Are you struggling to keep up with your unsecured debts? Before filing for bankruptcy, you might consider a consumer proposal. This is a lesser-known way to get your debts under control. Let’s take a look at what it is, how it works, how it affects your credit rating and for how long.
What is a consumer proposal and how does it work?
A consumer proposal is a debt settlement arrangement filed through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee whereby you agree to pay back less debt than you owe. You can save a lot of money by filing a consumer proposal. It’s not unheard of for you to lower your debts by between 70 and 80 percent. Best of all, for making your agreed-upon payments in the consumer proposal, you’ll get to keep your assets and it will get rid of your debt.
The debt amount you need to file a consumer proposal may vary by which province or territory you reside in. In most cases, you must have at least $1,000. By law, you cannot owe more than $250,000, not including your mortgage to use this solution.[1] If you want to file jointly with your spouse, the maximum debt amount increases to $500,000.
A consumer proposal is legally binding, which means that once it’s filed and accepted, it will freeze the interest on your debts, not to mention stop the collection calls and wage garnishment.
See how a proposal works step-by-step »
I don’t have to pay back the entire debt?
No, not necessarily. A Licensed Insolvency Trustee will work with you to come up with a proposal for your creditors. In that proposal will be an offer to pay your creditors a portion of what they’re owed, extend the time period to repay your debts or both. Note that a consumer proposal cannot go beyond five years.
A Licensed Insolvency Trustee can help you decide the best way to structure your consumer proposal to improve your chances of it being accepted by your creditors.
How will this affect my credit rating and for how long?
Most people consider filing a consumer proposal as a last resort for a good reason. If you file a consumer proposal, you’re assigned the lowest possible credit score. This makes it difficult and costly to obtain credit in the coming years.
Generally speaking, a consumer proposal will stay on your credit report for three years after its completion. So, if you’re able to pay off your consumer proposal in five years, it will affect your credit score for eight years.
Understand the impact on your credit »
What are some of my other debt solution options?
As mentioned, there are several debt solutions to consider. A consumer proposal makes the most sense when debt consolidation, debt settlement and debt management won’t work.
An alternative to filing a consumer proposal is bankruptcy. However, before filing for bankruptcy, it’s important to understand the key differences between bankruptcy and a consumer proposal.
If you’d like to hold onto your assets and you work in an industry where you’re required to let others know if you’ve gone bankrupt, you might consider filing for a consumer proposal instead.
Consumer Insolvency & Consumer Proposal Statistics in Canada
| Nationwide | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Insolvency | 100,184 | 90,092 | 96,458 | 137,178 |
| Consumer Proposal | 75,598 | 62,631 | 63,578 | 82,769 |
| Alberta | ||||
| Insolvency | 14,875 | 13,956 | 13,089 | 16,675 |
| Consumer Proposal | 12,501 | 11,225 | 9,487 | 11,086 |
| British Columbia | ||||
| Insolvency | 10,167 | 8,699 | 8,270 | 11,221 |
| Consumer Proposal | 8,346 | 6,527 | 5,661 | 7,087 |
| Manitoba | ||||
| Insolvency | 2,773 | 2,507 | 2,527 | 3,146 |
| Consumer Proposal | 2,039 | 1,725 | 1,740 | 1,802 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | ||||
| Insolvency | 1,928 | 1,737 | 1,873 | 3,221 |
| Consumer Proposal | 1,254 | 1,095 | 1,105 | 1,755 |
| New Brunswick | ||||
| Insolvency | 3,128 | 2,985 | 3,365 | 4,851 |
| Consumer Proposal | 2,101 | 1,744 | 1,879 | 2,508 |
| Nova Scotia | ||||
| Insolvency | 3,467 | 3,007 | 3,498 | 6,040 |
| Consumer Proposal | 2,259 | 1,739 | 1,889 | 2,847 |
| Northwest Territories | ||||
| Insolvency | 56 | 53 | 47 | 66 |
| Consumer Proposal | 53 | 44 | 37 | 57 |
| Nunavut | ||||
| Insolvency | 13 | 12 | 12 | 6 |
| Consumer Proposal | 13 | 11 | 12 | 6 |
| Ontario | ||||
| Insolvency | 34,736 | 30,327 | 33,992 | 44,852 |
| Consumer Proposal | 27,603 | 22,747 | 24,779 | 30,275 |
| Quebec | ||||
| Insolvency | 25,433 | 23,667 | 26,683 | 42,865 |
| Consumer Proposal | 16,638 | 13,554 | 14,969 | 22,827 |
| Prince Edward Island | ||||
| Insolvency | 443 | 384 | 426 | 749 |
| Consumer Proposal | 274 | 215 | 223 | 363 |
| Saskatchewan | ||||
| Insolvency | 3,116 | 2,724 | 2,640 | 3,453 |
| Consumer Proposal | 2,724 | 1,980 | 1,762 | 2,136 |
| Yukon | ||||
| Insolvency | 49 | 34 | 36 | 33 |
| Consumer Proposal | 43 | 25 | 25 | 20 |
Source: https://www.ic.gc.ca/
How can a Consumer Proposal Administrator help with a Consumer Proposal?
By filing your consumer proposal with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee and Consumer Proposal Administrator, you’ll get immediate protection from your creditors. The collection calls will stop, and you won’t have to worry anymore about wage garnishment.
Are you interested in filing a consumer proposal, but you’re not sure if you’re the right fit? Contact us today. An expert from our team will get in touch with you and discuss your situation to see if filing a consumer proposal makes the most sense for you.