bankruptcy trustee.
We also maintain positive working relationships with the credit industry so as to allow us the capability of being able to negotiate viable repayment plans and advocacy services for our clients. Similarly we communicate daily with many of the local bankruptcy trustees in order to facilitate a positive transferal of services to those firms when required. Both the credit industry and the bankruptcy firms directly support our service in the form of either corporate donation or else contractual agreements. These revenues are used strictly for the support of the services we provide to the client.
We are also often contacted by other community organizations in the Peterborough and surrounding area with requests to perform home or hospital visits for their clients and patients.

Links [top]

[ WE ARE THE ONLY NOT FOR PROFIT, ACCREDITED UNITED WAY MEMBER AGENCY IN THE PETERBOROUGH REGION. WE ARE ALSO THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF CREDIT COUNSELLING
SERVICES AND OF CREDIT COUNSELLING CANADA IN THIS AREA. ]

Location of Services

351 Charlotte Street, Suite 203
Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 2W1
Tel: 705-742-1351
Toll-Free: 1-800-274-1611
Fax: 705-742-2895
Email: ccspeterborough@trytel.net