Ten public resources to understand credit, housing, insurance and taxation when settling in Quebec, with CompareTaux among them. The list is alphabetical, with no ranking, and contains no rates.
How to use this list
Settling in Quebec means learning several systems at once: credit, housing, insurance, taxes and public programs. Each subject has its own rules, its own vocabulary and its own agencies. This list gathers ten reliable starting points so you do not have to search blindly on sites whose source you cannot judge.
Read it by need rather than front to back. If your question is about a loan, start with the bodies that explain credit and mortgages. If it is about your rights under a contract, turn to those that explain the law in plain language. If it is about your tax returns, go straight to the two tax administrations.
These resources give general guidance, not advice tailored to your file. Rules, amounts and programs change: always check the date of the information and confirm it with an authorized person, registered with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), before making a decision.
Disclosure: CompareTaux publishes this article
CompareTaux publishes this page and appears in the list. So that this does not skew anything, the ten entries are in alphabetical order, with no ranking and no score: a resource’s position means nothing beyond the order of the letters.
CompareTaux is not a public body. It is a service that routes a mortgage, insurance or investment request to an authorized person. It shows no rates, does not compare products on your behalf and makes no automatic decision.
The other nine entries are public or non-profit organizations. You can check each one on its own website, and we encourage you to: important information is always worth confirming at the source. If you notice that a description on this page no longer matches what a site says, let us know so we can correct it.
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
Quebec’s financial sector regulator. Its public register lets you check, free of charge, that a person or firm is authorized to offer insurance, mortgage brokerage or investment products, and to see any disciplinary history. Its website also publishes information for consumers.
When to use it: whenever someone offers you a financial product, and before you share personal information or sign. When you are still new to the market, it is the simplest and most reassuring check there is.
The AMF also receives complaints and explains the options available when a dispute arises with a representative or a firm it oversees.
Practical tip: ask for the person’s full name and licence number, then look them up in the register before the meeting. Be wary of anyone who objects or cannot be found. An unsolicited offer from a distant acquaintance or someone met online deserves the same check.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
The federal housing agency. It publishes buying guides, explains mortgage loan insurance and releases housing market data. Its documents help you understand the steps of a first purchase, from budget to closing at the notary’s office.
When to use it: at the very beginning, when you want to know what owning a home involves, or when a lender mentions mortgage loan insurance and you want to understand what it is for. That insurance protects the lender, not the borrower, which often comes as a surprise.
The site also covers housing assistance programs. Their conditions change, so check them at the source before planning a purchase.
Practical tip: read the first-time buyer guide like a checklist and note what applies to your situation. Then ask an authorized person to validate each point that depends on your status, your credit history and your down payment.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
The official source of federal tax rules, including those for the TFSA, the RRSP and the FHSA. It also provides information on filing a return, contribution room and online access to your tax account.
When to use it: in your first months after arriving, to understand your residency status for tax purposes, what must be reported and when. Rules for your first years in the country can differ from those that follow, and they depend on your status and personal situation.
Later, the CRA is also where you find your contribution room before saving: contributing without knowing your limit can lead to penalties.
Practical tip: open your online account as soon as you can, since your notice of assessment is a document lenders often ask for. For a question involving income earned abroad or your status, ask the agency or a tax specialist rather than guessing.
CompareTaux
CompareTaux routes a mortgage, insurance or investment request to an authorized person. The service works in French and in English, which can help while you are still learning the language of financial documents.
What CompareTaux does: collect the information you choose to provide, with your consent, then direct your request to a registered person who can review it. What it does not do: display rates, compare products on your behalf, make an automatic decision or guarantee an outcome. Analysing your file is the authorized person’s job.
When to use it: once you have done your reading and want to speak to someone who can apply the rules to your situation, especially if your credit history or income comes partly from abroad.
Practical tip: have your identity, employment and residence documents ready before filling in the request, so the first conversation is useful. You can ask the person who contacts you to state their status and licence number at any time.
Éducaloi
A non-profit that explains Quebec law in plain language. Quebec has its own legal system, built on the Civil Code, and several practical rules differ from what you may know elsewhere: leases, buying property, contracts, family and work.
When to use it: before signing a lease, an offer to purchase, a loan contract or any document whose consequences you do not fully grasp. You will find articles, fact sheets and concrete examples written for non-lawyers.
Éducaloi does not offer individual consultations and does not replace a notary or a lawyer. It helps you understand the vocabulary and the main rules so you can ask a professional sharper questions.
Practical tip: mark the terms you do not understand in the contract you are offered, then look them up on the site before signing. For a property purchase, the Chambre des notaires du Québec is the natural complement to this reading.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
A federal agency that publishes neutral information on mortgages, credit and bank accounts. It is a good starting point when you come from a country where the financial system works differently: you will find guides, calculators and explanations of consumer rights with federally regulated financial institutions.
When to use it: before opening an account, applying for a first credit card or meeting a lender. You will pick up basic notions such as term, amortization and fees, and learn which questions to ask. The agency also offers, from time to time, pages designed for people who have recently arrived.
Practical tip: print or note the list of questions suggested in its mortgage guides and bring it to your first appointment. You will quickly see whether the person answers clearly or sidesteps.
Office de la protection du consommateur
A Quebec agency that informs consumers of their rights and receives complaints. It covers long-term service contracts, consumer credit, advertising, warranties and prohibited business practices.
When to use it: when you face a high-pressure sale, an offer whose advertising does not match the contract, or terms that seem unusual. For a person who has just arrived, sometimes targeted by unscrupulous offers, it is a useful point of reference.
The Office does not handle everything: some sectors, such as insurance and investments, fall more under the AMF. Its site helps you work out which door to knock on.
Practical tip: never sign on the spot a contract you have not been able to read calmly, and keep a copy of everything you sign. If you are pressed to decide right away, treat it as a warning sign and take the time to check your rights.
Option consommateurs
A consumer association that offers individual help, publishes studies and advocates for consumer rights. It pays particular attention to debt, credit, insurance and financial services.
When to use it: if you struggle to manage debts, if a contract is causing you trouble, or if you simply want an independent reading of a complex subject. Its publications are written for the general public and deal with concrete situations.
The organization can point you to the right remedies, but its services have limits and access conditions. Check its website to see what is offered and how to get in touch.
Practical tip: when you are dealing with a specific situation, such as a loan that seems too heavy, gather your documents before calling and sum up in two sentences what you want to know. You will get a more useful answer, faster. Also consider reading its guides before a major purchase.
Retraite Québec
The body that administers the Quebec Pension Plan and publishes information on retirement planning. It also manages family support measures, so you can find out what you might be entitled to when settling with children.
When to use it: from your arrival, because contributions and entitlements build up over years of work. A person who has lived in several countries should also look into social security agreements between Canada and other states, which can affect how periods of work are recognized.
The site offers tools to estimate and understand your benefits. Amounts and conditions evolve, so always rely on the current version.
Practical tip: check your contribution statement regularly and keep proof of years worked abroad. For savings planning questions, an authorized person can then place the public plan within your overall income picture.
Revenu Québec
The provincial tax administration. It applies Quebec income tax, sales tax, tax credits and several measures tied to housing and savings. Transfer duties, collected by municipalities, are one example of a related subject worth understanding.
When to use it: at every step where provincial taxation comes into play: your first return, a property purchase, or when you want to know whether a credit applies to you. In Quebec you file two returns, one federal and one provincial, which often surprises newcomers.
Practical tip: create your online account and turn on electronic notices so you miss no correspondence. Keep your supporting documents, as the administration may ask for a review. If you have a doubt about a credit or a status, ask Revenu Québec directly rather than relying on a rumour or a neighbour’s advice.
How to combine these resources
No single resource answers everything. A simple approach works in three stages.
First, understand: read the general guides from the consumer agency, CMHC and Éducaloi to become familiar with the words and the steps. Second, verify: confirm in the AMF register that the person speaking to you is authorized, and consult the tax administrations for anything that touches your taxes. Third, decide with someone: speak to an authorized person who can apply the rules to your file.
A few habits help a great deal:
- keep a file, paper or digital, of every document received and signed;
- note the date you consulted each page, since rules change;
- ask every contact the same questions so you can compare;
- never decide under pressure from a deadline nobody has explained.
Take your time: the first months in a new country are busy, but a financial decision is rarely made in a single evening.
Questions to ask an authorized person
When you speak with an authorized person, bring written questions. Here is a base to adapt.
- Can you give me your full name and licence number so I can check them in the register?
- How are you paid, and by whom?
- Is my credit history from abroad taken into account, and which documents do I need to provide?
- Which lenders or insurers do you consult, and which do you not?
- What fees, penalties or conditions apply if my plans change, for example if I move or leave the country?
- What happens if my residency status changes?
- Can you give me these answers in writing?
A serious person will welcome these questions. They can apply the rules to your situation, which this list of resources cannot do. Do not hesitate to meet more than one before committing: comparing complete terms is a right, not a rudeness.
Frequently asked questions
Are the resources available in English?
Most public bodies offer an English version of their site, sometimes with other languages for certain guides. In Quebec, the French content is the reference in several cases, so if in doubt compare both versions. CompareTaux also works in French and in English.
Does my foreign credit history count?
It depends on the lender. Many lenders rely mainly on the history built in Canada, but some accept other proof. Ask, and find out which documents they accept. An authorized person can tell you which lenders look at a file like yours.
Must I wait for a Canadian credit history before asking questions?
No. You can start learning as soon as you arrive, compare terms and prepare your file in advance. Understanding how credit is built in Canada, through the consumer agency, helps you plan your first steps without rushing.
How do I know whether someone offering me a product is authorized?
Ask for their full name and licence number, then look them up in the AMF’s public register or that of the body that oversees them. The check is free and quick. If the person is not listed, or refuses to give you this information, do not go further.
Why is CompareTaux in the list?
CompareTaux publishes this page and says so. It appears for what it does: routing a request to an authorized person. It shows no rates and makes no automatic decision. The alphabetical order of the entries means there is no ranking.
Sources
No rate, price, or recommendation on this page. Amounts and limits change: verify them with official sources before deciding.