This research from early 2024 focuses on the perspectives of consumers as related to the individuals providing them with financial planning and/or financial advisory services. The research consisted of a survey of over 1,000 Ontario consumers, and two focus group discussions to supplement the...

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) is responsible for protecting the rights of consumers in Ontario by promoting high standards of business conduct and transparency within the financial services they regulate.  Financial services professionals are not required to use...

To give you confidence when seeking advice from anyone using a Financial Planner or Financial Advisor, or similar, title in Ontario, FSRA requires these individuals meet a minimum standard of education and be supervised by a FSRA-approved credentialing body.  Use this website to: Check...

Financial Services Regulatory Authority is responsible for registering all federally incorporated loan and trust companies that do business in Ontario. They enforce the Loan and Trust Corporations Act that govern loan and trust companies. Use this website to learn more about: How to find a...

Financial coaching (FC) is a transformative approach that empowers individuals to take control of their financial future. Through personalized interventions such as assessing financial positions, creating budgets, managing credit, accessing benefits, and filing taxes, financial coaching equips...

Like so many other Ontarians, you may want to work with a financial professional to plan for various financial goals. Knowing who to talk to when seeking financial planning or advisory services can be hard. To give you confidence when seeking advice from anyone using a Financial Planner or...

Trauma and violence are highly prevalent and have serious impacts on health and well-being. Being aware of how trauma and violence can present during service interactions can improve their effectiveness and client and provider satisfaction and well-being. Financial literacy educators are...

The forced transition from in-person to online activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on how families and communities buy groceries, acquire medical care, and utilize social services. This rapid shift has raised important questions about how to address access and...

In 2016, Prosper Canada partnered with the Ontario government and nine non-profit organizations through the Ontario Financial Empowerment Champions and Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving projects, to pilot delivery of community financial help services for low-income Ontarians. Third-party...

In 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched the Financial Coaching Initiative, a pilot program that provided financial coaching services to veterans and economically vulnerable consumers. Professional coaches were embedded into 60 host sites across the country, where they provided...

In 2019, a comprehensive review (The Countervailing Power: Review of the coordination and funding for financial counselling services across Australia) of financial counselling services in Australia was undertaken and recommendations to ensure the long-term viability of the financial counselling...

In 2019, the Australian Government committed to additional actions to improve the financial outcomes of Australians, including undertaking an immediate review of the coordination and funding of financial counselling services that disadvantaged Australians rely on.  The review noted the benefits...

In this moment, it is pivotal for philanthropy to support communities of color in achieving financial well-being. Combined with systems-change efforts that would create fairer economic opportunities and conditions, financial coaching is a vital component of providing needed support. Through...

Real Money, Real Experts is a personal finance podcast written and produced by AFCPE (Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education). Their membership community offers a place for financial counsellors and financial fitness coaches to share best practices, solve similar struggles,...

Almost half of low-income households and 62 per cent of moderate-income households carry debt, with households on low incomes spending 31 per cent of their income on debt repayments, according to a new report published by national charity, Prosper Canada. This report analyzes the distribution,...

This report presents a study of the debt settlement and financial recovery industry and examines Canadian consumer issues from these services.  Data is gathered from company websites and contracts as well as customer surveys and questionnaires completed by governmental and non-governmental...

Local governments across the United States are working to help their residents weather the health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cities and counties, that means deploying their Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs), which provide professional, one-on-one financial...

The Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) developed the strategy Building Sustainable Communities to tackle pressing need through an expansive network of Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) in dozens of communities nationwide. FOCs help clients find and maintain good jobs, stick to realistic...

Grantmakers and practitioners recognize the importance of financial security for individuals and families, and many organizations therefore offer financial capability programs aimed at strengthening the financial well-being of the people they serve. But good financial capability programs are often...

Prosper Canada and AFOA Canada are pleased to collaboratively tell the story of The Shared Path: First Nations Financial Wellness. This work was undertaken in the spirit of reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous people in Canada and creating a more equitable and inclusive...

Financial decisions are influenced by our own personal feelings and attitudes around money, and by the feelings, attitudes, and actions by our family and friends. This CFPB toolkit offers financial education practitioners three tools (Money Choices, Money Styles, and Money Network), each with a...

In early 2018, Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) began a pilot program, Enterprise Community Plus (EC+), to provide financial capability services to residents in two neighborhoods in New York City. Enterprise is a nonprofit housing developer seeking to create opportunity for low- and...

This report is a three-year evaluation of the Financial Empowerment Center initiative’s replication in 5 cities (Denver, CO; Lansing, MI; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA and San Antonio, TX). Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs) offer professional, one-on-one financial counseling as a free...

This overview summarizes the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) model’s Counselor Training Standards. The Standards delineate the breadth and depth of the financial content areas, counseling and coaching skills, practice and experiential learning, and socio-economic and cultural context setting...

This is a one-hour webinar on matched savings programs and personal savings strategies that work for people living on low incomes. Our panelists share experiences from their programs in Ontario and Calgary. The presenters in this webinar are: Dean Estrella, Momentum, Calgary, AB John...