Personal Bankruptcy Grimsby – Facts, Alternatives & Options | Ontario

Types of Debts – What Bankruptcy Won’t Do For You

It’s easy for people to tell you that bankruptcy helped them eliminate their debts, but do they also tell you that it’s not possible for everyone? Some debts might still have to be paid because by law, they can’t be included when you file for bankruptcy.

3 common types of debt that aren’t included in a bankruptcy are:

• Secured debts, like a mortgage or car loan
• Student loans that are less than 7 years old
• Child and alimony support payments that you’re behind on

Many people think that they need to declare bankruptcy because of their credit card debt, but if that debt is recent, creditors may not allow you to eliminate those balances with bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy Procedures – The Process of Working with Your Trustee to Attain Your Discharge

Those who have gone bankrupt might not tell you that it takes a minimum of 9 months to complete the bankruptcy process. There are costs and fees to go bankrupt, which you pay to your trustee, as well as bankruptcy counselling sessions you must attend. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to pay extra to your creditors, which delays completing the process and obtaining your discharge. Not everyone loses their home and assets when they file for bankruptcy, but assets above what you’re allowed to keep in Ontario will be sold by your trustee.

Many people aren’t aware that their trustee, their creditors, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy or the Court could oppose or delay their discharge from bankruptcy. Depending on someone’s situation, they may need to attend a hearing, answer questions under oath and/or meet additional requirements to obtain their discharge.

Your Credit Report & Bankruptcy in Canada

Bankruptcy is noted on your credit report and seriously impacts your credit rating. Despite what people say, getting credit after you have eliminated your debts legally through bankruptcy is not easy. It takes patience and time to prove yourself to creditors again. Until they trust you enough to lend you money again, your financial plans might be on hold because you won’t be able to take out a loan, renew your mortgage or apply for a low interest rate credit card.

Alternatives to Bankruptcy in Ontario

By now you may be wondering which alternatives to bankruptcy could work for you. There are a number of options and the best solution might mean combining some of them. Depending on your circumstances, 4 options that you may not have considered are: consolidation loans, debt repayment programs, debt settlement options or a Consumer Proposal.

Consolidation & Debt Repayment Plans

When you hear the words “debt consolidation,” you probably think that this means consolidating your bills and other debts into a new loan. This could work for you if you’ve got a realistic budget. For many people, it makes more sense to consolidate only their monthly payments. Don’t worry if you’ve been turned down for a consolidation loan by your lender. There are other types of debt consolidation to consider.

When you consolidate payments, you don’t actually borrow more money, so bad credit is never a problem. That’s how a debt management program with a non-profit credit counselling organization works. Your creditors will help you by lowering or waiving ongoing interest charges. This saves you thousands of dollars in interest and lets you repay your debts. The amount you pay each month is based on your budget and on what you can afford.

Debt Settlement

To help you pay back what you borrowed, consolidation programs and loans can help. Most people don’t want to walk away from their debts and go bankrupt, but they think they have to because they don’t know what else to do. Surprisingly, sometimes only paying back part of what you owe can also be a solution. When done properly, a debt settlement offers your creditors a lump sum of money. That might not be as far-fetched an option as you might think.

Consumer Proposal

There are also times where you need a legal alternative to bankruptcy, so a Consumer Proposal might be right. A Consumer Proposal in Grimsby is set up by a trustee, and once agreed to by your creditors, you make monthly payments to repay part of what you owe.

What’s My Best Option?

As you can tell, a lot depends on your situation. When you’re just trying to make ends meet and duck the collection phone calls, you need help looking at your circumstances objectively. You need a professionally trained Credit & Debt Counsellor to help you come up with a good plan.

Non Profit Bankruptcy Information & Credit Counselling Advice in Grimsby, Ontario

One of our expert Credit Counsellors can help if you need answers to questions about joint debts, have questions about debts left over from a divorce, want to learn more about alternatives to bankruptcy, or want to know more about how going bankrupt would affect you. They are experts in helping people come up with good solutions to deal with their debts, and would be happy to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision to get your finances back on track.

Your Counsellor will:

• Explain all of your bankruptcy alternatives and debt relief options
• Show you how to budget effectively for all of your household expenses
• Recommend bankruptcy trustees in Grimsby if it looks like declaring bankruptcy is the right option
• Provide answers and information so that you can choose the best way of dealing with your debts

Related Links

• The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy in Ontario
• Insolvency Glossary
• Credit Counselling Society Ontario office locations

The Credit Counselling Society also helps those who are having difficulty with their payday loans – even online loans – in Grimsby.