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Debt to Income Ratio Crisis in Canada How to Deal with Debt and Protect Your Assets
While the recession in Canada may have subsided, debt continues to cripple Canadians. So many Canadians struggle with debt for a myriad of different reasons. Many families who find themselves drowning in debt didnt have it occur simply because of overspending. Those who lost employment or income during the recent recession represent a large group of individuals who have been trying to figure out how to deal with debt. Other reasons that people run into problems with debt include divorce, disability or other major life changes that create an immediate impact on ones ability to pay his or her debts.
The Globe and Mail has reported extensively on the “debt to income ratio crisis in Canada”. An individuals debt to income ratio represents the amount of debt an individual has measured against his or her income. In 2010, the Globe and Mail reported that the debt to income ratio of Canadians has surpassed the debt to income ratio to our American counterparts.
In 2012, the Globe and Mail reported that the debt to income ratio report from Statistics Canada revealed that as of the third quarter of 2011, the average Canadian’s debt-to-personal-disposable-income ratio was 153 percent. That’s up from 150.6 percent in the previous quarter and higher than 148.3 percent a year ago. It seems that the debt that Canadians carry is ever increasing.
One reason for this trend we surmise has to do with how Canadians families cope with loss of income. When a major breadwinner in the household loses income, one natural solution may be to use credit cards to bridge the gap until that income might be coming in again. Another reason for this trend is because of banks and finance companies over-lending to people based on their household income so when one person suffers a loss of income the payments become unmanageable for the family to continue to maintain.
When a financial crisis emerges, naturally people begin to worry and wonder “what will happen to my home?”, “what will happen to my car?” and how to deal with their debt while protecting their assets. Most people want to pay their debt and dont want to end up bankrupt. You can deal with debt and protect your assets and without filing for bankruptcy.
There are many programs available to help Canadians to deal with debt without going into bankruptcy. These programs are also quite effective at enabling people to deal with their debt while keeping their home and vehicle. They are also able to stop enforcement action like wage garnishments.
If your debt to income ratio is through the roof and you want to deal with your debt and protect your assets, you must act before things spiral out of control. Financial and debt consultants are a good option to help you not only deal with your debt but work through your budget and other financial affairs to help you get back onto a firm footing. Unlike bankruptcy trustees, financial and debt consultants represent you, not your creditors, and offer many more options than bankruptcy to deal with a financial crisis.
Creating Savings Every Month With Cash Back Credit Cards
Cash back credit cards are one of the ways that millions of people have begun reducing the amount that they spend each month with their credit card. By simply choosing the right card, you can save anywhere from one to twenty percent on your purchases! These guidelines will help you find a credit card that offers the rewards that are most appealing to you personally.
Earning Cash Back
Your cashback credit card should earn you money at the places that you shop most often. If you shop online frequently, then you may find that you will begin seeing huge savings almost immediately, since most credit card companies offer up to twenty percent cash back when shopping online. You can check the list of approved vendors though the credit card to find the items that you can purchase online, but make sure that you do not use the savings to overspend. Credit cards all have variable interest rates, although not all cash back credit cards require that you pay an annual fee.
The amount that you will earn in rewards will vary, depending on the credit card that you are using. It is definitely worth the time to read through the fine print to see which items will earn you money, but most credit cards to offer rewards for restaurant and gas purchases. Additionally, most credit card companies do offer at least one percent cash back on most purchases, including groceries and clothing. You will want to look for the credit card that offers the most cash back for the items that are purchased most often. You will also need to fill out an application for each of the cards that you are interested in separately.
Choosing Your Credit Card
Choosing the right card is the first step to earning cash back. In addition to offering cash back rewards, some credit card companies also offer gas credit cards that can be used specifically to earn rewards for purchases of fuel. Other credit cards work with large retail stores, such as Costco, to bring you more savings when shopping with the chain. There are tons of options to choose from, ensuring that there are cash back credit cards that will meet, and exceed, your expectations. To be sure you have the right credit card, you can look for a comparison.
There are websites that offer to compare all of the major credit cards that fit your criteria for earning cash back. You will find that it is much simpler, and more rewarding, to use a website for your research. This will allow you to see all of the major credit cards side by side to find the one that you like best. Some of the most common features that are listed include the current APR, which items earn cash back, and how much each item will earn. Some of the most common amounts are one percent for all purchased, three percent for gas purchases, and up to twenty percent for items purchased online.