debtcare.ca

Category: Financial Options

  • Find Out How Much House You Can Afford! [Online Mortgage Calculator]

    Find out exactly how much house you can afford!

    We’re excited to offer a new online tool that can help you make your homebuying dreams a reality.

    The new mortgage calculator lets you quickly assess your financial standing to see exactly what you’ll be able to afford once you decide to buy a home.

    You will need to answer a few questions, including:

    • Your total annual income, before taxes. (If you’re buying with another person, this should include their income, too.)
    • How much you have saved for your down payment. (We recommend having at least 5% of the house price.)
    • How much you spend on monthly loan repayments, including child support, student loans, personal or car loans, and more.
    • Your total amount of credit card debt.
    • Your credit health – good, a few late payments, active collections, or a previous bankruptcy.

    From there, the calculator will give you an estimate of how much mortgage you could qualify for.

    The results are based on the Government of Canada’s mortgage stress test. Access the online mortgage calculator here.

    To gain an even more accurate result, you can complete an application and speak to the M.O.S. MortgageOne Solutions Ltd. Team. Contact mortgage agent Michael Goldenberg at 888-890-0888 or mortgages@debtcare.ca for more information.

    If you find out that you qualify for less than you hoped, don’t worry! We can also help you manage your finances to see how to qualify for more mortgage. Learn more at www.debtcare.ca.

  • How to Cope Financially If EI Assistance is Not Enough

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many Canadians have been out of work. Statistics Canada found that one-in-five Canadian businesses have laid off more than 80% of their staff.

    As the unemployment numbers rise, Canadians have turned to federal assistance — employment insurance (EI) and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

    Maclean’s reported that as of April 28, Service Canada had received 7.3 million applications through CERB. CERB gives Canadians up to $2,000 for a four-week period.

    While this help is certainly better than nothing, it may not be enough.

    For instance, even if a person receives the maximum CERB amount of $2,000 per month, their income pre-COVID-19 may have been higher. Statistics Canada reported that Canadians earned, an average of $4,383 per month at the start of 2019

    What’s more, some people don’t qualify for CERB or EI yet they have still taken a hit in income. Global News reported that two in 10 Canadians are facing reduced pay.

    If you’re struggling to make ends meet, you need to know how to cope.

    A) Look at Where Your Money is Going

    The first step is to assess where your income is going.

    Rent and/or mortgage payments will be a bulk of the budget for many, plus groceries and utility bills. Include any automatic payments, such as funds that go directly to a savings account, to this total.

    Break down how much each is costing you per month. You need to know this information so you can figure out the gap in your income.

    B) Find Places to Cut Costs,

    From here, find the places where you can cut costs. For many, this will mean looking for ways to save money on groceries and cutting out non-essential purchases.

    Prioritize the payments that relate to your shelter, to your health, and your financial obligations (more on this in the next step).

    C) Deal with Debt

    According to Equifax Canada, the average debt per consumer reached $72,950 at the end of 2019.

    Many Canadians carry high loads of credit card debt, lines of credit, loans, and monthly payments (such as paying off a new cell phone).

    These payments can take up a significant chunk of your monthly budget. That might have been manageable pre-COVID-19 (or not — a survey from MNP found that 46% of Canadians were $200 or less away from insolvency). But even if it was manageable before, if you’ve taken a hit in income, it may not be manageable now.

    The answer isn’t to ignore it – or to keep paying it, especially if you need that money for necessities such as shelter or food. Instead, you need to look at debt management options.

    Filing for insolvency — bankruptcy or consumer proposal — is one option, but it’s not the only option. The best plan takes your whole financial situation into account and looks at the types of debt that you owe.

    This is where a debt counsellor (like DebtCare Canada) comes in. We help you deal with your debts and make a plan to cope financially during COVID-19.

    What to Do if You Can’t Apply for CERB Because You Haven’t Filed Taxes

    There’s another common problem – you may qualify for CERB but can’t apply online through the CRA because you owe income tax from previous years or haven’t filed your returns.

    DebtCare Canada can help you deal with back taxes once and for all so you can eliminate the stress and access emergency assistance. We provide access to one of the only programs that can resolve a CRA back tax problem.

    Get Debt Help Today

    If your income has taken a hit due to COVID-19, we can help you determine your best path forward.

    DebtCare Canada is operating 100% remotely. Contact us today for a free consultation. Call or text 1-888-890-0888 or visit www.debtcare.ca for more information.

  • How to Save Your Home During a Financial Crisis

    In a financial crisis, all of your assets may be in jeopardy – especially your home.

    A financial crisis can take many forms: an unexpected bill, change in interest rates, job loss, buildup of long-term debt, and more. But one of the hardest to deal with — and most critical – is a CRA tax debt.

    When you owe the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) money, they can act swiftly and aggressively. The CRA has many debt collection tools in their arsenal, including putting a lien on your house.

    Particularly in cases of tax debt, many folks freeze and don’t know what to do.

    This is mistake! When it comes to a financial crisis — especially a tax debt – time is not your friend. A lien on your house is game over.

    When there is a financial crisis, saving your home means acting fast.

    The first step is to determine your home equity position. A good financial advisor will be able to access an automated valuation model (AVM) to calculate the actual quick sale market value of your home against what you owe.

    The next step is knowing ALL of your financial options and considering the pros and cons of each.

    Option 1: Refinancing Your Home

    Pros: Can deal with your financial crisis without affecting your credit score.

    Cons: The viability depends on the equity available in your home. It isn’t always a long-term solution.

    When evaluating refinancing your mortgage, ask:

    • Do you have enough equity in your home to refinance?
    • If you do refinance, is it just a band-aid solution or does it fully resolve the issue?

    Sometimes people will refinance their homes to quickly deal with the issue at hand, but it doesn’t resolve the long-term one. So, a financial crisis is still looming, but they will not have equity to deal with it the next time it becomes urgent.

    If refinancing is not a long-term solution, there are other options available.

    Option 2: Filing for a Consumer Proposal

    Pros: Stops collection action and deals with debt quickly. Payments are geared to income. Your assets are generally not affected.

    Cons: Only available for unsecured debt up to $250,000 (excluding mortgage). Leaves you with an R7 credit rating, meaning you will need to repair credit afterwards.

    In a consumer proposal, you make an offer to your creditors to settle your debts for less than what you owe. The offer must be accepted by the majority of your creditors.

    In most cases, you can keep your home when you file for a consumer proposal, as your assets remain untouched. But this depends on your mortgage payments being kept up to date and whether you have enough income to continue paying your mortgage after the proposal.

    Option 3: Filing for Bankruptcy

    Pros: No limit to the amount of debt you can file for bankruptcy. Like with a consumer proposal, payments are geared to income and collection action is stopped.

    Cons: Leaves you with an R9 credit score. May put your assets at risk, depending on your financial situation.

    In a bankruptcy, assets are often sold to pay off debts – including in some cases your house. However, this doesn’t always happen; you may be able to keep your home depending on the amount of equity you have available.

    If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, talk to a financial advisor about options for keeping your home.

    Filing for a consumer proposal or for bankruptcy can often seem scary. But in a financial crisis, it could be your best option. If there is no lien on your house, both filing for a consumer proposal and bankruptcy could protect your home, depending on your financial situation.

    Plus, both have payments that are geared to your income, so you will be able to afford the monthly fees without getting into another financial crisis.

    One downside to both is the hit to your credit score and the time it can take to rebuild credit. But that can still be a better option than losing your home. A good financial advisor will structure your consumer proposal or bankruptcy based on equity.

    Whether you choose to refinance or are considering filing for a consumer proposal or bankruptcy, it is important to weigh your options carefully but also quickly (as we said, time is of the essence during a financial crisis).

    That means talking with a financial advisor who can look at your whole financial situation and help determine the best course for you.

    At DebtCare Canada we are experienced in evaluating the pros and cons of all options – and doing everything we can to save your home.

    If you’re facing a financial crisis, don’t delay. Contact us today for a free consultation. Call 1-888-890-0888 or visit www.debtcare.ca.

  • Protecting Your Home Through Financial Restructuring

    Having financial troubles can be stressful no matter where you are in life – but it’s doubly so if you own a house.

    There’s a common fear that financial restructuring will mean losing your home. Fortunately, there are ways to protect against this.

    The first thing to do is to make sure that you stay up-to-date with your mortgage payments. If you haven’t defaulted on your mortgage, your chances of keeping your home through a financial crisis increase greatly.

    Let’s look at some of the financial restructuring options you might have when you own your home…

    1. Debt Consolidation

    As long as your mortgage payments are up to date, a debt consolidation loan can be a good way to deal with outstanding unsecured debt.

    Unsecured debt might be credit card bills, lines of credit, your cell phone bill, etc. It is anything not tied to collateral – so your mortgage and car loan would not fall under this umbrella.

    Unsecured debt usually has a high interest rate, making your monthly payments even more expensive. This is where a consolidation loan can help. You can use the money to pay off your unsecured debts, and then pay back the consolidation loan at a fixed interest rate over a manageable schedule.

    You won’t be paying as much in interest, so you can use the extra money to keep your mortgage payments up to date.

    1. Home Equity

    Sometimes your home can actually be a source of income for financial restructuring. If you have equity available, you might be able to use it to pay off your outstanding debts – essentially, this is a form of a consolidation loan.

    Again, this is dependent on your mortgage payments being current and made on time every month.

    1. Filing for a Consumer Proposal

    If you don’t have enough equity available or aren’t eligible for a consolidation loan, filing for a consumer proposal is another option.

    Consumer proposals deal with unsecured debt up to $250,000 (excluding your mortgage). In a consumer proposal, you make an offer to your creditors to settle your debts for less than what you owe. This offer must be accepted by the majority of your creditors and you must be able to prove they’ll get more money than they otherwise would if you filed for bankruptcy.

    In most cases, you can keep your home when you file for a consumer proposal, as your assets remain untouched. Again, this depends on your mortgage payments being kept up to date and is based on you having enough income to continue paying your mortgage after the proposal.

    A good financial advisor will structure your consumer proposal based on equity.

    If you have more than $250,000 in unsecured debt, you might file for another kind of proposal or bankruptcy instead.

    1. Filing for Bankruptcy

    Filing for bankruptcy is where most people fear they will lose their home. This is because in a bankruptcy, assets are often sold to pay off debts – including in some cases your house.

    However, this doesn’t always happen – and you may able to keep your home depending on the amount of equity you have available.

    If:

    • You don’t have much equity (this varies depending on province), and
    • Your mortgage payments are up to date

    your ability to keep your home increases substantially.

    If you do have a lot of equity, you may still be able to keep your home by repaying your equity through borrowing money, or through a second mortgage.

    A good financial advisor, like those at DebtCare Canada, will also help you structure your bankruptcy based on equity.

    1. If You Can’t Afford Your Mortgage…

    As we’ve discussed, keeping your home through financial restructuring largely depends on being able to continue making your mortgage payments.

    If your mortgage is up-to-date, you’re less likely to lose your house. But what if even after consolidating debt and making a budget you don’t have enough income to make your mortgage payments?

    This can be a whole other issue – but it’s important to remember that you still have options. You might need to:

    • Make more income through asking for a raise or getting a second job.
    • Or sell your home and downsize to a smaller mortgage.

    While selling your home may not necessarily be the same thing as keeping it, it can be preferable to losing your home through having it seized. In this option, you would still retain the profits from the sale, and you could use the money to move into another, less expensive property.

    A good financial advisor, like the ones at DebtCare Canada, can help you sort through your financial restructuring options, so your home is protected.

    Contact us today for a free consultation. Call 1-888-890-0888 or visit www.debtcare.ca.

  • Rebuilding Credit: Bad Credit Rating Doesn’t Always Just Disappear After a Few Years

    rebuilding credit pngIt is a very common misconception that bad credit just “disappears” once debts are paid and your credit behaviour improves. However, past credit activity doesn’t just evaporate into thin air with a few months (even a few years) of good behaviour. Rebuilding credit takes some work.

    For example, if you file for bankruptcy in January of year one, pay on time, every month, and are discharged in January of year 3, that bankruptcy will remain on your report for 6 years following the date of discharge (January of year 9) – not from the time that you declared.

    When it comes to consumer proposals, these stay on for 3 years following payment in full, as does any credit counselling.

    Periods of inactivity can also impact your credit rating. For example, if a lender assigns debt to collections, this results in activity, and negative activity at that. However, if you don’t have any activity, this is not necessarily a good thing either.

    When it comes to activity, a tip is to continually use credit and to repay that credit on time, all the time. A secured credit card is a good way to do this without being tempted to start relying on credit again or getting back in over your head.

    So, if you have bad credit and want to clean it up, here are a few steps you can take to get the process started:

    • Step 1 – Get your credit report and see what it says. These are available online from both Equifax and TransUnion. Some lenders use one, whereas some look at both.
    • Step 2 – Deal with the bad credit debt on your credit report by paying it off. Better yet, settle it for far less than you owe with a consumer proposal to stop interest and reduce overall amounts.
    • Step 3 – Document EVERYTHING. Any time you settle a debt, get a letter re: settlements and arrangements and copies of proof of your action. It can take some time for these payments to register, but keep on top of it.
    • Step 4 – Make sure the credit reporting agency knows these debts have been paid – don’t count on your lender to tell them. Send the above noted documents via registered mail to ensure they reach their intended destination.
    • Step 5 – Begin the process of rebuilding. Consider a secured credit card to show you are committed to maintaining positive history.

    When it comes right down to it, the only way to improve a poor credit rating is to pay your debts and allow time to pass to show that your payment habits have improved.

    For more information about how to rebuild your credit effectively, call DebtCare Canada today at 1-888-890-0888.

     

  • Debt Relief in Canada Blog Series Part 1 – Is a Consumer Proposal the Answer?

    Debt relief in Canada is a subject that is constantly in the news for many reasons, whether it is the government reporting on the fact that Canadians are carrying historically high levels of debt, reporting on debt reduction companies and what to watch out for, reporting on changes to CMHC lending guidelines to stop those who are loaded with debt from buying homes that they really can’t afford, and more…

    Unfortunately, most people who have too much debt don’t realize that they have a problem until managing minimum payments starts to become challenging, resulting in a debt problem turning into a debt emergency. There are many options for debt relief in Canada, but each one is different, and the right one for you will really depend on your own personal circumstances.

    Making a consumer proposal is one option for debt relief in Canada, but the question is: is a consumer proposal the answer?

    A consumer proposal is a type of proposal that is made to your creditors and is administered by a bankruptcy trustee who represents both you and the creditors that are included in your consumer proposal. Consumer proposals are crafted based on your ability to repay your debt realistically. Consumer proposals are repaid monthly, usually over a period of 3-4 years. With that being said, a consumer proposal can be paid off sooner if your financial situation changes. Consumer proposals are removed from your Equifax credit report 3 years from the date that they are paid in full, which provides a further incentive for those who are in a consumer proposal to pay it off early. Because consumer proposals allow you to make a single monthly payment that fits within your budget and enables you to rebuild your credit faster, consumer proposals are a very popular option for debt relief in Canada.

    Since consumer proposals are based on your ability to make a monthly payment and not on your total debt load, oftentimes consumers can reduce their overall debt through a consumer proposal. In a simple, very general example, if your total unsecured debt is $20000 and you can afford to pay $200 per/month for 5 years based on your budget and the consumer proposal guidelines, the total value of the consumer proposal would be $12000, meaning you would reduce your debt by $8000. Each case is different, and your consumer proposal must be fair to your creditors as they have a say as to whether or not they will accept it.

    When you make a consumer proposal, your creditors will receive your consumer proposal by mail and have 45 days to respond and vote as to whether they accept or reject your proposal. If a creditor does not respond to the consumer proposal within 45 days, they lose the ability to vote and the proposal is considered accepted. In addition, if the majority of your creditors accept the consumer proposal, it will be approved.

    Consumer proposals are suited to individuals who have higher incomes, as they are subject to surplus income in bankruptcy.  When a consumer has surplus income his or her payment in bankruptcy will be much higher and this is what makes a consumer proposal a more attractive option for a higher income earner. Consumer proposals are also better suited to an individual who has some secured creditors and to someone who has the ability to repay a good portion of his or her debt but simply cannot manage the contractual payments that they currently have with creditors.

    For more information about options for debt relief in Canada or to see if you qualify for a consumer proposal please call DebtCare at 416-903-4000 or visit www.debtcare.ca.

  • How to Get Tax Relief from Back Taxes

    Back taxes can be a nightmare and if you have back taxes, there is no doubt that you could use tax relief. Trying to get tax relief from the CRA directly is very difficult. There are financial programs available through DebtCare Canada to achieve tax relief on your back taxes. In this short video, Michael Goldenberg, president of DebtCare Canada, discusses how you can get tax relief from your back taxes. This is a must see!

    If you would like more information about how to get tax relief from your back taxes contact DebtCare at 416-907-2582 or visit www.debtcare.ca.

     

  • Taxpayer Relief in Canada – Do I Qualify

    If you have a tax problem in Canada, repercussions with the Canada Revenue Agency can be severe. If you filed your income taxes late or committed an infraction under the Canadian Income Tax Act, like failing to disclose income or writing off expenses that you weren’t entitled to, the Canada Revenue Agency has incredible power to punish you. By far the most common weapon that they use to punish you is your pocket book.

    When an income tax return is filed late and the CRA assesses what you owe, or a previously filed return is re-assessed and new monies are owed, the CRA will add interest and penalties to the amount of the tax debt that you owe. Often times, when an individual has a tax debt, the amount that they owe will double in size once the interest and penalties are calculated.

    Sometimes individuals have personal circumstances that led to their tax problem which is why taxpayer relief in Canada exists. Taxpayer relief in Canada is a formal program offered by the Canada Revenue Agency where the CRA can agree to cancel all or part of the interest and penalties. You can qualify under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada for one of the following reasons:

    A natural disaster like a fire or flood. For example, you misstated expenses resulting in an inaccurate return filing because your basement flooded and all of your receipts were destroyed

    1. Extreme financial hardship
    2. A documented personal issue like a medical problem or death in the family
    3. An error on the part of the CRA

    The only challenge with the Taxpayer relief program in Canada is that it is a long and complicated process and very few applications under this program are granted. To hire a professional to make an application under this program could cost you thousands. In addition, the CRA will not reduce the principal tax debt owed. The CRA does not offer any program that will reduce the principal tax debt that is owed.

    Before considering making an application under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada you may want to first look at the principal amount of the tax debt you owe and whether you can afford to pay it off at all. Often people who owe a large tax debt are not even in a position to pay it, regardless of whether or not they receive interest and penalty relief under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada.

    The longer you stretch out the time that you have a tax problem, the worse the tax problem will become. If the application under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada is denied, you will owe further interest that will have accumulated through the application period. The CRA will also continue to try to collect on the principal tax debt owed.

    There are other financial programs available that will freeze the interest on the tax debt that you owe and can even eliminate or reduce interest, penalties and the principal tax debt that you owe. These programs can also stop CRA collection action and provide you with immediate relief. These programs are not available through the Canada Revenue Agency, however you may access them through a financial consultant who works with people who have debt problems.

    For more information about the Taxpayer relief program in Canada or if you have a tax problem and need financial guidance or debt relief please visit www.debtcare.ca or call 416-907-2582.

  • What Does A Trustee Do?

    If you have financial problems and have thought about consulting a trustee in bankruptcy, you may be curious about the role that they play in helping you deal with your financial problems, and may be asking yourself “what does a trustee do anyway?”

    The first thing to know is that a trustee in bankruptcy does not represent you. You may have seen advertisements by trustees that make it seem as though they want to help you. What does a trustee do? Well, they are a court appointed officer that administers bankruptcies and consumer proposals. They have an obligation to act in the best interest of both you and your creditors.

    Let’s look at a bankruptcy as an example. When you visit a trustee to file for bankruptcy they review all of your household income, debt and other financial details and then advise you on what your monthly payment in bankruptcy will be. You make your monthly payment to the trustee in bankruptcy each month. If you have assets or surplus income for example, what does the trustee do? They will ensure that they collect equity in those assets or surplus income for the benefit of your creditors. They are not there to protect your income and assets, they are simply administrators of the bankruptcy process. If they can collect more money through your estate for your creditors, they will.

    Consumer proposals are also administered by trustees in bankruptcy. When you visit a bankruptcy trustee directly to discuss a consumer proposal, they will assess your income, debt, assets and other personal household and financial information. What does a trustee do next? They will suggest an amount of a consumer proposal that they believe will be accepted by your creditors. This does not always result in the best deal for you, and if you visit a trustee directly you will have little to no negotiating power because they are simply administering your consumer proposal, so what they present to you is what they will be prepared to go forward with. They are not there to get you the best deal.

    Do you do your taxes without the help of an accountant? Not likely. If you were charged with a crime would you defend yourself without a lawyer? Probably not. Dealing with a trustee in bankruptcy is no different; you should not do so unrepresented.

    Having independent financial representation when considering a consumer proposal or bankruptcy is crucial because it enables you to have your personal and financial information reviewed by a professional who represents and is hired by you and who understands bankruptcies and consumer proposals. They can vet your personal and financial information, identify any issues before a trustee is made aware of them, and help you come up with a proposal to present to the trustee that you can live with.

    Do not answer the question “what does a trustee do” the hard way. Filing a bankruptcy or consumer proposal is an official process. Once you have committed to either one of these processes there is no turning back, so it is important to do everything in your power to ensure that you enter into the process with all of the necessary information. The more informed you are, the better financial arrangements you will be able to make, which will save you thousands.

    If you have more questions about this article “What does a trustee do?” or if you need representation in a consumer proposal or a bankruptcy please visit www.debtcare.ca or call 416-907-2582.