Can I keep my home in bankruptcy?
When people are in debt, they don’t want to think about what they may have to give up in order to get out of debt. People like their possessions. They are their possessions for a reason! People work hard for those possessions, especially their homes. Your home is where your kids grew up (or they’re…
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Pay down debt or set up a TFSA?
TFSAs are great, but if you’re in debt, it may be better to pay down some of your debt. In fact, consider completely eliminating all your debt before venturing anywhere near a TFSA. This is especially true of “bad debt” such as credit cards, consumer loans and mortgages on your principal residence. This debt is…
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Will I lose my motorcycle, ATV and snowmobile if I go bankrupt?
Many people that come into my office are struggling with debt, but have a hard time with the idea of letting go of their belongings. I get it. You’ve worked hard for your possessions and now that you’ve come onto some difficult times, it’s hard to see those possessions get taken away. This conversation comes…
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How are rising interest rates affecting Canadians?
Since the Bank of Canada raised interest rates in July, it was only a matter of time for this to start impacting debt in Canadian households. A recent article published by Global News stated, “over 30 percent of Canadians say they’re concerned that rising interest rates could push them close to bankruptcy”. If your household budget…
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Who do we help?
There is no clear pattern for how people find themselves in financial difficulty. It can happen suddenly through injury or illness, separation or divorce, or it can be due to not knowing how to manage your finances effectively. Whatever the reason, the important thing now is to find out what options are available to you…
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Debt Repayment Options and Your Home
When you make a consumer proposal, your home and related equity is unaffected. The trustee and creditors will not take possession of your property and you will be able to keep any house equity that you have accumulated. On the flip side, if you file personal bankruptcy any equity that you have in your home becomes property of your bankrupt estate. So, before we make…
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TFSAs, RRSPs and Consumer Proposals
With a consumer proposal, you get to keep your assets, which includes your tax free savings account and your RRSPs. When you make a consumer proposal, you are offering your creditors a settlement, which is more than what they would get if you were to go bankrupt. Essentially you are saying, “let me keep all of my stuff, and I will agree to…
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RRSPs and Bankruptcy
With the deadline to conribute to RRSPs looming (it’s on March 1, 2018), it’s a good opportunity to talk about how bankruptcy affects your RRSPs. Here’s some good new: RRSPs are exempt assets! RRSP’s, whether individual or employer sponsored, are yours to keep and are protected from your creditors with the exception of any new contributions…
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Should you use your RRSPs to pay your debts?
It’s very common for people who are in debt to WANT to deal with their obligations. They don’t want to see a licensed insolvency trustee, make a consumer proposal or file personal bankruptcy. Therefore, they do what they can to attempt to deal with their debts on their own, including cashing-in retirement savings. Unfortunately, in most cases cashing in…
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If I make a consumer proposal, will I lose my home?
A top concern when meeting with people is whether or not they will be able to keep their home. It’s a scary thing to have to give up your home because of the overwhelming amount of debt people have obtained. The good news is, when you make a consumer proposal, your home and related equity is unaffected. You retain possession and…
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