Debt consolidation, get out of debt, debt relief: it is hard to turn on the radio or television these days and not hear one or all of these phrases. Why? Because so many Canadians are facing financial challenges thanks to the ease with which credit is granted coupled with high (credit card) interest. The temptation to pay on credit can quickly lead to getting in over your head, and then struggling to find a solution.

When it comes down to it, the question is, who advertises these solutions and what do they do?
Ontario bankruptcy trustees, more aggressively now than ever before, are advertising to the public that they offer the best solution for people facing financial woes. We disagree with much of the advertising we hear from many Ontario Bankruptcy Trustees. Why? Because we exist because of them!

Ontario bankruptcy trustees promote financial solutions. However, if you choose the solutions offered, the Ontario bankruptcy trustee does not represent you. A bankruptcy trustee in Canada is a court appointed officer who administers estates when a bankruptcy or consumer proposal is filed. They do not represent you, they do not represent your creditors. They apply rules set out in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The trustee is required to represent the best interests of all parties (and this includes their own financial interests).

What does this mean? Well, trustees are paid a tariff out of the proceeds of your bankruptcy or consumer proposal. In the case of bankruptcy the fee is fixed, whereas with a consumer proposal the fee grows with the amount of the proposal.

Some things to know:
• Trustees advertise to you, despite the fact that they don’t represent you – this is because without you, they have no business.
• In the case of bankruptcy, finding surplus income means that they can extend your bankruptcy and collect larger tariffs because the bankruptcy is being administered for a longer period of time.
• In the case of consumer proposals, convincing you to propose a higher amount to your creditors will result in the collection of more fees – and thus is a major priority for them.

Now, of course a few bad apples shouldn’t spoil the whole bunch, and we don’t mean to say that all trustees are shady. Many trustees in bankruptcy are reputable and do business above board – but the few that don’t can do a lot of damage. There are just too many conflicts of interest and the law needs to go further in terms of requiring trustees to state in their advertising that while they are promoting a service they don’t represent you.

A consumer proposal or bankruptcy is often a really good financial solution for someone backed into a corner. These allow for one monthly payment, can reduce debt, stop interest, and stop collections. Just keep in mind, just as you wouldn’t go to a meeting at the CRA without your accountant, you shouldn’t go to a trustee without your own independent financial representation.

Financial counsellors who specialize in bankruptcy and proposals can structure the numbers, review your information, make recommendations, and bring a proposal forward to a trustee on your behalf- protecting you throughout the entire process.

DebtCare Canada represents your best interests – yours and yours alone. Call us today BEFORE contacting a trustee: 1-888-890-0888.