A few months ago I was referred to a Kitchener resident who was in a dire predicament. This individual was being harassed by debt collectors looking for payment on his two outstanding debts. He also had a first and second mortgage that were at very high rates due to his poor credit history. The mortgage broker that referred him informed me that if he was not able to have these debts reported as settled on his bureau within a month, that he would have to renew his mortgages at the current rates as opposed to getting a new 1st mortgage at the much lower rates than most individuals were enjoying in today's economy.

I went right to work and was able to coach the client to obtain settlement offers within 2 weeks, saving him in excess of $29,000 allowing him to now obtain the much lower mortgage rate, saving him hundreds of dollars each month in cash flow as well.

In the area of debt elimination, most people have heard of bankruptcy - or even know someone who has declared bankruptcy in the past.

I want to take you through some of your debt repayment and debt settlement options. These are the typical options available for my Kitchener clients.

If this information is overwhelming (I know this can be a stressful time), feel free to email me and I can explain over the phone or in-person (if you live in the tri-cities area).

The (last) option of bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is governed by the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, which allows for the legal forgiveness of debt.

Bankruptcy should be regarded as a very last resort in dealing with debt. We can help you avoid bankruptcy unless you decide that it really is the only option.

The reasons for wanting to avoid bankruptcy are many:

• You will have to report your income and expenses to a bankruptcy trustee every month for a period of time anywhere between 9 and 36 months
• Depending on your income, your monthly payments in bankruptcy could strain your cash flow and the way the bankruptcy rules work, you are discouraged from earning your full income potential
• If you have assets that can be liquidated and made available to the creditors, the trustee will do that
• The bankruptcy will have the most severe impact on your credit rating possible and that rating will stay there anywhere between 6 and 14 years after the discharge of your bankruptcy
• To some degree, bankruptcy will follow you around for the rest of your life, every time you apply for credit, and oftentimes, when you apply for work.
• Although only bankruptcy trustees can file bankruptcy, they have a legal obligation to represent the creditor's interests in that process.

If you decide bankruptcy is the best option, we will represent you through the entire process, and work to minimize the impact of the bankruptcy as much as possible. We will also help you rebuild your credit after the process.

Consumer proposals are excellent for paying off debt

Another very effective method of dealing with debt is through a consumer proposal. A proposal is simply an offer to unsecured creditors that we can structure on your behalf and your ability to pay, where you only pay back a portion of the total unsecured debt owed.

We work with you to structure the deal so that it provides the maximum benefit to you, meaning the payment through the proposal is as low as possible.

The proposal gives you the same legal forgiveness for your debt as filing bankruptcy. A major difference compared to bankruptcy is that the creditors get to vote on whether they will accept the proposal.

This again is where our company's experience is a huge benefit to you - through having structured over 30,000 of these deals over the past 12 years, our track record of success in getting these proposals accepted is outstanding.

The biggest benefit you will notice from a proposal is the dramatic improvement in your monthly cash flow. As an example, it would not be unusual for someone with $50,000 in consumer debt to end up with an accepted proposal where the payments would be as low as $300 a month over 60 months.

Trying to pay this amount of debt off on your own, just through discipline and some good luck, would otherwise require monthly payments of between $1200 and $1500 per month for the same time period.

Debt management & budgeting

Budgeting support is also a service we offer at 4 Pillars Consulting Group. We all know the importance of budgeting and understanding how we spend our money and what our household expenses are. How many people take the time to prepare and follow a formal budget? If you do a budget, that is excellent - keep up the great work! If you don't budget, perhaps it is time to start.

Budgeting is not difficult. It is a little time consuming - at least at the beginning until you get in the habit of tracking and monitoring spending. In very simple terms, a budget is taking into account how much income comes into the home and how much expense the household has each month and containing those expenses to fit within the amount of available income.

We will be happy to help you develop a budget for your household and work with you as you adjust that budget regularly to ensure you are on track. Since budgeting also involves goal setting, we will guide you through setting realistic goals and targets for the future and then building your budget to achieve those outcomes.

So, your debt is stressing you out and you know you need some debt help, but what should you expect when you contact us?

1. When you contact me for the very first time, we will discuss your overall financial situation so that I am able to get a better understanding of what may be causing your financial hardship and to determine how I can help with your financial challenges. Of course, all conversations are kept confidential!! Our discussion will focus on items such as:
1. Your debt load - who are your creditors and how much do you owe each one;
2. Your assets - do you own a house, vehicles, campers, boats, or other "toys";
3. Any other assets - do you have RRSPs, RESPs, or other investments;
4. Your income - how much income do the people in the household earn; and
5. Your personal contact information.

At the end of this call, I will also set up a time for our face-to-face free consultation where I will review all of your options for dealing with your debt.

2. The next step is your free consultation. Normally it will take about an hour, and I will let you know all your options for dealing with your debt. I will also outline the cost of our service. 4 Pillars fees vary depending on the option you choose and are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
3. At the close of the free consultation, or a few days later if you need time to think your options over, you will have the opportunity to sign a contract with us to assist you in getting started with a budgeting, credit rebuilding or debt elimination plan you have selected. Upon signing a contract, your 4 Pillars fees can be paid either as a lump sum, or we will work out a payment plan that suits your income and household budget.
4. If you have chosen one of the debt elimination options, once the contract is signed, I will provide you with a client kit of information. You will have some homework to do in completing a confidential application form that will provide significant details about your personal, income, asset, and debt situation. You will also need to provide us with a series of documents that will support your confidential application.
5. Once the application is complete and the required support documents are gathered, we will meet to review the application form and support materials. In most cases, follow-up questions are necessary to obtain clarification about various aspects of your file to ensure we have a clear understanding of your financial picture.
6. When your file is ready, I will then select the appropriate licensed insolvency trustee who I will approach to administer the proposal or bankruptcy. There will be a formal meeting where you and I meet the trustee who will administer your debt restructuring solution if you have decided to file either a consumer proposal or an assignment into bankruptcy. Remember that during either of these processes, the trustee has a formal obligation to represent the financial interests of the creditors - we are there to represent your interests through the process, as well as help you rebuild your credit after the process.
7. After your debt restructuring solution has been established, I will meet with you to begin the credit rebuilding process.

Scott's commitment is to help and advise people as they seek solutions to their financial challenges, including debt help, budgeting, and credit rebuilding.

Scott uses his excellent communication, leadership and coaching skills to help in assisting his clients become debt free and financially independent. His calm and reasoned approach complements his commitment to educating consumers about all of their options to deal with their debt.

Scott's desire is to enable his clients to find the debt help they are looking for so their creditor obligations are much more manageable and they can start to see a future where their financial goals are now achievable.

Scott's extensive experience with 4 Pillars Consulting spans 14 years during which he has helped many individuals, families, and businesses get the fresh start that they deserve.

Established in 2002, 4 Pillars Consulting Group, which is headquartered in Surrey, BC, is one of Canada's oldest and largest leading independent debt restructuring companies. We have helped over 50,000 families resolve over $300 million of unmanageable consumer debt every year.

With over 50 offices across Canada, we are not some faceless organization located two or three provinces away or even in another country - our team of consultants live and work locally to assist Canadians from all walks of life to climb from under the weight and worry of mounting debt.

Whether you are a single person, a couple or family, or a small business person and you need debt help, I can help you with your situation.

My office location is: 675 Queen Street S, 2nd Floor, Suite 244 Kitchener, ON N2M 1A1 (Free Parking).

Call today to book a free one hour consultation in my Kitchener office or in your home.

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