Just the mere thought of financial planning is enough to send many people into a tailspin. But it can be a truly empowering exercise. You just have to break it down into small enough steps so it’s not so overwhelming.

Consumer Proposals and Bankruptcies are government legislated insolvency options that can provide relief from serious debt problems. Both solutions can only be administered by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. In addition, both solutions provide a legal stay of proceedings which require creditors to discontinue harassing collection calls, wages garnishments and other legal proceedings.

Are you a millennial? This generation is quickly rising to dominance in Canada, representing a highly influential age range of 25 to 40 years and comprising more than a quarter of the population.

Being the parent of a teenager who wants everything all the time can be quite concerning for two reasons: One is the immediate drain on your own finances as you try to keep pace with their current desires. Second is the fear they may be in for a rude awakening as they transition to living on their own in the years ahead.

When dealing with debt, the consumer is often faced with unfamiliar terms, such as “secured debt,” and “unsecured debt.” Debt is debt, right? Well, not quite!

Purchasing decisions used to be easy for most households. Until the early 1950s, people mostly bought what they needed and paid for their purchases with cash. Wants were few and luxury items for the most part beyond reach. Fast-forward 70 years and it’s not surprising that “I see, I want, I buy” has become the guiding mantra for so many consumers and that consumer debt keeps breaking one record after another.

Despite the fearless efforts of previous generations there remains a pronounced gender wealth gap in Canada, along with persistent stereotypes and stigmas about how women manage their money. In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, and their theme #choosetochallenge we’re challenging preconceptions around women and debt — and empowering women to take responsibility for their own financial success and debt freedom.

Bad financial habits are easy to fall into and impact wealthy households, low income individuals, the highly educated and uneducated alike. They can cause all sorts of personal and financial difficulties — but it’s often not until they’ve done significant damage that people begin to recognize how their bad financial habits are sapping their wealth and holding them back.

Fear of losing needed or cherished assets is one of the most common reasons why people are hesitant to file a Bankruptcy. And a motor vehicle is understandably one of the assets potential bankrupts are most fearful of losing. Unfortunately, there isn’t a universally black or white answer to this question. Here’s why.

Many people are surprised to learn there is no minimum or maximum income threshold to file a Bankruptcy. Individual financial situations are so unique that it’s possible someone earning $10,000 per month is just as eligible to file a Bankruptcy as someone earning $2,000.