Economy

Breaking Free From Debt: A Money Management Guide to Financial Recovery

Published

2 years ago

February 1, 2023

If you’re here, we’ll give ourselves the liberty to assume that you are knee-deep in debt. Debt can be overwhelming and debilitating, but it is possible to break free from it and regain control of your finances.

A complete financial recovery is only possible if we get to the root of what made you fall into debt in the first place. The only way you can break free from debt is by changing the pattern of your financial behaviors.

Here is a money management guide to assist you as you transition to financial stability.

Step 1: Analyze your present financial state

The first step in breaking free from debt is to analyze your current financial state. This includes understanding how much debt you have, what types of debt they are, and the interest rates associated with them. Once you have a clear understanding of your debt, you can start to create a plan to pay it off.

Step 2: Prioritize your debts

Once you know how much debt you have, you must first prioritize which debts to pay off. Start by paying off high-interest debt, such as credit card debt, as it will cost you more in the long run. Next, focus on any indebtedness with late fees or penalties, as they will also cost you more money.

Step 3: Create a budget

Creating a budget is essential to breaking free from debt. Making a budget will enable you to see where you may make savings and where your funds are being spent. It will also give you a clear picture of how much money you have to put toward your monthly debt.

Step 4: Find strategies to boost your earnings.

In addition to cutting back on expenses, looking for ways to boost your income will be a game changer. You may do this by taking a part-time type of work, selling things you no longer require or figuring out how to use your abilities or hobbies to earn some cash.

Step 5: Stay motivated

Breaking free from debt takes time and effort, and it can be easy to get discouraged. To stay motivated, set small goals and celebrate when you reach them. Remember, every dollar you pay toward your debt is one step closer to financial freedom.

Step 6: Seek professional advice

If your debt is overwhelming and you need help to make progress on your own, seek professional advice. You can develop a personalized strategy to pay off current debts and get back on your feet with the aid of a financial planner or credit counselor. You may ask them, “What is a consumer proposal?” or “What government schemes can pull me out of debt?”

Canadian Government Schemes For Debt

In Canada, there are several government programs and initiatives that aim to help individuals and families manage and reduce their debt. Some examples include:

The Credit Counseling Service: This service is provided by non-profit organizations and helps individuals with budgeting and debt management. They provide free counseling, advice, and education on how to manage debt and improve credit scores.
The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act: This federal law provides a legal process for individuals and businesses to resolve their debts if they are unable to pay them. It includes provisions for both bankruptcy and consumer proposals.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC): The FCAC is an autonomous governmental organization that offers advice and assistance to assist Canadians in making wise monetary choices. They offer guidance on how to control debt, raise credit ratings, and stay away from financial con artists.
The Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada: This is a nationwide, non-profit credit counseling organization that provides credit counseling, debt consolidation, and debt management services to Canadians.
National Student Loans Service Centre: This service provides information and assistance to individuals with student loans and helps them manage their debt.

It’s important to note that these government schemes are not a one-size-fits-all solution.

What Not to Do When You’re in Financial Debt

Avoiding specific actions when in debt is important because it can help you get out of debt more quickly and with less damage to your financial well-being

Don’t ignore the problem: Ignoring debt will only make it worse.
Don’t use credit cards to pay off debt: This will only add to your debt and make it harder to pay off.
Don’t borrow more money: Taking on more debt to pay off existing debt is not a sustainable solution.
Don’t avoid communication with creditors: Ignoring calls and letters from creditors will only worsen the situation.
Don’t miss payments: Failing will lower your credit rating and make it more challenging to acquire financing.
Don’t use debt settlement companies: These companies often charge high fees and may be unable to settle your debt.
Don’t rely on a quick fix: There is no easy solution to debt. It takes time and effort to pay it off.
Don’t forget to budget: To prevent taking on extra debt, make a budget and follow it.

How Do You Make a Budget to Get Out of Debt?

Making a budget can be very helpful when you are in debt. You may reduce your spending by using a budget to have a complete image of where your funds are going. Setting a budget allows you to prioritize paying off your debts while covering essential costs.

Additionally, a budget can help you avoid taking on more debt by keeping track of your spending and ensuring that you don’t overspend. By creating a budget and sticking to it, you can take control of your finances and work towards becoming debt-free.

Here are some steps you can take to make a budget:

Determine your income: List every stream of earnings, especially your salaries, any incentives or commissions, and all additional cash flow sources.
Identify your expenses: Keep track of your monthly spending, including automobile, house, and other recurring bills, housing expenses, and car installments. List your fluctuating expenses, including food, leisure, and retail.
Track your spending: Keep track of your spending for at least one month to better understand where your money is going.
Set a budget: Use the information you’ve gathered to set a budget for each category of expenses. Be sure to include a category for savings.
Stick to the budget: Once you’ve established a budget, follow it as strictly as possible. Routinely monitor to ensure that you’re on course with your spending plan and make any required modifications.
Create a savings plan: Decide on a budgeting objective, such as saving for your social security or a house deposit on a property. Make a strategy to achieve your objective, such as allocating a specific sum of cash every week or monthly.
Review and adjust: Review your budget and regular spending to see if there are areas where you can cut back or if you need to adjust your savings plan.

Keep in mind that building budgeting is a procedure that you must continue; if your earnings and expenditures change, you might need to make adjustments.

Summary

Breaking free from debt is not easy, but it is possible. By assessing your current financial situation, prioritizing your debts, creating a budget, increasing your income, staying motivated, and seeking professional advice, you can regain control of your finances and achieve financial freedom. Remember, it is not only about paying off debt but also about learning to manage your money to prevent you from falling into debt again.

Economy

Canada’s unemployment rate holds steady at 6.5% in October, economy adds 15,000 jobs

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.5 per cent last month as hiring remained weak across the economy.

Statistics Canada’s labour force survey on Friday said employment rose by a modest 15,000 jobs in October.

Business, building and support services saw the largest gain in employment.

Meanwhile, finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing experienced the largest decline.

Many economists see weakness in the job market continuing in the short term, before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts spark a rebound in economic growth next year.

Despite ongoing softness in the labour market, however, strong wage growth has raged on in Canada. Average hourly wages in October grew 4.9 per cent from a year ago, reaching $35.76.

Friday’s report also shed some light on the financial health of households.

According to the agency, 28.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were living in a household that had difficulty meeting financial needs – like food and housing – in the previous four weeks.

That was down from 33.1 per cent in October 2023 and 35.5 per cent in October 2022, but still above the 20.4 per cent figure recorded in October 2020.

People living in a rented home were more likely to report difficulty meeting financial needs, with nearly four in 10 reporting that was the case.

That compares with just under a quarter of those living in an owned home by a household member.

Immigrants were also more likely to report facing financial strain last month, with about four out of 10 immigrants who landed in the last year doing so.

That compares with about three in 10 more established immigrants and one in four of people born in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Economy

Health-care spending expected to outpace economy and reach $372 billion in 2024: CIHI

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The Canadian Institute for Health Information says health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach a new high in 2024.

The annual report released Thursday says total health spending is expected to hit $372 billion, or $9,054 per Canadian.

CIHI’s national analysis predicts expenditures will rise by 5.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 4.5 per cent in 2023 and 1.7 per cent in 2022.

This year’s health spending is estimated to represent 12.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Excluding two years of the pandemic, it would be the highest ratio in the country’s history.

While it’s not unusual for health expenditures to outpace economic growth, the report says this could be the case for the next several years due to Canada’s growing population and its aging demographic.

Canada’s per capita spending on health care in 2022 was among the highest in the world, but still less than countries such as the United States and Sweden.

The report notes that the Canadian dental and pharmacare plans could push health-care spending even further as more people who previously couldn’t afford these services start using them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

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Economy

Trump’s victory sparks concerns over ripple effect on Canadian economy

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

As Canadians wake up to news that Donald Trump will return to the White House, the president-elect’s protectionist stance is casting a spotlight on what effect his second term will have on Canada-U.S. economic ties.

Some Canadian business leaders have expressed worry over Trump’s promise to introduce a universal 10 per cent tariff on all American imports.

A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report released last month suggested those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S.

Canada’s manufacturing sector faces the biggest risk should Trump push forward on imposing broad tariffs, said Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president and CEO Dennis Darby. He said the sector is the “most trade-exposed” within Canada.

“It’s in the U.S.’s best interest, it’s in our best interest, but most importantly for consumers across North America, that we’re able to trade goods, materials, ingredients, as we have under the trade agreements,” Darby said in an interview.

“It’s a more complex or complicated outcome than it would have been with the Democrats, but we’ve had to deal with this before and we’re going to do our best to deal with it again.”

American economists have also warned Trump’s plan could cause inflation and possibly a recession, which could have ripple effects in Canada.

It’s consumers who will ultimately feel the burden of any inflationary effect caused by broad tariffs, said Darby.

“A tariff tends to raise costs, and it ultimately raises prices, so that’s something that we have to be prepared for,” he said.

“It could tilt production mandates. A tariff makes goods more expensive, but on the same token, it also will make inputs for the U.S. more expensive.”

A report last month by TD economist Marc Ercolao said research shows a full-scale implementation of Trump’s tariff plan could lead to a near-five per cent reduction in Canadian export volumes to the U.S. by early-2027, relative to current baseline forecasts.

Retaliation by Canada would also increase costs for domestic producers, and push import volumes lower in the process.

“Slowing import activity mitigates some of the negative net trade impact on total GDP enough to avoid a technical recession, but still produces a period of extended stagnation through 2025 and 2026,” Ercolao said.

Since the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement came into effect in 2020, trade between Canada and the U.S. has surged by 46 per cent, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

With that deal is up for review in 2026, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Candace Laing said the Canadian government “must collaborate effectively with the Trump administration to preserve and strengthen our bilateral economic partnership.”

“With an impressive $3.6 billion in daily trade, Canada and the United States are each other’s closest international partners. The secure and efficient flow of goods and people across our border … remains essential for the economies of both countries,” she said in a statement.

“By resisting tariffs and trade barriers that will only raise prices and hurt consumers in both countries, Canada and the United States can strengthen resilient cross-border supply chains that enhance our shared economic security.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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