Debt relief in Calgary starts with understanding your options. If your balances keep growing no matter what you pay, you aren’t alone, and our local specialists are here to help.
Whether it’s debt consolidation, a consumer proposal, bankruptcy or another debt help option, we’ll explain what each could mean for you and help you take the next step toward becoming and staying debt free in Calgary.
We help Calgary residents with debt relief options such as:
When Calgary’s economy shifts, household budgets shift with it. Layoffs in energy, contract work that ends early, or a mortgage renewal at a higher rate can turn manageable debt into a monthly squeeze. 4 Pillars Calgary helps you understand your options and choose a plan that fits your situation.
Our first conversation is free and confidential, and there’s no obligation to work with us. You’ll leave knowing which debt relief options realistically apply to you and what each one would mean for your income, credit and family.
If you earn on contracts, commission or overtime, a strong year can be followed by a lean one. Credit cards and lines of credit often cover the gap, and the balances stay long after the work comes back. We start by looking at your real monthly numbers across good months and slow ones, then lay out options from a tighter budget and money coaching to a debt management plan or a formal solution through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. See all of our services.
For a Calgary household with steady income that can’t repay its unsecured debts in full, a consumer proposal is often the first formal option to compare. A Licensed Insolvency Trustee files your offer to repay part of what you owe over up to five years, and your creditors vote on it. 4 Pillars isn’t a trustee. We help you prepare and connect you with one. How a consumer proposal works.
According to the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, the Calgary economic region recorded 5,254 consumer insolvencies in 2025, 3.9% fewer than in 2024. About 85% of them (4,466) were consumer proposals. Bankruptcies, however, rose 2.5% to 788.
Bankruptcy tends to suit a Calgary renter with limited income and few assets, for example someone in the Beltline between contracts, more than a homeowner with equity. Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can file it, and Alberta law sets which assets you can keep. We’ll go through what it would mean for your vehicle, savings and income before you meet a trustee. Learn about bankruptcy.
If your credit is still in good shape, a consolidation loan can roll several payments into one. Homeowners in newer communities like Mahogany, Seton or Cornerstone sometimes look at refinancing at renewal, but moving card debt onto your mortgage puts your home on the line and doesn’t lower what you owe. If a lender has said no, compare options for homeowners before deciding.
Our Calgary office is downtown. 4 Pillars is not a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. We explain every option in plain language, including what each may cost, help you prepare, and connect you with a trustee when a formal filing makes sense. After your debt is dealt with, we help you with credit rebuilding and budgeting.
Elsewhere in Alberta? Visit our Red Deer, Lethbridge or Medicine Hat pages.
It’s worth talking to someone early. Severance, EI and a new job all affect which options make sense and when to act. We can help you plan around the timing so you don’t commit to payments you can’t keep up.
A proposal doesn’t change your mortgage, but it can deal with your unsecured debts, which may free up room in your budget for a higher mortgage payment. Talk to us before your renewal date so you can compare options.
Personal income tax owed to the CRA can generally be included in a consumer proposal or bankruptcy. Business debts and GST owing are handled differently depending on how your business is set up, so a trustee will confirm how your tax debts are treated.
Yes. In 2025, about 85% of the 5,254 consumer insolvencies filed in the Calgary economic region were consumer proposals rather than bankruptcies.
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