Start Your Banking Review: A Straightforward First Step
The first call is 30 minutes, no charge, no obligation. You tell us your situation. We tell you if we can help — and if we can, exactly what it'll cost. Every engagement starts with a firm quote. No hourly billing. No surprises.
Contact Details
Saturday: By appointment
Sunday: Closed
What to Expect After You Reach Out
Within one business day, Priya Venkatesh — our Client Engagement Manager — will reply to schedule your complimentary 30-minute discovery call. On that call, you'll speak directly with one of our advisors: Rajan Dhadwal for business banking, Megan Fehr-Dhadwal for cash flow strategy and tax-aligned banking, or Derek Flett for personal banking and fee analysis.
We'll tell you which service fits, what it costs, and how long it takes. If we're not the right fit, we'll say so. We'd rather lose a prospect than mislead a client — that's been the rule since we founded SCU Advisor in 2022. About 15% of initial calls end with "you're actually in good shape" — and we mean it. You can review our full fee schedule before the call so there are no surprises.
Why Clients Reach Out — And What They Discover
Most of our clients can't name their total monthly banking cost before they call us. That's not unusual — banks aren't designed for clarity. They're designed for revenue. The two sometimes overlap, but not always. Whether you're an individual paying $16.95/month for a premium chequing account you don't need, or a business owner who hasn't reviewed credit facility terms in a decade, the pattern is the same: you're likely paying more than necessary because nobody's job it is to tell you otherwise.
The typical first conversation goes like this: you describe your banking setup as you understand it. We ask questions — how many accounts, which institutions, how long you've been there, what your monthly transaction volume looks like. Within 30 minutes, we'll know whether a full audit is likely to find enough savings to justify our fee. If the math doesn't work, we'll tell you. About 15% of initial calls end with "you're actually in good shape" — and we mean it. We don't take engagements where the numbers don't justify the cost.
For the other 85%, the average personal banking audit finds $1,860 in annual savings. Business audits average $5,400. Credit facility reviews average a 0.72% rate reduction across 85 engagements. Those numbers come from real client engagements completed between 2022 and 2025, not projections. We publish the methodology because the math should be checkable — see our full fee schedule and savings data for specifics.
Not Sure Which Service You Need? Start Here.
You don't need to pick a service before reaching out. That's what the discovery call is for. But if you want a sense of where you fit, here's a quick guide based on the most common situations we see:
You're an Individual or Family
You suspect you're paying too much for banking but aren't sure where the waste is. You might have multiple accounts across institutions, a premium chequing package you've never questioned, or credit cards that made sense five years ago but no longer match your spending.
Start with: Personal Banking Audit — $450. Median savings found: $1,860/year.
You're a Business Owner
Your banking setup grew organically as the business grew — maybe multiple accounts at different banks, merchant processing you haven't reviewed, or an operating line priced when your revenue was a fraction of what it is now. 82% of first-time business clients overpay on at least one product.
Start with: Business Banking Audit — from $1,200. Average savings found: $5,400/year.
You Have a Loan or Credit Facility
Your interest rate hasn't been reviewed in years. You accepted the bank's offer because it was convenient. You're not sure whether your covenants are standard or restrictive, and nobody's told you what other lenders would offer. Our data shows 10+ year relationships cost an average of 0.94% more on credit facilities.
Start with: Credit Facility Review — from $1,500. Average finding: 0.72% rate reduction.
What Clients Say About Working With Us
"Rajan sat down with me, pulled apart every line on my statements, and showed me I was paying $4,100 a year more than I needed to. Not in some hypothetical way — he showed me the exact products, the exact fees, the exact alternatives. I tell every business owner I know to call SCU Advisor before they call their banker."
"That one conversation saved us almost $59,000 over the life of the loan. Megan set up our cash flow structure so we never had a shortfall during insurance reimbursement delays. For a new practice owner, that kind of stability is everything."
"Every recommendation came with a spreadsheet — here's what you're paying now, here's what the alternative costs, here's the net difference. No arm-waving. When they recommended keeping two of our banking relationships instead of consolidating, they explained exactly why. That nuance is rare."
Common Questions Before Your First Call
Important Disclosures
SCU Advisor Inc. is not a bank, credit union, or deposit-taking institution. We do not hold client funds, accept deposits, or issue credit products.
Service fees apply to all advisory engagements. See our published fee schedule for current pricing.
SCU Advisor Inc. is a registered Manitoba corporation. Legal name: SCU Advisor Inc. Registered office: 363 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3N9. Manitoba Business Registration No. MB-2022-0038741.
Advisory services are provided in compliance with applicable Manitoba consumer protection legislation and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). SCU Advisor maintains no referral agreements, affiliate commissions, or revenue-sharing arrangements with any financial institution — verified quarterly and published in our conflict-of-interest register.