Personal Bankruptcy Thornhill – Facts, Options & Alternatives | Ontario
No one wants to declare bankruptcy. Find out what other options you have. Get more information before you make such a serious decision.
Bankruptcy in Thornhill, Ontario – Bankruptcy can be the only thing that comes to mind when you realize that you can’t afford to pay your debts and bills. It might be a good solution for your debt problems. But, before filing bankruptcy, you need to know more about your options, how the process works and what it could mean for you and your family in the future. We can help you avoid a possible mistake by showing you your other options first.
Types of Debts – What Bankruptcy Won’t Do
There’s a lot that people don’t tell you about bankruptcy. Sure, it will get rid of most of your debts, but there are some debts you might still have to pay because they can’t be included in your bankruptcy.
3 types of debt that you can’t declare bankruptcy on:
- Secured debts, like mortgages or car loans
- Student loans that are less than 7 years old
- Child and alimony support payments that are in arrears
Some people also want to declare bankruptcy because of their credit card debt. However, if they only recently got into debt with their credit cards, creditors may oppose eliminating the debts with bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy Procedures – The Process of Working with Your Trustee to Attain Your Discharge
Filing for bankruptcy is the easy part. Did you know that it takes at least 9 months to complete the whole bankruptcy process? During that time, there are costs and fees to pay to your trustee for bankruptcy. You are also required to attend two bankruptcy counselling sessions. Depending on your situation, if you have to pay extra money to your creditors, completing the process will take longer. If you have too much equity in your home, or assets above what you’re allowed to keep in Ontario, your trustee will sell your assets for you.
You should also be aware that your trustee, your creditors, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy or the Court can oppose or delay your bankruptcy discharge. Depending on your situation, you may need to attend a hearing, answer questions under oath and/or meet the additional requirements to obtain your discharge.
Your Credit Report & Bankruptcy in Canada
Legally eliminating debt through bankruptcy seriously impacts your credit rating and makes it hard to obtain credit later. You need to show creditors why they should trust you enough to lend you money again. Not being able to renew your mortgage, get a loan or apply for a low interest rate credit card often impacts other financial plans and puts your life on hold.
People We’ve Helped Interviewed on CTV News and Global TV
Occasionally, the news media will interview one or two Canadians we helped who are comfortable with publicly sharing their stories. Here are several of these experiences with the Credit Counselling Society.
You can check out even more of the Credit Counselling Society in the news.
Alternatives to Bankruptcy in Ontario
By now you are likely wondering what alternatives to bankruptcy really exist. There are quite a few, and combining them might also be a solution. Depending on your situation, 4 options that might work for you are: consolidation loans, debt repayment programs, debt settlement options or a Consumer Proposal.
Consolidation & Debt Repayment Programs
Consolidation usually means consolidating your bills and everything you owe into a new loan. With a fine-tuned budget, this might work for you. For other people, consolidating only the monthly payments makes more sense. Don’t worry if you’ve been turned down by your bank or credit union. There are other types of debt consolidation that may be available.
Consolidating payments doesn’t involve borrowing more money, so there’s never a problem with bad credit. That’s how a debt management program and plan with a non-profit credit counselling organization works. Creditors help by lowering or waiving interest charges while you’re making your payments. This lets you pay off your debts and saves you thousands in interest and fees. What you pay each month is based on what you can afford after you’ve had help to create a realistic budget.
Debt Settlement
Consolidation programs and loans help you repay what you borrowed. Most people really do want to pay back what they owe and not walk away from their debts by declaring bankruptcy. However, only paying back part of what you owe might be the best solution. That’s where a debt settlement, when structured properly, can help. You need a lump sum of money to offer your creditors a settlement, but sometimes that’s not as far-fetched an option as you might think.
Consumer Proposal
If you need a legal alternative to filing for bankruptcy, your situation might mean that you need a Consumer Proposal. A Consumer Proposal in Thornhill is set up by a trustee, and once agreed to by your creditors, you make monthly payments to repay part of what you owe.
How Do I Decide Which Option to Go For?
By now you can likely gather that a lot depends on your situation. And regardless of what you’ve tried in the past, you need help taking an objective look at your whole financial situation with a fresh set of eyes. You need a trained and certified Credit Counsellor to help you come up with a good plan.
There’s Life Beyond Debt for Everyone
“I am likely going to be out of debt within a year – and that’s over a year ahead of the initial estimate! Best part of that is that because the Credit Counselling Society did it as a debt repayment arrangement, unlike bankruptcy, it will be much better on my credit rating – and as proof, when I applied for new cell and cable service in Vancouver, my rating has already improved such that I got new accounts without a limit or deposit!”
– Paul, Actual Client from Yelp
Non Profit Bankruptcy Information & Credit Counselling Advice in Thornhill, Ontario
If you want to find out why someone shouldn’t declare bankruptcy, get answers to your questions about joint debts or debts left over from a divorce, or learn more about alternatives to bankruptcy, one of our Credit & Debt Counsellors can help! They are experts in helping people with their debts and money, and they’d be happy to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your financial future.
Your Counsellor will:
- Review all of your options to deal with your debts, including bankruptcy alternatives
- Show you how to manage your living costs and bills effectively
- Refer you to a bankruptcy trustee in Thornhill if filing for bankruptcy is a good option for you
- Answer your questions and explain what you need to know so that you can decide the best way to deal with your debts
Office Serving Thornhill
425 Bloor Street East
Suite 520
Toronto, ON, M4W 3R4
Phone: 647-776-0485
Our office that serves Thornhill also offers bankruptcy alternatives in Toronto, North York, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Scarborough.
We specialize in helping people just like you deal with their debts in ways that work best for them. It really is possible to be debt free and look forward to a stable financial future. To learn more or to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our Debt Counsellors that serves Thornhill, contact us today at 647-776-0485, email us or chat with us online.
Putting Your Interests First
Our goal is to always put consumers first and look out for their best interests in everything we do. One way we do this is through transparency and accountability. We are held accountable to the most rigorous standards in our industry.
The Credit Counselling Society also provides help to those who are struggling with payday loans – including online loans – in Thornhill.