by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management
We all need to save money for a rainy day and if we do not we could be in trouble when an unforeseen disaster strikes. The lifestyle in Canada could be quite fast with everything that you would do taking a few dollars from your pocket. If you continue in that trend you would be with an empty pocket at the end of the day or when you step into old age. Financial stability is needed and that could be achieved only if you are in the habit of saving wherever it is possible. It may not necessarily be that you save physically those additional few dollars but by cutting a few corners where a few dollars would remain in your pocket.
Hence it is imperative that you save a few dollars every month and stash it away safely so that you have access to it when you really are in need of money in an emergency. We know that it is little grains of sand that make a mighty land and little drops of water that make a mighty ocean. Keeping this in mind and trying to save a few dollars wherever possible would ensure that you could lay back and be contended that you have a financial backup when you need it.
It is not only by putting away money that you could save but you could do so by ensuring you control your day to day expenses where a few dollars would be drained out without your knowledge. It is these few dollars that we are interested in which if calculated would run into a few hundreds or even thousands of dollars over a period of one year. We have compiled a list of just TEN easy ways that would be easy to follow and also ensure you save a few dollars on a regular basis for which of course you would need to commit yourself very intelligently.
#1. Join or create a carpool with friends or neighbors
Research done by Statistics Canada has enlightened that an average Canadian worker commutes about 25 kilometers to work and back every day. Covering such a distance annually would cost you around $1,800 on gas alone every year. This is not taking into consideration other factors like wear and tear which the car would undergo during that time.
If you carpool and travel only one day per week with friends or neighbors you could be dropping this figure down substantially which could be about half that. If you save that amount of $900 it would be a small amount but would add up in your kitty.
#2. Pay bills on time
Pay your bills on time. If you do so you would not be paying surcharges, interest, or any other unnecessary additional costs. Over a period of time depending on your financial status, you could be saving quite a substantial amount. Paying such unnecessary charges should be avoided. These are savings that would accrue to your saving kitty over a period of time.
#3. Shop with prudence
Many vegetables, fruits, canned items, fish, and other stuff we like to eat are seasonal and if you know what is available in abundance and in which time of the year you could be buying fresh foodstuffs whilst also paying less. You don’t need to be an expert on the matter but when you live a year or so in any particular area you could jot these down on the calendar and then make some prudent changes to ensure that you eat the freshest and at a lesser price too.
#4. Manage the heating and cooling systems
Ensure that you adjust your thermostat according to your needs and don’t just keep the air-conditioning or heating system running when you are away from home. Research by Energy experts has found that you could be saving up to $400 annually if you use your cooling and heating system prudently.
#5. Negotiate your insurance premiums
Negotiate all your insurance premiums, your home, car, and all other insurance would cost a tidy sum annually, but if you could negotiate with your insurance agent you may end up paying much less than they would quote. If you are not satisfied try another agent and they would offer you a better premium than the former. The savings that you would make would be quite a sum when calculated annually.
#6. Check your vehicle every winter
Get ready for the winter and ensure that you do a tune-up to your vehicle every winter before it begins and this way you would not be spending unnecessarily with avoidable breakdowns. Your regular mechanic or the vehicle center would help you out which could save you a good tidy sum annually.
#7. Look for bargains regularly
Bargains are galore in supermarkets and departmental stores and to pick up what you would need, make a list of everything beforehand. When you are out shopping inside any shop look at the bargains you may just find what you wanted and buying at bargain prices would save you a lot especially when spread out over a year.
#8. Check vehicle air pressure regularly
Driving with low tire pressure wastes gas and doing it on a regular basis would burn gas unnecessarily. Ensure that you check your tire pressure on a regular basis and reduce the consumption of gas. This could be a tidy sum saved on gas annually.
#9. Avoid traffic fines
Canadians pay millions of dollars on traffic fines and these are unnecessary payments that could be easily avoided. Ensure that you drive carefully and don’t speed as it is not worth the trouble and could be life-threatening too. If you do not pay traffic fines you would not be contributing to the Canadian police unnecessarily.
#10. Avoid shopping with credit cards
Credit cards generally buy things that we don’t need. Hence avoid flashing your credit card when you buy because by doing so you would not be buying what you don’t need. It would save you loads over a year. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair
When you are looking for a home to live, you have two major options available to consider. Either you can rent a home, or else, you can spend your money and buy a new home. Most of the people tend to get stuck when making a choice out of these two options. That’s where you need to analyze the pros and cons associated with renting a home and buying a one. With that, you will be able to make an appropriate decision.
Pros of buying a home
When you purchase a home, you will be provided with the opportunity to build up equity along with time. The renters will not be able to experience it. You can buy a home with a home loan. Every month, you will need to make a payment against it. A portion of this payment would go as interest. However, the remaining amount will be used to settle the capital. As a result, it can be considered as a long-term investment.
People who purchase homes will be able to experience a large number of tax benefits as well. For example, you will be eligible for federal tax deductions. On the other hand, you will be able to make yourself eligible to receive homestead exemption as well.
After purchasing a home, you will be able to get a sense of belonging. That’s because you know that you have a place to call on your own. This can cultivate creative freedom as well. You will be able to go ahead and decorate the home according to the specific preferences that you have in mind. A large number of DIY project ideas are also available for you to consider. Hence, you will love that unique experience offered to you.
Cons of buying a home
You will have to spend a considerable amount of money out of your pocket to buy a home. This can be considered as the biggest drawback associated with it. It is true that homeownership has got the ability to help you build equity along with time. But equity is not related to automatic profit. If the prices of homes in your area reduce along with time, you will end up making a bad investment.
When you purchase a home, you will be provided with the responsibility of maintaining it. Maintaining a home cannot be considered as an easy thing to do. You will have to spend a lot of money on the repairs as well. For example, if your house is worth around $100,000, you will need to spend at least $10,000 for the repairs of your house throughout a period of 10 years.
Most of the houses are not sold furnished. Hence, you will need to spend additional amounts of money out of your pocket to furnish the house that you purchase as well. In addition, you will have to spend a lot of energy and time on it as well.
Pros of renting a home
Now let’s take a look at the reasons available for you to go ahead and rent a home.
When you rent a home, you will not be provided with the responsibility of maintaining it. You don’t even have to worry about the repairs. If a pipe bursts or if the toilet backs up, you don’t need to spend money out of your pocket to get that fixed. All you have to do is to get in touch with the landlord. The landlord would take appropriate steps to help you overcome the frustration that you are going through.
If you are a person who doesn’t prefer to stick to one location, renting a home would be the best option available for you to consider. For example, you might have to travel a lot because of your work commitments. In such a situation, purchasing a home would be a waste of money. Instead, you can simply rent out a home. Whenever you need to move to another location, all you have to do is to find a new home for rent in the new destination. The process is simple as that and you will be able to minimize the frustration.
After renting the home, you don’t need to worry about the changes that are taking place in the real state market. The home value fluctuates along with time. It can even go down under certain instances. But you don’t need to worry about it because you are just renting the house.
Cons of renting a house
The biggest disadvantage associated with renting a house is that there will be no equity building up. Hence, you will be just spending your money in the long run and you will not be able to gain anything in return from it. But there is a possibility for you to go ahead and sign up a rent to own agreement with the property owner. But you cannot confirm whether the property owner would agree to come into this kind of agreement.
People who rent out property will not be able to experience any federal tax benefits as well. The homeowners are being provided with the opportunity to go ahead and reduce the mortgage interest and property taxes from the federal income tax returns. But if you have just rented out the property, you will not be eligible for it.
When you rent out a home, you will not be able to do any customizations to it and call it a place of your own. That’s because you have agreed to a contract along with the property owner. This can make you feel like you are living in a place that is not owned by you.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are pros and cons associated with both options. Hence, you need to take a look at your personal preferences and then go ahead with the best option that is available to consider. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair
When you are not in a position to settle your debts, you simply go ahead and file for bankruptcy. However, all the types of debts are not being covered when you file for bankruptcy. Hence, it is important for you to have a clear understanding of what debts are covered and what debts are not covered at the time of filing for bankruptcy.
It is also possible for you to go ahead and file for bankruptcy without seeking the assistance of a legal professional. If you are going to do that, you need to be well-informed about the process. That’s why you need to take a look at the debts mentioned below and understand that they are not being covered in bankruptcy within Canada. As a result, you will be able to stay away from filing for bankruptcy unnecessarily within the country.
In Canada, student loans will not be covered in bankruptcy, as long as they less the 7 years old. It has been identified that most of the students living in Canada go ahead and obtain student loans. That’s mainly because education is so expensive in Canada and the students find it as a difficult task to cover up their expenses. However, you need to keep in mind that student loans are not covered in the case of bankruptcy. If you are not in a position to settle your student loan, you shouldn’t go ahead and file for bankruptcy. It will not be able to provide any assistance to you. Student loans in Canada can further be divided into several categories. They include privately lent student loans, federal student loans, and loans that are directly offered by the colleges. All these types of student loans will not be covered during a case of bankruptcy.
However, there is one exception, which you need to keep in mind. If you can prove that you are not in a position to work after your college or again in your life, due to a permanent or complete disability, you will be able to include your student loan in the bankruptcy and file for it. But in general, people are not allowed to go for it.
There are individuals who purchase valuable items, such as cars, merchandise, or jewelry. After purchasing these items, they go ahead and file for bankruptcy. This can be considered as another major mistake that they do. That’s because you will not be able to file for bankruptcy because of the items that you have purchased. If you are filing for bankruptcy, you will either have to continue making your payments for the lender or to give up the items that you have purchased.
You need to keep in mind that the lender of the loan has got a security interest against the item that you have purchased. In other words, you have come into an agreement with the lender in order to pay for the product in return for the item. In case if you fail to work according to that agreement, the right that you have to continue with using the item would be removed. Hence, you need to think about this factor at the time of filing for bankruptcy.
There is an exception in this situation as well. You will be able to surrender the merchandise, jewelry, or vehicle you bought back to the lender. Then you will be able to get rid of the obligation that you have in order to make a payment back. You will not be allowed to keep an item along with you. The security interest of the lender can be considered as the main reason behind the above-mentioned fact. Therefore, you will not be able to retain the item and stay away from making a payment to it.
Luckily, you will not be asked to remove the legal obligations that you have to pay for your child as a support at the time of bankruptcy. If you have an outstanding balance, which you are willing to use as this payment, you will be provided with the ability to keep it after the case.
- Credit card debt and legal payments made to the ex-spouse
If you take a look at the divorce cases, the spouse usually agrees to make a payment for the legal expenses. Or else, the spouse will agree to make a payment against the outstanding debts that are owed by the partner. These debts are in a position to provide tremendous assistance to you with surviving your bankruptcy.
You can go ahead and come up with an agreement in order to pay the credit card balance that is against your name. Then you can nominate your spouse as the person who makes that payment. Then you will not be able to turn around then proceed with filing for bankruptcy. That’s because filing for bankruptcy will not be able to help you settle those agreements to make the payments or the debts. Your spouse is still in a position to force you and to tempt you in order to make the payments.
The process of rebuilding your credit can be a long and frustrating one. If you go blind in this process, you will have to deal with a series of negative consequences. Therefore, you should stay informed and start rebuilding your credit slowly.
- Court-ordered restitution
Last but not least, you must understand that court-ordered restitution is not covered when you file for bankruptcy in Canada. If you don’t know, restitution is the amount of money that the court will ask you to pay, because of a personal injury or a financial loss that you have done for another party. Since you are guilty in this case, you will not be provided with any relief when you are filing for bankruptcy. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management
You may be getting frustrated with the advertisements that most financial institutions do at the beginning of the year. They request you to invest in RRSP (Registered retired savings plan). Actually this time span is often described as the RRSP season. If you invest in RRSP within the very first two months (60 days) of the beginning of the year can be easily deducted from your income of the last year offering a faster tax refund.
In case you have enough cash with you to invest in RRSP then this is the time to utilize it properly. Here the article will illustrate more about this concept.
Do you need to reach the bank immediately? Of course – No!
In case your boss is giving you the chance to invest in RRSP or VRSP (voluntary retirement saving plan) in say Quebec or anywhere in Canada then think about it seriously as an option to replace investing in an individual RRSP at a credit union or bank. You may want to know why? The reason is many and one of the basic reasons is simply that you can easily save hundreds and hundreds of dollars taken against management fees over your career span which is quite convincing. Since the management fees are deducted from some published returns it may seem to you as if they don’t exist. But the fee is always there.
A mutual fund management fee embedded within any individual RRSP vary and it can fall in between 2-3%. In case of Group RRSP is managed by a particular insurance company the management fee would be anywhere between 0.5-1.5% which is less and it can directly have a positive effect on the savings.
Post-holiday season- Is it the best time to contribute to RRSP?
Not many people own a substantial amount of dollars in their bank accounts to contribute to RRSP in the month of January/February. So, does that mean that this is an RRSP season and you can contribute effectively to save for your retirement? Of course no.
Smaller but frequent RRSP contribution
In order to have sturdy savings plan to save a sufficient amount for retirement, you need to have a regular RRSP contribution time period. This way the budget is simplified. It is pretty easy to invest $50 fortnightly as compared to contributing around $1300 at the end of the year.
It is always better to save during the period when the money is deducted from your salary directly prior to getting deposited in the bank account. This is an amazing benefit of group VRSPs and RRSPs.
Should I make RRSP contributions a bit early?
Yes. There are many reasons for this. When it comes to markets in North America, the end of month September is considered as the season of strength. You can make contributions at the start season of strength instead of during the RRSP season which is the end of the year.
It is better to make contributions early September rather than waiting for the RRSP deadline. It is one of the best strategies that work.
How to pay no income tax?
If you are contributing to Group RRSP via payroll deductions, you directly get a tax refund instead of when you actually file your income tax returns. Hence if you pay $50 at ever pay. $50 will get credited in the RRSP group but the net pay will be deducted by around $30. So, you end up saving $20 in income tax.
You can gain a lot by saving on tax instantly on every pay rather than getting just a single refund at once. This can give you thousands of dollars extra and there is no waiting for the entire year to receive your funds.
Can I get higher returns?
Yes, you can get higher returns by distributing your RRSP all throughout the year and it is because of income tax saving system that you get good returns. When you make RRSP contribution with each pay the amount is invested instantly on different markets and it automatically generates returns.
In case you wish to go all the way till the end of the year and contribute a similar amount to the number of your contributions for each pay there will be no return generated throughout the year. Contributing to each pay can convert into thousands of dollars extra for your retirement based on the bond market and stock performance.
Can I get benefited from HBP along with a group plan?
Group RRSP members can get benefited from the HBP plan (Homebuyers plan) to make most of the real estate market easily.
Start focussing on your RRSP contribution planning and try to give importance to RRSP contributions to gain maximum benefits. You can gain a lot through RRSP.
It is important to consider the contribution amount. In order to do it, you need to evaluate your budget, analyze current savings, and determine your future income and the retirement needs. You can also you various tools available to help you carry out the entire process.
Many people think whether contributing to RRSP is an ideal choice, of course, it makes sense too. Just ensure that it suits your future goals and income. Of course, if you need to build a savings plan that helps you with your retirement goal so that you can enjoy a similar lifestyle that you are enjoying today.
If you have a low income then you will not be able to get the benefits in tax deduction from RRSP contributions. You need to assess the situations that favor RRSP and accordingly need to make RRSP contributions. Of course, you need to plan your retirement well and for that, you need to evaluate your income, what are you expecting post-retirement, etc. You need to keep a check on your RRSP after making the contributions. You can also hire a financial consultant to guide you on properly making RRSP contributions and whether or not they are profitable for your income and retirement goals. It will help you in the long run and avoid making incorrect decisions. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management, Social Media
When you need cash for an emergency, you tend to go ahead with a payday loan. In fact, a payday loan would look like the only path of survival. But most of the people who obtain payday loans for their emergency cash needs end up with hassle and frustration in the long run. Therefore, it is important for you to take a look at the unseen aspect of payday loans and take appropriate steps in order to stay away from it.
Below mentioned are some prominent reasons, which would justify why payday loans are never a good idea available for you to consider.
What exactly are payday loans?
Before you take a look at the negative aspects of payday loans, it is better to have a basic understanding of what exactly the payday loans are and what they can lead you to. A payday loan is a kind of a short-term loan. You are borrowing the loan for a couple of weeks. Ideally, you should be in a position to settle this loan on your next payday.
When providing the loan, the lenders will take a look at your bank accounts and income statements. Then they will determine the ability of you to repay the loan by the next payday.
Why shouldn’t you go ahead with payday loans?
Now you know what payday loans are all about. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the reasons why you are never encouraged to go forward with them.
- Payday loans are expensive
Payday loans can be considered as one of the most expensive types of loans that you can borrow. If you take a look at an expensive credit card, you will notice that the interest rate is somewhere around 28%. But the interest associated with a payday loan is much above that. For example, if you obtain a payday loan of around $100 for a period of 15 days, you will have to pay a massive annual interest, which goes up to 400%. If you are not in a position to pay such a high amount of money as the interest, you shouldn’t even think about obtaining a payday loan. Usually, most of the people who are not in a position to obtain mainstream loans tend to go ahead with payday loans. It is true that you can easily get cash to your hands with the assistance of a payday loan. But you will have to pay a lot of money out of your pocket for the enhanced convenience offered.
- You will get stuck in the payday loans cycle
From recent studies, it has been identified that most of the people who obtain payday loans tend to get stuck in a repeat cycle. This is another reason why you are encouraged to stay away from payday loans. When you obtain a payday loan, you will have to spend a considerable amount of money on your next payday to settle it along with the interest. With this, you will not have enough money to survive until your next payday. Along with that, you will be tempted to go ahead and obtain another payday loan. That’s how you get stuck in a cycle. When you get stuck in this kind of cycle, you will find it a difficult task to overcome it. That’s where your credit ratings would go down.
- Your debt will grow fast
Once you obtain a payday loan, your debt will grow fast. That’s mainly because you will have to pay money at an extremely high rate of interest. In fact, you will be spending around three to ten times the amount that you have initially borrowed with the payday loan. This can lead you towards debt. Your debt will grow faster than you imagine. As a result, you will end up with a lot of financial difficulties in the long run.
- You can easily obtain payday loans
As mentioned earlier, it is extremely easy for you to obtain a payday loan. This can also be considered as one of the major drawbacks associated with it. That’s because you will be tempted to go ahead with it when you come across a financial requirement. You will even tend to obtain a payday loan at your lunch break. This is never a good habit. That’s because you never provide any time for you to think whether obtaining the loan is a good idea or not. You believe that it is the best solution out of all available options and go ahead with it blindly. With this, you will end up with a lot of negative consequences in the long run. When you identify those mistakes, you are too late.
- You will have to provide your bank account access
When you are obtaining a payday loan, you will be asked to provide your bank account access to the company that provides it. This can be considered as another negative effect linked with these loans. Your bank account contains a lot of sensitive information related to you. Hence, you should never go ahead and share the bank account details with another party. This is another major reason available for you to stay away from obtaining payday loans.
- You will end up with stress
Most of the people who obtain payday loans to cater to their emergency financial requirements end up with stress. That’s because the payday loans are linked with a higher rate of interest and you will come to a situation where you cannot settle them. In such a situation, you will end up with disappointment and frustration. This can bring in a lot of stress to your mind.
Due to all these reasons, you will need to think twice before you go ahead and obtain a payday loan. It is better to stay away from these loans whenever possible. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair
If you are a parent with kids, filing for bankruptcy should be transformed into a family experience. Then you will be provided with the opportunity to minimize the hassle and frustration that you will have to go through. On the other hand, you will find it a convenient task to go through the process of bankruptcy as well.
You need to follow a unique and specific approach when you are explaining bankruptcy to your children. From this article, we will let you know about the steps that should be taken when you are explaining bankruptcy for the little ones. These tips can definitely help you to convince the message to the little ones without going through any hassle or frustration.
Explaining bankruptcy to preschool children
You need to think twice before you go ahead and explain bankruptcy to children who are younger than six years. Sometimes they will not understand anything that you say. But if you want to get rid of the stress that you are going through, you can go ahead and explain what has happened.
When you are explaining bankruptcy to preschool children, you need to be as simple as possible. In other words, you will need to convey the message in a way that your preschool child is familiar with. Then you will be able to convince the message in an effective manner.
Along with bankruptcy, you and your pre-schooling children will have to go through some significant changes in their day to day lifestyles. For example, they will need to move to a new home and change schools. When you are preparing for these changes, your kids will be convinced that something big is happening. That’s where you can go ahead and explain bankruptcy to your kids. Then the kids will be able to understand what’s happening. It can keep the kids away from assuming things.
You can use examples when you are explaining bankruptcy to the preschool kids. Then you will be able to convince the message to the little ones in an efficient manner. For example, you can let your kids know that you are moving to a new home so that you will be able to save additional money to take care of the family and to purchase food that you need. Then the preschool kids will be able to understand bankruptcy according to the knowledge that they have.
Explaining bankruptcy to elementary school children
As the next thing, you need to understand how you are going to explain bankruptcy to elementary school children. Elementary school kids are less than 12 years of age. Therefore, you will need to follow a specific procedure when you are explaining bankruptcy to them as well. However, it is possible for you to provide a bit more additional knowledge than you would explain bankruptcy to the preschool children.
When you are explaining bankruptcy to the elementary school children, you need to make sure that your little ones don’t start worrying about money. That’s nothing that the elementary school students will be able to do in order to help you get out of bankruptcy. However, you will still be able to receive excellent emotional assistance from the children. Due to this reason, you need to explain the facts accordingly, so that your kids are convinced to go ahead and support you emotionally.
You should also make sure that the kids don’t go ahead and blame themselves for all the financial difficulties that you are dealing with. You can tell your kids that you are filing for bankruptcy because you will be able to save some additional money for the family expenses. Or else, you can say that you are saving money to settle some of the bills that you have. To convince the message in an effective manner, you can share a goal that is related to your kids as well. For example, you can tell that you will be able to go on a family vacation to one of the best amusement parks when you settle all your debt. This can motivate your elementary school kids to go ahead and provide the emotional assistance needed.
Teenagers
Explaining bankruptcy to teenagers can be quite tricky. That’s because the teenagers are sophisticated and they have a better understanding of how money works. In addition, they are aware of the fact of how the economy can affect them. As a result, they start worrying about your financial situation as well.
Since teenagers have a good understanding of the financial situation, you can go ahead and provide additional information about bankruptcy to them. You can even tell your teenage kids about why you went into bankruptcy. It would be an important lesson that they will be able to learn during the teenage years.
It is also possible for you to encourage your teenagers to go for a part-time job, which they can do after school. Plenty of such job opportunities are available. It is up to the teenagers to go ahead and grab those opportunities. Then they will be able to make some money after school and help you with your financial difficulties.
You shouldn’t think twice before you allow teenagers to go ahead and take responsibility when trying to help you during a difficult situation in your life. This can deliver a better feeling for your kids as well and they will feel empowered.
Now you are aware of how to explain bankruptcy to your kids. You can keep these tips in your mind and proceed accordingly. Then you will be able to create a solid foundation, which can ensure a stronger financial background for you in the long run. You should never think twice before you go for it. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
