Last updated: September 15, 2026
This page explains plainly what TheFinanceGuys.ca is, how we make money, and what happens when you click an “apply” link on this site.
We are not a lender
TheFinanceGuys.ca is a Canadian personal-finance information site. We publish guides on personal loans, business loans, mortgages, credit reports, debt solutions and vehicle financing. We do not lend money, make credit decisions, or set rates, fees or terms. Where a page offers an “apply” or “get started” link, that link takes you to a loan-matching application operated by a partner platform, which delivers your request to licensed lenders in its network. Any loan offer, approval and contract is between you and the lender.
How we are paid
You never pay TheFinanceGuys.ca. We earn a referral fee from lending partners when a reader who starts an application through our links is matched with a lender or has a loan funded, and in some guides we earn a commission from other financial-product providers when you apply through our links. That compensation is how a free site stays free. It can influence which products we link to and where a link appears; it does not change the price of any product, which the provider sets and must disclose to you before you sign.
What “guaranteed”, “instant” and “bad credit” mean in our guides
No licensed lender in Canada can guarantee approval, and we never promise it. Where our guides use words like “guaranteed approval” or “no refusal”, it is to explain why those promises are not real. “Instant” or “same-day” refers to the speed of a lender’s online decision and of Interac e-Transfer funding once you are approved and verified; actual timing depends on the lender and your bank. Lenders that work with bad credit base decisions mainly on income, and their rates are higher than prime borrowing; always compare the total cost of borrowing, not only the payment.
Cost of borrowing, in plain numbers
In Canada the maximum lawful interest rate on most consumer loans is a 35% APR, and payday-style loans are capped at $14 per $100 borrowed where that product is permitted. For example, a $500 installment loan repaid over three months at the federal maximum costs roughly $25 to $45 in interest, and a $300 payday-style loan at the cap costs $42, so you repay $342. These figures are illustrations, not offers. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada explains how to compare loan costs.
Things we will never do
- Ask for your online banking username or password, or collect a loan application on this site.
- Ask you to pay a fee, buy a gift card or send an e-Transfer to receive a loan. Advance-fee requests are a scam; report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Sell your personal information.
Our editorial standards
Guides are written for Canadian readers, cite the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, the credit bureaus and provincial regulators where figures are given, and carry a visible last-updated date. No provider reviews our content before publication. Nothing on this site is financial, legal or tax advice.
Contact and complaints
Questions or complaints about this site: use our contact page and we will respond within one business day. Complaints about a lender or provider should go first to them, then to your provincial consumer protection office. Privacy complaints can also go to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
See also our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.