Consumer Proposal in Ontario
A consumer proposal is the #1 alternative to personal bankruptcy in Ontario
What is a consumer proposal?
Believe it or not, you can get out of debt without declaring personal bankruptcy or resorting to costly debt consolidation loans with a consumer proposal.
The government of Canada offers a little-known debt-relief program, called a consumer proposal in Ontario. By filing a consumer proposal, you can reduce your debt by up to 80% through a negotiated settlement with your creditors without interest or penalties.
Why work with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee?
Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) has the knowledge, training, and authority to file a consumer proposal in Ontario on your behalf. At David Sklar & Associates, we have a dedicated and passionate team of LITs and administrators who can guide you through the whole process, helping you to reduce as much of your debt as possible.
If you’re struggling to keep up with your debt payments, a consumer proposal can give you the breathing room to get your finances back on track. Our LITs can help you get there. Contact us today to learn if a consumer proposal is the right debt relief solution for you!
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David Sklar explains the benefits of a consumer proposal in Ontario
Our Canadian debt relief solution can help you reduce your debt by up to 80%. A consumer proposal is the #1 alternative to personal bankruptcy.
With the help of a Licensed Insolvency Trustee, you can reach an agreement with your creditors to repay a fraction of the debt you owe.
What debts can you include in a consumer proposal?
A consumer proposal helps deal specifically with unsecured debt, which includes the following:
- Personal loans
- Lines of credit
- Credit cards
- Payday loans
- Bank overdrafts
- Unpaid bills
- Tax debts
- *Student loans
*Student debt can only be included in a consumer proposal if seven years have passed since you’ve graduated
You cannot include secured debts in a consumer proposal, which is debt backed by an asset you own. A mortgage, car loan, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC) don’t qualify for discharge through a consumer proposal. Child support, alimony, and fines also are excluded.
For many people, it’s the steep, double-digit interest rates found on credit cards, lines of credit, and similar unsecured loans that give them trouble. In fact, lenders can legally charge interest rates as high as 60% for loans in Ontario! And the rates can be even more excessive for payday loans.
By drastically reducing your high-interest unsecured debts, you’ll have more room in your budget to keep up with your mortgage and car loan payments.
How does a consumer proposal work?
Here's an example of how a Consumer Proposal works in Ontario, Imagine you owe:
$100,000
Your Debts include the following:
- A line of credit of $50,000
- An old student loan with $20,000 remaining
- two credit cards hovering around $20,000
- And a payday loan of $10,000
Step 1: DETERMINE HOW MUCH DEBT YOU CAN REPAY
During your first consultation, we’ll determine how much of your total unsecured debt you can repay based on your current financial situation. In this scenario, let’s assume the calculations show that you can repay $25,000 while still covering your rent, mortgage, and other living expenses.
Step 2: PRESENT YOUR NEW PAYMENT PLAN TO YOUR CREDITORS
Your Licensed Insolvency Trustee will then take care of all the formal paperwork and present your consumer proposal settlement of $25,000 to the creditors. Most creditors would rather receive a portion of what you owe, rather than have you declare personal bankruptcy where they receive much less, or possibly nothing.
Once your consumer proposal is accepted by your creditors, the agreement is legally binding. You’ll no longer be subject to harassing collection calls and are shielded from lawsuits from creditors. Any wage garnishment orders in effect will grind to a halt as well.!
Your $100,000 debt is reduced to:
$25,000
Step 3: Start paying down your debt
Once your Consumer Proposal is accepted you will make one low monthly payment directly to David Sklar & Associates, consolidating all your debt, without interest and without penalties.
Payments are made monthly over a maximum of five years. You also have the option to repay the total amount at any time. We then disburse the funds to your creditors.
So... where did the rest of the debt go?
The truth of the matter is that the Canadian government would rather have you claim a consumer proposal in Ontario than a bankruptcy, and your creditors would rather get 20% of your debt than nothing (which is what they would receive if you claimed bankruptcy).
The remaining debt is simply forgiven.
As long as a Licensed Insolvency Trustee manages your consumer proposal, there’s no catch. You don’t have to worry about hidden fees, penalties, or other obligations. Provided you qualify, you have the right, as a Canadian citizen, to use a consumer proposal to help you free yourself from crippling debt.
Find out how much you can save with our
Consumer Proposal Debt Calculator
Use the slider below to tell us how much you owe and we will show you how much you can save!
*This calculator simply provides an estimate of the total savings you could receive filing a consumer proposal. Actual results may vary as each financial situation is unique. Your actual payments will be based on your income, assets, and debts.
*Do Not Include Mortgage or Car Loan Debt.
With a consumer proposal at 0% interest, you will only have to pay back:
$3,480/$58 per month
*This calculator is for demonstration purposes only. Your results may vary based on your unique financial situation.
Advantages of a Consumer Proposal in Ontario
- Federally regulated by the Canadian government to help citizens avoid claiming bankruptcy. Learn more.
- Creditors cannot seize your assets
- Collection calls will stop immediately.
- You will pay back less than you owe. Often 70-80% less.
- Monthly payments are based on what you can afford.
- Payments can be spread out over a 5 years.
- Payments are interest-free and without penalty.
- David Sklar’s federally regulated fees are calculated into your monthly payments so there are no additional fees to worry about.
Do you qualify for a consumer proposal in Ontario?
Here are the requirements to file a consumer proposal in Ontario:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must be a Canadian resident or own property in Canada
- Your unsecured debt must be no greater than $250,000
- You must be insolvent or incapable of making your debt payments
- You must have the ability to repay a portion of your outstanding debts
- You must have completed any previous consumer proposals you’ve filed
- You must enlist the services of a Licensed Insolvency Trustee to administer your consumer proposal
Consumer Proposal vs. Personal Bankruptcy
Filing a consumer proposal in Ontario or declaring personal bankruptcy will help you to clear your debts and protect you from creditors but there are some important differences to be aware of.
One major advantage of a consumer proposal is that you will not lose any of your assets and you are not required to surrender anything.
Consumer Proposal
Personal Bankruptcy
Total debt must be less than $250,000
No limit to size of debt
Only available to individuals
Available to individuals or companies
You keep your Assets: Home, Car, RRSP’s, RESP’s, & Investments
Surrender your assets (Exemptions)
Keep Your Tax refund
Calendar year’s tax refunds go to creditors
Payments are structured based on what you can afford
Payments based on household income and value of assets
The payment is flexible you can pay everything immediately (lump sum), or stretch your payments over a maximum of 5 years the choice is yours
The payment is NOT flexible, first bankruptcy 9-21 months, second-time bankruptcy 24-36 months
Getting into debt is easy. Getting out is a different story.
But it's still possible!
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Our team of Licensed Insolvency Trustees in Ontario can help you get out of debt and in control of your own financial future. We’ve helped thousands of people and we can help you too.
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