Posts Tagged ‘Debt’

There’s been a lot of attention in the media about the high level of consumer debt Canadians are indulging in compared to their disposable income. Easy access to inexpensive credit and little stigma attached to being in debt, as well as the pressure felt to keep up with society’s image of success makes overconsumption a…

A new wave of financial companies is turning traditional banking on its head by leveraging technology to offer customers low-cost banking, lending, and investing solutions. At the forefront of the fintech revolution are three online lending companies that are carving out a niche by targeting borrowers who want instant loan approval without visiting a branch.…

According to a survey done for BMO, 56 percent of Canadians say they have never checked their credit score and only 14 percent check at least once a year. 52 percent do not know what would be considered a good credit score. What is a credit report? Your credit history is recorded in files maintained…

Not a day goes by on the news without hearing how Canadians are struggling with their debt load. It has become a simple fact of life that we are consuming our way through life, using someone else’s money. For the past decade, I have closely observed the behaviors that lead people down the path of…

An RBC survey showed that average non-mortgage debt has increased again this past year by an average of 21% or almost $2,800 for a total consumer debt load of nearly $16,000. Some reasons are given, such as lagging job growth and incomes only rising moderately, but the actuality is that people are still spending beyond…

Credit card companies try to get you to sign up for secondary products and services, often forms of insurance or new and convenient ways for you to get at your credit and use it. These services are lucrative for the card issuers, but are not in your best interest. Here are three credit card products…

Much has been said about the current state of Canadian household debt.  The latest numbers from Statistics Canada revealed our debt-to-income ratio is now a record 164.6%. But what does this number really mean? In simple terms, you add up everything you owe – your mortgage, line of credit, car loan, credit cards and student…

What do you do when you are in a deep financial hole?  Thousands of Canadians declare bankruptcy every year because they can’t pay their debts.  From 1990 to 2011 consumer bankruptcies increased from 42,782 to 77,993.  That’s a whopping increase of 121.5%. Declaring Bankruptcy Past mistakes aren’t easily fixable but there are ways to climb…