Canadian Households now owe more than $2 trillion collectively

People with bad credit are usually able to take out our installment loans.

The benefits are twofold. Firstly, if you’ve run into bad luck with prior loans, you’ll have somewhere to turn when you need money. According to credit.com, installment loans won’t negatively impact your credit. Individual installment loans don’t account for enough money to play a huge roll in your credit score. In fact, the same blog explains that paying off an installment loan for a lengthier term has a positive influence over credit scoring models.

Consumer debt comes in many forms. The most common types include mortgages and credit card debt. However, unsecured lines of credit, overdue bills, payday loans, student loans, child support, alimony, secured loans and Canada Revenue Agency debts (such as income taxes) are also considered debt. Clearly it can add up quickly.

Owing money can be an incredibly stressful situation. When you can only make minimum payments or find yourself missing payments altogether, it will take years to get rid of the debt and can end up costing you even more money altogether. If you are delinquent, then credits will likely hit you with late fees and may even raise your interest rates. When you’re focused on paying down your debt, you’ll have less income available for other expenditures.

As your debt burden and delinquency rates increase, you’ll also see your credit score fall. Your credit score is an indicator of how likely you are to repay debt. In addition to future lenders, your employer, landlord or insurance company may want to know your credit score. Once your credit score has been affected by high debt levels, delinquencies or defaults, it will take a long time to build it up again.

The short answer to the above question is no, Canada does not have debt forgiveness. However, you could work with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or non-profit credit counseling service to learn how to lower or erase your debt. These debt relief services are available in every province in Canada.

Each type of debt has specific characteristics that indicate whether it can be included in debt reduction programs or not. Here are a few examples of types of debt that have special provisions:

Child Support And Alimony

No matter your financial situation, these debts have to be paid.

Secured Loans

Many lenders will require you to sell off an asset in order to pay off a loan. If you don’t do that then the asset can be repossessed. If you fail to pay your mortgage, you may face foreclosure.

Student Loans

In general, student loans won’t be erased with bankruptcy during the seven years following your education. During this period, they usually can’t be included in proposals to manage debt. You could possibly lower this period to five years if you can show that you’re working in your field of education and you’ve done everything possible to repay your loans.

There are multiple ways to get out of debt. Here are the seven main solutions.

Make a budget

All households should have a budget that clearly lays out income sources and expenses. Loan repayments should be included in the expenses. After taking stock of your financial situation, you can then identify areas where you can cut costs and divert this money to paying off your loans.

Consolidate Debt

If you can get a credit card or personal loan with a lower interest rate, then you could move all of your debt over to that card or loan. While you still would have the same amount of debt, your interest payments may become more manageable.

Call Creditors

It’s also worth calling the companies you owe money to and see if they can lower your interest rate. If you’ve been making your minimum payment consistently, then they may be willing to work with you. If you’ve already missed payments or maxed out your cards, then you’re probably out of luck. You’ll have to be persistent with this method as most creditors are trained to say no. Speaking with a supervisor may help you get the lower rate you need.

Consumer Proposal

To file a consumer proposal, you’ll need to hire an insolvency trustee who will work with creditors to reduce how much you have to pay back.

Debt Management Plan

With this method, you’ll hire a credit counselor to contact your creditors to negotiate lower interest rates or lower total debt levels.

Debt Settlement

You need a credit counselor for this scenario as well. The counselor will negotiate a lump sum payment that is less than the total amount you owe, and the rest of your debt will be forgiven.

Bankruptcy

If all else fails, there’s bankruptcy. In bankruptcy, all of your unsecured debt will be erased. While this may sound like a tempting and easy way out, there are some significant drawbacks to this approach. Your credit score will be impacted negatively, and it can take years to strengthen it. Also, you’ll probably have to hand over some of your assets.

If you decide to pursue a plan to manage your debt, be sure to ask a lot of questions so you know what you’re getting yourself into. First, you’ll have to figure out how to qualify for different debt relief programs. Then ask how much each plan will cost and what the different fees cover. You should also ask which types of debt will be included in the plan. Lastly, you may be entitled to some income tax relief, so be sure to ask how taxes will be affected.

If possible, try to pay down your debt yourself. However, if you are still crippled by your payments even after setting a budget and cutting out unnecessary spending, then reach out for assistance. Start with your creditors and then work with a credit counselor. It’s not easy and it will take time but reducing your debt load is worth it.