Bankruptcy Alternatives in Halton Region
Discover all your options and get back on track.

Personal Bankruptcy Halton Region – Facts, Alternatives & Options | 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 Halton Region, 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.

You Probably Have Other Options
See What They Are
You may firmly believe that bankruptcy is the only way to resolve your financial situation, but it's very possible that other viable options are available to you - other options that could potentially help you achieve your financial objectives sooner, with far more privacy, and with far less of an impact to your credit or career. Every option has pros and cons, but it's worth taking a few minutes to see what your options look like and whether you think you'd like to look into any of them further.

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 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.

The Bankruptcy Process – Working with Your Trustee to Gain 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.

Credit Ratings & 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.

Canadians We Helped Interviewed on the News

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.

Global News interviews Julia Fletcher after she avoided bankruptcy and eliminated her debt with help from the Credit Counselling Society. Watch News Clip
CTV News interviews Dan Robinson after he paid off $30,000 in debt with no interest after receiving help from the Credit Counselling Society. CTV – Debt Relief Story
Global TV sits down to talk with Charis who consolidated with us and has now almost paid off $67,000 worth of debt on 13 different credit cards. See the Segment

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.

Settle Debt

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.

Filing a 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 Halton Region 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?

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.

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, Confidential Bankruptcy & Credit Counselling Information & Advice in Halton Region, 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:

  • 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 Halton Region 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 Halton Region
77 City Centre Drive
East Tower, Suite 501
Mississauga, ON L5B 1M5

Phone: 647-776-0485

Our office that serves Halton Region also offers bankruptcy alternatives in Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills, Acton, Georgetown, Caledon, Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Dundas, Puslinch, Aberfoyle, Guelph, Rockwood, Erin, and Greater Toronto Area.

Free, Confidential Credit Counselling Appointments for Halton Region, Ontario

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 Halton Region, 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.

Certified by Great Places to Work Canada
Accredited by Canada’s national association of non-profit credit counselling organizations.
North America’s largest association of non-profit credit counselling organizations.
Accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

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