by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Portfolio
Are you looking forward to filing for bankruptcy in Canada? Then you will have a lot of questions in your mind, which need to be answered. Figuring out how long bankruptcy lasts in the country might be the biggest question that you have. Hence, it is important to figure out answers to that question and then move forward.
In Canada, several factors could affect the term of bankruptcy. As a result, the time period that a person has to be in bankruptcy within the country differs from one person to another. As soon as you receive a discharge, your bankruptcy would end. In other words, it is the event where all your debts are being canceled.
In most the cases, you will be able to receive the discharge after a period of 9 months. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is the minimum period. It can get extended due to a court order. In addition, you need to be aware of the exact factors, which are in a position to create an impact on the time period that you will have to be in bankruptcy.
- Surplus income
Surplus income can be considered as one of the most determining factors, which are in a position to create an impact on your term of bankruptcy. In case your income is higher when compared to the limit that is defined by the government, you have to worry about this factor. In such a situation, there is a high possibility for the bankruptcy to be extended for over 9 months.
- First bankruptcy or not
In case if you have not become a victim of bankruptcy before in your life, you will be able to receive the discharge after a period of 9 months. In fact, this is an automatic discharge. But if this is not your first time, there is a possibility for the bankruptcy to be extended. The period of extension will be determined by the registrar or judge of the bankruptcy court.
- Changes in the law
The laws that are related to bankruptcy in Canada were established back in 2005. Several amendments were introduced to these laws along with time. In fact, the laws are being amended on a continuous basis. Possible amendments that can take place in the future are also in a position to create an impact on the term of bankruptcy.
- Opposes in discharge
If you can create an income, which can be used for sustainable living, you will be able to get rid of bankruptcy. In other words, you need to show that you are in a position to take care of yourself as well as your dependents. Then you will be granted the discharge. However, there are instances where people fail to prove this. In such instances, their discharges will be opposed. As a result, you will have to remain in bankruptcy for an additional period of time.
- Completion of all duties
There are a few specific duties, which you will need to complete while you are in bankruptcy. Failing to complete these duties in a timely manner can delay your bankruptcy. Due to this reason, you are strongly encouraged to pay special attention to the completion of all your duties.
It is better if you can deep dive and have a better understanding of the duties that you will need to fulfill during bankruptcy. Then you will be able to fulfill those duties and make sure that you are granted the much-needed relief from bankruptcy.
While you are in bankruptcy, you will be asked to go ahead and attend a series of meetings that are organized by the creditors. In these meetings, you have the opportunity to go ahead and ask all questions that you have in your mind about bankruptcy from the creditors. As a result, you will be able to get rid of all the doubts that you had in your mind as well. Even if you don’t ask any such questions, it is important to attend these meetings. They are in a position to create a tremendous impact on your duration of the bankruptcy. In other words, you should not miss out on any meeting.
Your income tax is also in a position to help you with reducing the period of bankruptcy. You should give all the T-4 slips to your trustee along with other essential information. Then the trustee will be able to complete all the outstanding tax returns from the date that you filed for bankruptcy. You should also keep in mind that all the income tax debt would get accumulated within the bankruptcy. Therefore, you will need to make the tax payments separately. If you make these payments, you will be able to reduce your period of bankruptcy in an efficient manner.
During the time of bankruptcy, monthly reporting is extremely important as well. At the end of every month, you will need to report all your living expenses and the monthly household income. In case if there are any changes in the situation of the trustee, you will have to include those details in the report as well. This report must be submitted along with the copies of the pay stubs. All the forms that you need will be provided by the trustee. It is up to you to fill up these forms by including accurate information.
If you want to make yourself eligible for an automatic discharge after a period of 9 months, you should go ahead and take part in 2 different credit counseling sessions as well. It is possible for you to go for one on one counseling sessions or group sessions. The very first session out of these two is held within 60 days and the other will take place within 210 days. If you attend to these sessions, you will be able to make yourself eligible for automatic eligibility. 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, Portfolio, Social Media
Capital is something really important for businesses to run their business smoothly. Many people switch from job to business to execute their ideas that even lead to great business opportunities. When they plan to start a business the first thing that stops you for a while is lack of funds or capital.
Business Loan
The loan is the best option to raise funds for your business. You can get loans from many financial institutions or banks. You may find the entire process of getting a loan a little bit complicated than earlier. Now banks have set up new rules for lending funds for businesses, especially small businesses. Thus you should be aware of detailed steps to get a business loan from any bank so that you can get your loan approved without any hassles. Let us look at the basic and essential steps that will help you apply for a loan from the bank and get it approved.
Create a perfect business plan
When you apply for a loan, the banks want you to present a powerful financial plan which works well for your business. It includes an introduction about you and what the business you want to start is about. The business plan you present should be able to speak about your business goals and missions and also how the business will operate to achieve the goals and mission. A perfect and convincing business plan will help you convince the lender easily.
Explain the spending pattern for the borrowed finances
Banks are interested in knowing about how you are going to spend the loan amount borrowed from the bank. For example, if you are planning to buy equipment, you should seek an equipment loan. In another case, if you need funds to keep your business running prior to the debtors offer you money then make sure you apply for a suitable short-term loan. Hence it is better to explain what you are going to use the loan amount to help the bank assess whether the amount given will take care of all your business needs.
Mention the loan amount you actually need
Before applying for a loan makes sure you do all the calculations to find out the amount of money you need so that it is neither over nor underestimated. The reason is that if you seek less money than you need it can land you in financial problems in the near future. On the other hand, stating an overestimated amount can again put you in trouble as the bank will ask you whether you have made a perfect business plan after conducting thorough research. To put an end to all the doubts make sure you have a better business plan with a proper presentation and a budget.
Be determined about the credit score
Today, all banks verify whether a person who applies for the loan is eligible for the loan. When you apply for a loan make sure you check your credit scores and credit reports. It would be difficult to get a loan if your credit score is lower than expected. If your credit score is low you can try for a loan that is revenue-based. You can put in some efforts to increase your credit score before you apply for a loan from a bank.
Monitor your credit report
At times you could find some errors in the credit report and it happens when you are not attentive. It can pull down your credit score negatively. That is why you need to keep a check on your credit score by checking files of business credit and personal credit. In case you find any errors you can approach the credit reporting firm to get it corrected and increase the score after eliminating the errors. It is necessary to look into credit reports as a low credit score won’t fetch your loan from a bank.
Evaluate the available lending options
Once you check your credit report and find it to be fine, the next you need to do research and create a list of various banks that are feasible to provide the loan type you are looking for. Make sure you pick out the banks that provide loans at considerably low-interest rates and offer approval guidelines that are quite flexible.
Maintain accurate financial records
It is easy to get a loan from banks when you have correct and well-maintained financial statements. Banks check the balance sheets you have along with income statements and cash flow statements. 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, Portfolio
When you think of loans it might scare you a little especially if you don’t know how to manage your loans. On the other hand, credit is a complex element, and based on your credit status you may think whether the loans will help or harm your credit score.
Certainly, both old and new loans affect your credit scores in different ways
- The loans can help you strengthen your credit provided you make your payments on time.
- In case you make late payments on loans then it can affect your credit.
- They lower the chances to borrow which of course won’t harm your credit score directly.
- They initially cause some damage to the credit but you can easily overcome the damage upon making timely payments.
Strengthening your credit
The credit means the records of a borrower. In case you borrowed any loans in the past and paid it on time then the lenders will lend you further loans thinking that you will follow the same pattern for future loans too.
When you decide to take a new loan it certainly provides you with an opportunity to make the payments successfully and strengthen your credit score. Even if you had a bad credit history in the past or couldn’t build credit, here is another chance to improve your credit with every month by paying on time.
Taking various types of loans also improves your credit. If there is a mix of different loans on credit cards it would be better to improve your credit. For example, a home and a vehicle loan, etc.
Again, make sure that you do not borrow just to increase your credit score. Try to borrow smartly only if you need it and pick the right loan for a specific need.
Missing loan payments affect scores
If you are not making payments against your loans that are either you are paying late or simply stop paying them, then the credit scores will fall quickly and you will face problems getting further loans.
Borrowing potential
New loans not just affect your credit scores but they also decrease your borrowing potential. Your credit history shows the details of the loan you are availing at present including the monthly payments that you need to pay against the loans. When you seek a new loan from the lenders, the lender would check your monthly responsibilities and then decide whether or not the loan can be given as to whether you can afford to pay for a new loan along with the existing responsibility of other loans payment.
In order to find out whether you are eligible for the loan or not, the lenders evaluate the debt and income ratio which helps them find out the portion of the monthly income you get is consumed by the monthly payments you owe. The less the amount is the better.
It means you don’t have to actually borrow to find out that your borrowing potential is affected.
A little drop in credit scores
New loans basically lead to a little drop in credit scores. In case you have good credit history then this drop is meaningless and might be short term. On the other hand, if you possess a weak credit score or you are trying to create a credit score as a beginner, the drop can lead to problems. So, do not collect debts prior to applying for a new loan which is an important one for you like a home loan.
Your credit history is checked by the lenders each time you seek a new loan. In this process, an inquiry is set up which shows that someone dragged your credit. Inquiries basically indicate that you are in a financial crisis, need a loan and this makes them drag your credit score down a little. If the inquiries are just one or two it is absolutely fine, but a number of them can seriously affect your credit scores.
If you are visiting lenders it is indeed a smart move and the best option to get a fair deal. You can finish your shopping within a limited period of time like if you are willing to buy a house and started comparing different mortgage lenders then make sure you finish your application process within 30 days. In case of auto loans finish the process in at least 2 weeks’ time.
The above-mentioned information would certainly help you find out how loans can affect your credit score, so make sure you make timely payments against loans. 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, Portfolio, Social Media
Do you want to get rid of debt? In that case, if you are getting a fixed income a consumer proposal can be the best option than getting into bankruptcy. The consumer proposal would help safeguard your assets and clear your debts to unsafe creditors.
The consumer proposal helps the interest increasing on the debt, halts collection calls and halts wage trimming. Under a consumer proposal, you can easily pay off a less and small part of the total debt you have with the help of a single monthly payment during a span of 5 years or lesser than that. You can pay for it anytime.
Let us understand what does consumer proposal mean?
It is an alternate option to bankruptcy created for those who are unable to pay off their debts to the unsecured creditors. You can create a new agreement with the help of a Licensed Insolvency Trustee with the creditors to pay off a lesser amount.
The monthly debts amount that you have to pay is completely based on the income you get and the amount that you can manage to pay as a debt payment.
The consumer proposal proves to be an ideal option for all those who are engaged in the process.
Type of debts that consumer proposal covers are
All the unsecured debts that you own are taken care of by the consumer proposal. It includes utility bills that are not paid, debt related to credit card, payday loans, and also the amount you owe to the Canada Revenue Agency. The consumer proposal is meant for all the debts below $250,000 (excluding mortgage). In case the debt amount is above $250,000 then you are entitled to the proposal – Division 1. You can visit gtacredit.com to get rid of debt with the help of a consumer proposal.
How do Taxes work in a consumer proposal?
Well, if you are planning to file your tax returns then it can be a cumbersome task if you are under debts or planning to file a consumer proposal. There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding the taxes you pay upon filing a consumer proposal and you may get in the trap of such misunderstandings as taxes are handled differently when it comes to consumer proposal rather than a bankruptcy.
The best source to get all your misunderstanding clear about your taxes is to seek help from a GTA CREDIT counselor or an Insolvency Trustee and you will get all the answers to your questions about your financial status and what exactly the consumer proposal has in store for you. The trustee helps you all through the process of a consumer proposal, for example, your assets, taxes, credit rating, etc.,
There are some basic things that you should be aware of how the taxes work while filing a consumer proposal.
In case of bankruptcy, you will need to cease the tax refund the same as you actually would pay a portion of your income as part of a legacy or any increment in your salary. On the other hand, the consumer proposal acts differently. You agree on certain payment terms with your creditors wherein you set a fixed amount to be paid on a monthly basis over a time span of 5 years. The agreement will not alter until and unless you choose to replace it with a new agreement that includes a quick rate for paying back the debt amount. The basic idea behind why a person should seek help via consumer proposal is to secure his/her increments in income in the near future.
Do you need to file taxes while seeking a consumer proposal?
It is recommended that you file the taxes while seeking a consumer proposal as if you miss filing taxes it could intervene in your agreement. In case of bankruptcy you need to file pre as well as a post-bankruptcy tax return.
When you opt for a consumer proposal or bankruptcy it is always better to seek credit counselling. Credit counseling helps you plan your credit and use it wisely and stay away from debt in the coming years.
You can get detailed information from the gtacredit.com or trustee as they help you create a consumer proposal and file the consumer proposal for you. They try to negotiate the amount with your unsecured creditors so they act as intermediaries between both you and the unsecured creditors.
They also help you learn how to utilize your credit and provide tailored counseling for dealing with your credit in the near future. They make sure that the agreement rules are followed by both the parties.
There are benefits linked to consumer proposal and they are
- No need to file bankruptcy
- Can protect your assets
- The unsecured creditors will halt any collection actions that they take against you.
- Any of the deductions on your bank accounts or wages will be cancelled.
- You can pay even lesser amounts to the unsecured creditors as payback amount. This entirely depends on how much you can pay based on your income. All these payment terms are taken care of while filing a consumer proposal.
- Once you file consumer proposals there will be no penalties or increased interest rates for you to pay.
The consumer proposal doesn’t include any disbursement of your assets like vehicles or house etc. in case you mortgaged your house then you need to pay the required amount to protect your house. The same applies to a car or any other secured loans. Remember, secured debts like car loans, home loans or mortgages are not taken care of in consumer proposals.
Upon completion of your consumer proposal, you are freed from all unsecured debt payments that are included in a consumer proposal. Basically the debt amount that you are supposed to pay in a consumer proposal is quite less as compared to the debt amount you owe.
A consumer proposal can help you with debts and you won’t find land in a situation where you find yourself under debts and it becomes impossible to overcome such situations. 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, Portfolio, Social Media
Well, the borrowers can do much about the rising interest rates in Canada other than just saving money and getting prepared to deal with the next hike. When it comes to saving money, it is easy for those who are not paying any interest in other assets as part of loans, which again is not the same as everyone. In case you are at the borrower’s end, it is obvious that you get stress out with the fluctuating rate of interest. Do not worry as here are some ways that can help you face the rise in interest rates smoothly.
Carry out a stress-test on your portfolio
Here stress test basically means checking your portfolio to find out whether it can deal with the rise in the rate of interest. This can be checked people who are interested in investing in properties should focus on the future rather than paying more attention to the low-interest rates that they find currently in the market.
If you are on buying end then don’t look at the current numbers. Focus on the various rates that are available currently in the market. Explore the market to find out the different rates of interest.
You can also check if your portfolio can deal with the rise in interest rates to start paying the increased payments right from now. Try to set a budget that can pay the increased rates. You can either pay your mortgage in a lump sum that will be equivalent to the amount that would come out as a result of increased rates as it will help you be prepared and comfortable paying more money to the mortgage. Else you can reduce other bills and pay an increased amount as payment for other bills. It will be like budgeting that particular payment.
You need to be committed to doing budgeting, paying higher amounts, etc.
Focus on the market conditions
You may lose your focus especially when your attention is divided among different investment properties. Make sure you keep an eye on what is happening in the market and check if the market is beneficial for you currently or for future investments.
You can just go through newsletters, news that you get from mortgage brokers. It will help you know about the market conditions. It is always better to change your plans as the market conditions change because that would be a smart move and you won’t end up losing money.
Prepare yourself for the rise in the rate of interests
Try to pay off as much debt amount you can pay before there is a rise in interest rates. In case the debt you have to pay off is less make sure you pay it back and get rid of the entire debts at once. This will not only reduce your financial burden but will also help you prevent the stress of paying higher loan amounts.
Here is how you can prepare yourself for the rising interest rates.
- Reduce your expenses so that you can save money to pay back your debt.
- Try to make payments for debts that have a higher rate of interest so that you will end up paying less money against interest.
- Try to merge the debts having higher interest rates like debts related to credit cards with that of a loan that has a lower rate of interest but maintains the payments to be the same
- Try not to get the highest mortgage/line of credit that others offer you.
- Think about how borrowing extra money can restrict your potential to save money to meet your goals.
- Find additional methods that can help you make more money to pay the debts.
- Also, maintain some funds that can help you in case of an emergency that can come unexpectedly and add to your costs.
- Make all payments on time to avoid paying extra money as penalty charges.
- If required, you can go to the bank you have an account with to apply for a loan that is- debt consolidation plan. In case your loan gets approved then you will get a larger installment amount which can help you pay your small debts.
- Plan a budget and reduce the living costs, household costs as much as possible and you think is an unnecessary expense.
- If you are not paying your debt, then deposit that money in your account.
Talking about the rise in interest rates in Canada it becomes a little difficult to deal with the rise without pre-planning. You should plan your financial goals for the future before time runs out. It is always recommended that you start paying some extra money against interest every month to finish paying your debts quickly. You can make it a practice and see how things work and you will be debt-free within less time span than expected. You should think about your financial situation before you apply for any credit card. You can easily manage things with proper planning and handling money the right way.
You can also seek help from financial experts to know how rising interest rates can influence your finances before you take any decision that involves money. The financial experts will help you calculate the interest rates based on your loan amount and income so that you can decide whether to go investments or not. The idea is to get a clear idea of how rising interest rates can change your finances. It is better to plan your future financial goals as this rise in interest rates can affect your goals to a great extent. So, prepare yourself for the rising increased rates so that you do not land up facing a financial crisis.
Do not ignore the fact that the rising interest rates can affect your overall lifestyle and you need to be prepared for it in advance to help maintain your current lifestyle. Just focus on market conditions and speak to your financial expert to give you proper guidance on how to manage your finances. 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, Portfolio, Social Media
Some people do not get a steady income like salespeople, freelancers, or people who are self-employed. They actually face a lot of problems due to fluctuating incomes. It is a nightmare to plan a budget when you have no idea about how much you are going to earn each month. This is a serious problem for those who work on a commission basis or are self-employed.
The income they get depends entirely on their monthly sales or projects they get. Well, if you are among those who earn a fluctuating income and find it really difficult to plan a budget, then read on to find out how you can still plan a budget.
Identify the minimum amount you earn
Before you start creating a budget with fluctuating income, you need to identify the minimum amount you earn. Also, determine your minimum expenses on a monthly basis. For all those who earn a fluctuating income, plan their budget keeping in mind their expenses related to basic necessities like house mortgage or rent, groceries, utility bills, groceries, childcare, transportation, etc.
While following any budget plan it is really important to find out how much you need to make to bear your bills. But, in this case, this step won’t work as the income is not steady. To create a budget for fluctuating incomes just write down the list of essential things and monthly expenses on a paper.
Out of the expenses you have listed there are some fixed expenses like rent, mortgage, etc. Now, try to figure out the expenses that change. They can be grocery bills, traveling expenses, utility gas, etc. Also, write down debt repayments, savings, investment, etc. You may think that these bills aren’t crucial to survive still they are quite important.
Calculate monthly expenses that are optional
After you filter out the essentials then try to list all other things. While writing down the optional expenses consider the bill for cable television or any other payments you make for entertainment, hobbies, cash spent on sports, or money spent to dine out.
If you are unable to find out the approx spending on non-essentials then pull out some credit card or bank statements to check. Also, try to find out something that had overburdened your pocket in the last few months.
Create emergency fund
In case you hold some savings already then nothing like it. It is always better to have savings of money for 3-6 months. It helps especially when you have a fluctuating income.
It is always better to create an emergency fund to fight days when you don’t earn a sufficient amount or say nothing. Savings can bridge the difficulties in crucial times.
Staying on income from last month
Once you created a budget for your fluctuating income and included your unnecessary expenses then you will come to know the amount of money you need for the month without disturbing your savings. You can deposit the money you get the previous month to your savings account.
You can start putting whatever you earn in short term or long term savings whichever suits you. This helps you stay on income from last month.
Credit a salary for yourself
It is again a step ahead of how you were advised to put your money in a regular savings account in the very first month. Here you will be paying salary to yourself. You may be wondering how is that possible isn’t it? Think about times when you were working hard and earning a fluctuating income but here you will award yourself with a salary.
You can follow the budget for fluctuating incomes and eliminate optional spending which will save money for you. Now you will not end up spending more than earnings.
Pay bills depending upon the income you earned last month
The money you need for your fluctuating bills, as well as nonessentials, is there in checking account. The right budget that comprises of your expenses and bills for the month is what you have now.
Now you will start paying your bills as per the budget you created that consists of debt payments or paying savings. If you need an individual account for long term savings then go for it. You can also put some cash back to the regular savings accounts every month and see how money grows.
Mark all your bids as paid and put a zero at the end
As not all bills will be due at the start of the month, you need a proper system to keep track of your spending as the month passes.
Make sure you pay every bill right at the beginning of the month. Pay your mortgage or other bills in the second week of the month. If you are planning to spend on entertainment then make sure you do not spend more. Keep your bills marked as paid
It is not easy to plan a budget with a fluctuating income, but with a proper budget, you can accomplish the task. While you create a budget for fluctuating budgets make sure you find ways that can help you get a steady income. Also, if you succeed to earn more in between, try to save money for the days when you either earn less or absolutely nothing. Do not rely on monthly income; try to save for 3-6 months to have a stable amount in your bank that can back you for at least a month during no or less work.
If you can find income coming from more than one source, it will help you earn a stable income or constant money incoming to your account. Try not to spend on entertainment or things that are not essential. You have to go slow and figure out things that need money on a priority basis. You can create a budget plan for fluctuating income and follow it too. With little dedication and smart planning, you can achieve your goals with irregular income too. It may sound a bit difficult, but it works and with the time you will get used to it. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
