Bankruptcy Alternatives in Smiths Falls
Get all your options, and get back on track.

Personal Bankruptcy Smiths Falls – Facts, Alternatives & Options | Ontario

No one wants to file for bankruptcy. Find other options and get more information before taking such a drastic step.

Personal Bankruptcy in Smiths Falls, Ontario – When you can’t afford to pay your bills and debts what comes to mind first? Many people think of filing for bankruptcy. While bankruptcy might be the right solution for you, you first need to find out about your other options, the ins and outs of the process, and how it will affect you and your family in the future. We want to help you avoid making a huge mistake by giving you information to make an informed decision.

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

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.

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.

CTV News and Global TV Interviewing People We Helped

From time to time, the news media interviews some of the people we helped who are comfortable sharing their story publicly. Below are three Canadians who shared their experience with the Credit Counselling Society.

Julia Fletcher is interviewed by Global TV after avoiding bankruptcy by paying off her debt with no interest with help from the Credit Counselling Society. Watch News Story
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 speaks with Charis who has nearly paid off $67,000 in debt on 13 credit cards with help from the Credit Counselling Society. Watch

Ontario Bankruptcy Alternatives

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.

If you happen to have bad credit, you might be worried about consolidating your debts, but consolidating payments doesn’t mean borrowing more money, so credit problems aren’t an issue. That’s how a debt management program with a non-profit credit counselling agency works. Your creditors help you by lowering or waiving interest charges. This makes smaller payments possible, saves you thousands in interest and lets you pay back what you borrowed. Your monthly payments are based on what you can afford and there’s no loan to get you deeper into debt.

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 Smiths Falls 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?

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 Hope Without Declaring Bankruptcy

“Whatever your financial worries, trepidation or fear of being judged/forced into bankruptcy – get CCS to help. Their staff is incredible, couldn’t have dealt with a better group of people. They are truly dedicated to finding practical solutions, advocating for your financial future. First they provide hope, then they help and finish by delivering happiness.”

 

– Daryl, Actual Client Review from Google

Non Profit Bankruptcy Information & Credit Counselling Advice in Smiths Falls, 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 Smiths Falls 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
Free Credit Counselling Appointments & Consultations for Smiths Falls, Ontario

We are experts in helping individuals and families just like you find good solutions to their debt problems. It really is possible to get back on track and look forward to being debt free. To find out more or to schedule a free, confidential appointment with one of our Credit Counsellors who serves Smiths Falls, contact us today at 1-888-527-8999, 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 provides help to those who are struggling with payday loans – including online loans – in Smiths Falls.