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Tag: debt consolidation loan

  • Your 2018 Debt Consolidation Options

    As Canada’s household debt continues to rise, many Canadians are looking at debt consolidation options. Rising interest rates and new mortgage rules are leaving less room for debt and those who once had a comfortable cushion may now find themselves struggling.

    If you’re finding yourself in a position where your debt is becoming unmanageable, or you want to be proactive and pay it down before it becomes so, here are your 2018 debt consolidation options you may want to consider:

    1. Home Equity Loans

    If you have equity available in your home, you may be eligible for a home equity loan. This can be a viable option, so long as the interest is low. You can use the loan to pay off your higher-interest debts and then repay your home equity loan in single, monthly payments. However, home equity loans often depend on your credit score and the interest can be high.

    1. Lines of Credit

    A line of credit is similar to a home equity loan, only you don’t need to own a home. A line of credit can also help with your debt consolidation, but it can come at price. Many will cost you 8% interest or higher, meaning you’ll be able to pay down debt, but repaying your line of credit will cost you. You also need to have good credit. If you have bad credit or owe a lot of debt, this may not be the answer for you.

    1. Mortgage Refinancing for First Mortgage or Second Mortgage

    Both mortgage refinancing or a second mortgage are great options if you have a lot of debt and sufficient equity. However, your credit often needs to be good and if you’re carrying too much debt, you may not be eligible.

    1. Consumer Proposal

    If your debt is excessive, you may be able to manage it through filing a consumer proposal. An offer is made to your creditors to repay a portion of what you owe in lieu of the whole payment. However, filing a consumer proposal can majorly affect your credit score making it extremely difficult to qualify for any type of credit years after the fact. A consumer proposal must also be filed through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT, or formerly known as a bankruptcy trustee) who takes a portion of what you pay.

    1. Bankruptcy

    Filing for bankruptcy leaves you with only one monthly payment, stops interest and collection action, and reduces debt. However, like with a consumer proposal, it also majorly affects your credit. It must also be filed through a LIT.

    A seasoned financial professional experienced in all of the above is your best bet to get professional financial guidance. Not only can DebtCare Canada work through the debt consolidation options, but they can also liaise and arrange the solution.

    At DebtCare, we deal with debt. A debt consolidation may just be the answer you’re looking for when it comes to getting rid of debt.

    Call us today at 1-888-890-0888.

  • Is a Debt Consolidation Loan the Answer to Holiday Debt?

    debt2You made it through the holidays and now the credit card bills are rolling in. You went a little over your original holiday budget (don’t we all?), and now the credit cards are maxed out with no real way to pay them off. Perhaps you’ll just make the minimum payments for a while, until you’re back on your feet and feeling more secure – but will that ever happen? Do most of us actually have that extra cash each month to cover those bills? Probably not, since we wouldn’t rely so heavily on credit cards for holiday purchases if we did.

    Ok, so what is the problem with just paying the minimum payment? At least the bill is being paid, right? Sure, you’re paying the bill, but those monthly payments are comprised mainly of interest, meaning your actual balances decrease by mere pennies – and don’t ever really go down.

    This seems pretty negative so far, we know, but it is about to get better. Instead of just paying the minimum payments and not getting anywhere, consider a debt consolidation – this is a great way to save interest and get rid of those balances.

    If you own your own home, you’ve got access to a consolidation product that can save you a lot of money and time. Using your home is one of the cheapest ways to consolidate debt – but a regular mortgage can mean long terms and higher interest. Instead, go for one that is handled more like a loan.

    For example, if $20,000 is required to pay off your debt, and you’re considering a normal second mortgage, your broker will amortize that debt into the first or second mortgage and stretch it over 25 years. That means that you are paying interest on $20,000 for 25 years – when that is largely unnecessary.

    Instead, when you work with a company that finds a mortgage product that works more like a loan, one that does not involve your first mortgage in the process, the issues with amortization and interest disappear. For example, a 5 year amortization and 5 year “open” term mean the debt is done in 5 years or less at your option, your first mortgage is not disrupted and you are not paying that interest for a long period of time – and that interest is lower than most other debt consolidations because it is a mortgage.

    If you want to start 2016 on the right track financially, a debt consolidation loan may just be the answer to dealing with those holiday bills – and a mortgage that is structured more like a loan is a great way to do it!

    For more about a mortgage-style debt consolidation loan please call DebtCare today at 1-888-890-0888.

     

  • Is a Consumer Proposal a Debt Consolidation Loan?

    When looking for a solution to a financial problem or accumulated debt, you will find that there are many services available that offer different things. Banks and finance companies traditionally offer debt consolidation loans, while trustees in bankruptcy deal with debt through bankruptcies and consumer proposals.

    Debt consolidations involve consolidating debt into a single payment and debt consolidation loans have very similar characteristics to consumer proposals. A consumer proposal involves a proposal being made to your creditors wherein you agree to repay a portion or all of your debt through a single, fixed monthly payment.

    A consumer proposal is much like a debt consolidation loan because:

    • You begin owing a fixed sum of money.
    • You begin making a single monthly payment.
    • You can pay it off at any time.

    Some of the benefits that are offered through a consumer proposal that are not offered by debt consolidation loans are that in many cases a consumer proposal will reduce the overall debt owing, will stop collection action, will freeze the interest accruing on debts, and more.

    One of the drawbacks of filing a consumer proposal vs. taking out a consolidation loan is that it will impact your credit and your relationship with your creditors. Because creditors are not being paid according to the original terms of your agreements with them when accepting less than what they are owed and/or being repaid over a longer period of time, they will not likely do business with you in the future. In addition, the consumer proposal will be reported on your credit report for 3 years from the date it is paid in full.

    Now, one must weigh the impacts on credit against getting out of debt. If you owe so little debt that you could pay off all of your creditors in 3 to 4 years and have good enough credit to get a debt consolidation loan, then a debt consolidation loan may be the right answer. However, a consumer proposal may be the best answer if:

    • Your credit is already damaged to the point where you cannot get a debt consolidation loan, or;
    • You have so much debt that you cannot consolidate it all, or;
    • You have so much debt you just can’t see a way to pay it off in a reasonable amount of time.

    When it comes to making a choice with respect to how to deal with your debt it is important to recognize that each person’s financial situation is different. A debt consolidation loan or consumer proposal may not be the right answer for you at all. The best thing that you can do is consult a financial counsellor/consultant to perform an unbiased review of your finances, give you some practical advice, and provide the resources and representation to see your plan through.

    For more information about consumer proposals and debt consolidation loans or if you need a debt consolidation please contact DebtCare Canada at 416-907-2582 or visit www.debtcare.ca.