This Credit Education Week, Capital One Canada and Credit Canada Debt Solutions encourage Canadians to make financial resolutions before the holiday madness

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - A new year brings new year's resolutions, and Canadians are great at resolving to be better money managers in the upcoming year.  What we're not so great at is the follow-through. While four out of five Canadians report making financial resolutions, four out of five also admit to cheating on their financial resolutions, according to a recent survey commissioned by Capital One Canada and Credit Canada Debt Solutions. In fact, while men and women both admit to this, women (85%) are slightly more likely to cheat than men (76%).

With the holiday spending spree fast approaching, Canadians need to make financial resolutions in November, not in January, after all the gift-giving is done. Financial freedom is about creating a plan and keeping to it.  The sixth-annual Credit Education Week, November 12-16, is dedicated to promoting sound personal money management through money resolutions.

"We weren't surprised to learn so many Canadians fail to keep their money resolutions, because more than half of them are not using available tools to help achieve their goals," said Laurie Campbell, CEO, Credit Canada Debt Solutions. "Credit Education Week is about empowering people with the tools to make financial goals, and the resolve to keep them."

While most Canadians resolve to spend more wisely come the new year, Capital One Canada and Credit Canada Debt Solutions are urging Canadians to make their financial resolutions now, before the annual holiday spending spree. The survey showed that Canadians make resolutions to deal with their financial obligations (53%), to spend less on specific things (48%) and budget more wisely (47%). Excessive spending is driven by - among other things - the social pressure to consume.

"A rear view mirror is a poor financial planning tool, so we're encouraging Canadians to look ahead, consider their holiday purchasing and spending, and choose wisely," says Rob Livingston, President of Capital One Canada. "The pressure to buy things outside our budget can lead to stress and fights with your family or spouse.

That's why it's so important to ignore the Joneses, to find the best deal and, most importantly, to make a good spending plan and stick to it. That's true financial freedom."

According to the survey, Canadians who want to rein in their financial obligations have faced push-back from the closest quarters:

• As a result of attempting to keep a money resolution, 51 per cent of Canadians have felt guilty, had fights, or felt left out of plans with friends and family
• While two thirds of married/common-law Canadians involve their spouse/partner in helping them to achieve their money resolutions, 22 per cent report that an overspending partner is a barrier to achieving their money resolutions
• 23 per cent of married/common-law Canadians report that their money resolution has led to more fighting with their spouse/partner about money, and 25 per cent report that their money resolutions have led to feelings of guilt for not providing well enough for their families

To help Canadians with their November resolutions, Capital One Canada and Credit Canada Debt Solutions are helping Canadians set uncomplicated goals.   The best resolutions are simple:

• "I will ignore the Joneses." Your neighbours went beyond their means buying a brand new SUV. That doesn't mean that you have to.
• "I will shop around before I buy." Controlling costs means finding the best deal, every time. Save money by spending less!
• "I will not make resolutions based on spending regret." We've all experienced buyer's remorse. But financial freedom means that you make a plan before you spend - and then stick to it.

"Money problems can be stressful and overwhelming," concludes Livingston. "But four in ten Canadians know the truth: With a lifestyle change and a few simple tools, anyone can achieve financial freedom. So get a financial planning smartphone app, create an affordable budget, and stick to it. And let the Joneses take care of themselves."

To help Canadians make their New Year's resolutions during Credit Education Week, Capital One Canada and Credit Canada Debt Solutions will be hosting a celebration, complete with ball-drop and subject experts. Celebrate early and drop by to make your resolution:

To learn more about financial freedom, visit www.cewc.ca today.

About the survey

In September 2012, Credit Canada Debt Solutions and Capital One Canada commissioned a survey of 822 Canadians who have made a resolution regarding their spending behaviours. The survey respondents were equally distributed across the 4 major regions of Canada (West, Ontario, Quebec and East) and the margin of error is +/- 3.4%, 19 times out of 20.

About Credit Canada Debt Solutions

Credit Canada Debt Solutions is a non-profit charitable service that has assisted thousands of people with credit counseling and debt management programs since 1966. Credit Canada is a member of the Ontario Association of Credit Counseling Services and a Charter Member of Canadian Association of Credit Counseling Services.

About Capital One

With offices in Toronto and Montreal, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard in Canada. Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF). Capital One believes in empowering Canadians to take control of their finances through programs and resources like Understanding-Credit.ca, Credit Education Week Canada, and the Capital One Financial Education Challenge.

SOURCE Capital One