We help to reduce your debt by up to 80% and get you back on track. Up to 97% of families successfully complete the plans we create and become debt free.
My name is Benjy Houser and I’m a debt consolidation specialist based in Nanaimo BC.
I help people in Nanaimo and across central Vancouver Island with debt management, consumer proposals, budgeting and credit rebuilding.
Whether you’re in the Old City, Departure Bay, Hammond Bay or Harewood, or up the highway in Lantzville, Parksville or Qualicum Beach, island living has its own costs: ferry fares, housing that has climbed quickly, and jobs that can depend on the season or a single mill. If debt is starting to run your life, I’ll help you understand your options and choose a plan that fits. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
I work with Nanaimo families, VIU students, ferry and port workers, tradespeople, and retirees in Parksville and Qualicum on fixed incomes. Some are juggling a mortgage and credit cards; others are renters whose costs have outrun their pay. I start with your real numbers, then explain which options fit, from a tighter budget and money coaching and a debt management plan to a formal solution through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. See all of our services.
Filings are rising on the island. According to the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, the Vancouver Island and Coast economic region recorded 2,489 consumer insolvencies in 2025, up 12.1% from 2024. About 83% of them (2,055) were consumer proposals, and 434 were bankruptcies.
If you can afford a monthly payment but not your full balances, a consumer proposal lets you offer creditors part of what you owe over up to five years, with no interest, and you generally keep your home and other assets. Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can file it, and your creditors vote on it. 4 Pillars is not a trustee. I’ll help you prepare and connect you with one. How a consumer proposal works.
Bankruptcy may make more sense if your income is low and you have little to protect. Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can file it, and B.C. law decides which assets you keep. I’ll explain what it would mean for you before you meet a trustee. Learn about bankruptcy.
If your credit is still good, a consolidation loan from your bank or credit union can combine your payments into one. Be careful with loans that only cover some of your debt or carry very high interest. Homeowners can compare options for homeowners before refinancing, and once your debt is under control, I’ll help with credit rebuilding.
Further south on the island? See our Victoria page.
Yes. Many people on fixed incomes carry credit card debt they can’t pay down. We’ll look at whether a budget change is enough or whether a consumer proposal would make the payments manageable on your pension.
It’s a common early warning sign. If your unsecured debts are taking the money you need for rent and food, lowering those payments, whether through a budget plan or a consumer proposal, can free up room in your monthly budget.
No. We can start by phone at 250-323-2656, and I can meet you in person where it makes sense.
Yes. About 83% of the 2,489 consumer insolvencies in the Vancouver Island and Coast economic region in 2025 were consumer proposals.
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