Retirement’s a hot topic these days, but most people don’t get it that retirement security starts at home. Will we be financially able to retire? How can we fund a retirement that may last 30+ years? How much money will we need to retire? Is there such thing as retirement security?
Retirement security starts at home: Global Retirement Index
The latest Global Retirement Index delivered good news and bad news for Canadians. The good news is that when comparing the state of retirement security in 43 countries around the world, Canada ranked 10th, up from 12th last year. In case you’re wondering what countries were in the top three spots, they were Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Our neighbour to the south, the U.S. ranked 14th.
Retirement security starts at home: How long will my savings last in retirement
Canadians are asking themselves “how long will my savings last in retirement”. The bad news is that Canadians are underestimating how much they should be saving for retirement.
72% of Canadians surveyed identified retirement saving as their highest financial priority, however many believed they would need to replace only 60% of their income after retirement. Planning professionals typically work on the assumption that you need to replace 75-85%.
Canadians reported setting aside an average of 10.5% of their annual income for retirement. The international average is 12.2%.
Only 55% of Canadians take part in workplace-based savings programs.
The reality is that many Canadians are underestimating how long they’ll need their savings to last. It’s not uncommon for Canadians to live well into their 90s and some will even reach 100. This means that you may be funding a 30+ year retirement. For many Canadians there will be no such thing as a retirement security plan.
Retirement security starts at home: Do you have too much debt to think of retirement savings?
So as you can see, it really is true that retirement security begins at home. You can’t have a secure retirement if your house is full of debt. If you’re struggling with debt, now is the time to see a professional trustee. We can help you free yourself from debt, so that you can start saving for your retirement. Contact the Ira Smith Team today so that Starting Over, Starting Now you can work towards retirement security.
The purpose of this blog is to discuss the corporate receivership bankruptcy difference Canada. Every general security agreement defines exactly how the secured lender will certainly deal with obtaining his/her cash when it comes to default. One means to do this is by selecting a receiver.
A receiver or receiver/manager is an individual/company licensed by the Federal Government to act as a licensed insolvency trustee. The receiver can be appointed either by an instrument in writing or by a court order. A receivership administration falls under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) (BIA), where the receiver takes possession and control over the assets to of the insolvent business.
The receiver or receiver/manager will certainly seize the properties covered under the lender’s security or covered by the court order. The receiver will also develop a plan to market the assets for sale. After paying any type of priority claims as well as the receivership administration costs, the net funds are paid to the first secured creditor.
Can you have both at the very same time?
Sometimes there is both a bankruptcy plus a receivership. Receivership is a treatment for secured creditors, such as financial institutions. Bankruptcy is a treatment for unsecured creditors.
a restructuring proposal could be annulled by the trustee or creditor for non-compliance.
There are many reasons that a corporation could go into bankruptcy. These consist of the following:
The firm has defaulted under its premises lease, the landlord distrains against the firm’s possessions. A bankruptcy or a notice to make a proposal filed before the property owner finishes the sale of assets defeats the lease distraint.
The firm has unsecured assets (i.e., possessions without a lender’s security registered against it) that are available to be realized upon. Also, the firm cannot carry on business any longer.
If a restructuring proposal is submitted, but the company could not get adequate funding to continue its business and complete the proposal.
To reorganize the statutory priorities.
To officially bring the business to an end as well as give a complete report to the creditors so they will not believe the principals engaged in any kind of misbehaviour.
In a company bankruptcy, the licensed insolvency trustee seizes all the business’s properties plus deals with all the creditors. The directors and management of the company accept the authority of the trustee; if requested by the trustee, they can as well as aid the trustee in his/her tasks. This eliminates them from all the stress of dealing with the creditors as well as running the cash-starved business.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: Making the Application to Put a Debtor Into Bankruptcy
If a creditor is incapable of recovering the amount owed to it with any one of the readily available techniques which can be done, they may look to a bankruptcy application. This is especially so having actually acquired a judgment for the quantum owing which has not been satisfied. The BIA allows for the licensed insolvency trustee, once appointed, to take possession in an organized way, the assets of an insolvent debtor, to realize upon those assets and to then distribute the funds according to the scheme of priority in the BIA.
The BIA allows for the benefit of both bankrupts and their creditors. While the Act is not planned for usage as a device for the collection of private financial obligations, this may be the case in specific situations.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: When is a Creditor Allowed making a Bankruptcy Application?
An unsecured creditor could apply for a bankruptcy order where:
the lender is owed $1,000 or even more on an unsecured basis, and
there has actually been an act of bankruptcy by the borrower within the 6 months that come before the filing of the application. Keep in mind that a secured lender can value its security at less than the overall amount owing to develop a partly unsecured debt.
The BIA states that acts of bankruptcy consist of the following:
if in Canada or elsewhere he makes an assignment of his property to a trustee for the benefit of his creditors generally, whether it is an assignment authorized by this Act or not;
if in Canada or elsewhere the debtor makes a fraudulent gift, delivery or transfer of the debtor’s property or of any part of it;
if in Canada or elsewhere the debtor makes any transfer of the debtor’s property or any part of it, or creates any charge on it, that would under this Act be void or, in the Province of Quebec, null as a fraudulent preference;
if, with intent to defeat or delay his creditors, he departs out of Canada, or, being out of Canada, remains out of Canada, or departs from his dwelling house or otherwise absents himself;
if the debtor permits any execution or other process issued against the debtor under which any of the debtor’s property is seized, levied on or taken in execution to remain unsatisfied until within five days after the time fixed by the executing officer for the sale of the property or for fifteen days after the seizure, levy or taking in execution, or if any of the debtor’s property has been sold by the executing officer, or if the execution or other process has been held by the executing officer for a period of fifteen days after written demand for payment without seizure, levy or taking in execution or satisfaction by payment, or if it is returned endorsed to the effect that the executing officer can find no property on which to levy or to seize or take, but if interpleader or opposition proceedings have been instituted with respect to the property seized, the time elapsing between the date at which the proceedings were instituted and the date at which the proceedings are finally disposed of, settled or abandoned shall not be taken into account in calculating the period of fifteen days;
if he exhibits to any meeting of his creditors any statement of his assets and liabilities that shows that he is insolvent, or presents or causes to be presented to any such meeting a written admission of his inability to pay his debts;
if he assigns, removes, secretes or disposes of or attempts or is about to assign, remove, secrete or dispose of any of his property with the intent to defraud, defeat or delay his creditors or any of them;
if he gives notice to any of his creditors that he has suspended or that he is about to suspend the payment of his debts;
if he defaults in any proposal made under this Act; and if he ceases to meet his liabilities generally as they become due.
if he ceases to meet his liabilities generally as they become due.
Keep in mind that in most of the situations above, the creditor does not need to show that the borrower cannot pay various other creditors. In the last situation, the creditor should show that more than just its own debt is not being paid. Unique situations would differentiate matters though.
Unique scenarios can consist of allegations of fraud, near-fraud or those other transactions which fall under the types that would seem to be attackable by a trustee. At least on a prima facie basis.
It should, nonetheless, be remembered that stringent evidence of both your unsecured debt and an act of bankruptcy is required to have an individual or business judged bankrupt.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: Under What Circumstances Should a Creditor Make An Application For A Bankruptcy Order?
Making an application for a bankruptcy order to put a debtor into bankruptcy is no little job. Prior to choosing this option, consider the following:
the presence and amounts of claims that could take priority over your unsecured creditor status;
the dollar measure of unsecured debt ranking on the same level with your financial debt (i.e., each unsecured creditor is paid according to the calculated share based on the measure of his/her debt);
the existence of questionable transactions or transfers undervalue within the three-month to five-year evaluation period before the declaration of bankruptcy;
your very own history of repayments from the debtor/borrower in addition to the normal payment patterns in the 3 months before the date of bankruptcy; as well as
the legitimacy of any kind of security you might hold.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: The Bankruptcy Application Can Be Very Useful
Think about:
has the debtor actually moved the residential property to a related party for inadequate or no consideration;
where the debtor does not want to lose a specific part of its property (e.g. a private yacht, unique cars and truck or shares in a firm) or does not want its transactions and events to be inspected by a trustee and/or creditors;
the debtor (being an individual) expects an inheritance;
where the debtor (being an individual) needs to be an officer, director and/or shareholder of several businesses;
the debtor (being an individual) might have his/her expert certification or licence from which he/she derives income compromised or lost as an outcome of being ruled a bankrupt;
when the bankruptcy of the debtor would cause him/her to lose the ability to generally conduct business, such as required to use a trust account or employment requires the need to be bonded; or
being a bankrupt would cause the company or individual to lose the advantage of a specific useful agreement, lease, or company.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: How Does a Creditor Make The Application For A Bankruptcy Order?
The creditor desiring to file the application will certainly need a lawyer to prepare the needed documents to make the bankruptcy application. The lawyer will serve the motion material and attend for the bankruptcy order. For an uncontested motion, the lawyer appears before the Bankruptcy Registrar who is a Master of the Court. If opposed, the matter can only be heard by a Judge.
The creditor has to additionally make arrangements with a licensed insolvency trustee to act will need to guarantee the trustee’s fee and costs incurred by the trustee where there are not enough proceeds from the sale of assets. A lot of times it is likewise needed to give the trustee a cash retainer.
When the Bankruptcy Order is made, the licensed insolvency trustee starts the bankruptcy administration. All actions against the insolvent are stayed.
Receivership bankruptcy difference Canada: What If You’re Company Has Too Much Debt?
Is your company insolvent? Are you looking for solutions? The Ira Smith Team is here to offer alternatives to restructuring and turnaround services however, if required, we also act as a licensed insolvency trustee in bankruptcy matters. We offer help in Vaughan as well as throughout the GTA.
Are you an individual or company who feels your situation is hopeless? Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. can prepare and put in place the plan MADE JUST FOR YOU. The plan will free you from the burden of your financial challenges. With our help, you will go on to live a productive, stress-free, financially sound life.
I am always asked where can you get both good and bad credit loans. The first question I ask is how do you know you have a bad credit score? Have you checked it recently?
Last week we reviewed the new entrant to the Canadian financial marketplace, Credit Karma Canada and its service for checking your credit score for free. Right now Credit Karma Canada does not offer loan products, so it cannot help you with good and bad credit loans.
Good and Bad credit loans: First know your credit score, good or bad
This week we are reviewing another website where you can check your credit score for free, and if you wish, also use the site to get a loan product – Borrowell.com.
If you have a good credit score, you may very well qualify for a loan from Borrowell.com. If you have a bad credit score, being one below the Borrowell minimum credit score, Borrowell can’t give you a loan. In that case, they have partnered with a lender who may be able to. If you have a bad credit score, Borrowell will immediately tell you who to contact to apply for a bad credit score loan.
Good and Bad credit loans: About Borrowell
It’s never been so easy to swipe a credit card when you go shopping, but when people can’t control or manage their swiping, they will fall deep into debt. Then, they’ll have to go to their bank to borrow more money, but could face a big objection, depending on what their credit score is.
Borrowell is a Canadian company and a new breed of lender. Borrowell is in the growing group of fintech – defined as “computer programs and other technology used to support or enable banking and financial services”. Borrowell has teamed up with Equifax Canada, to allow anyone to check their credit score for free.
Checking your credit score this way, will not impact on your credit score, unlike when a lender, or potential lender, does an Equifax or TransUnion Canada credit check on you. Borrowell has also partnered up with third-party vendors, to offer financial products. Once you have checked your credit score, you can on a fairly seamless basis, apply for a personal loan for almost any purpose.
You can combine your debt, finance a purchase or borrow for your business. Borrowell has partnered with lenders for those with either good or bad credit scores.
Good and Bad credit loans: Hidden secret – Credit score, credit rating and credit report
The tool the banks use to measure creditworthiness is a person’s credit rating and credit report. But not everyone takes the time to check there’s out. You probably found out your credit rating the last time you applied for a mortgage or other loan, but have since forgotten what it was.
Regardless, time has passed and your credit rating has now changed. Here is the hidden secret. If you don’t know your credit score, you have no idea what needs improving. Once you know your credit score, you can drill down to work on what needs improving. Borrowell allows you to check your credit score for free.
“I would say anything above 650 is deemed to be a good rating” says Andrew Graham, the CEO of Borrowell.com. It’s the first lender in Canada to give free credit scores online. Proving that you are able to treat credit properly over an extended period is everyone’s goal. If you want to improve your credit score, the first and most important thing you can do is to check out where it is now at either Borrowell.com or Credit Karma Canada.
Good and Bad credit loans: Your credit score is an important number
Your credit score is an important number. One that can impact:
your ability to borrow money in the first place;
the rate of interest that you’re going to pay;
your ability to find a rental if you don’t own;
your ability to get a job;
your home mortgage rate;
your insurance policy charges; and
even your job expectations.
We have written before on these issues, including:
bankruptcy receivership markham scarborough ira smith trustee
Good and Bad credit loans: Don’t tense up!
Even if you think your credit rating is good, people tense up and they get really nervous and uneasy because they don’t know. People I see in our insolvency practice are always concerned about their credit rating, sometimes unnecessarily so. In fact, the people I see care more about their credit rating than the debt they can’t repay!
Whether you know or not it’s not going to change the result so I say it’s better to know than not know. You wouldn’t ignore going to the doctor if you thought something was wrong, so why ignore your finances?
Good and Bad credit loans: Hidden secret to demystify your credit score
To demystify your credit score a bit, it is on a scale from 300 to 900 and the higher the score the better. So you want to have a relatively high credit score to be assured that you get the best possible borrowing rates.
What would cause you to have a low credit score? Things such as not paying off your credit cards, if you’ve missed payments, and if you are late by 30, 60, or 90 days. That’s a big red flag, because again your credit score reflects how likely is this person to make their payments that they signed up to or not.
If you have a large unused credit ability, say you have five charge cards each with a $10,000 limit, but you pay it off every single month you’d think that would produce a good credit rating. However, the lenders will say, you can get into trouble really quickly. So if you have a lot of charge cards, you should focus on reducing the number you have open and reduce it to just a few.
Can I use a good credit rating to my advantage? Can I negotiate better interest rates? Yes, absolutely. They’ll know, so they’ll have an idea about your ratings and offer you pretty good terms, but you can certainly negotiate. If you’re a renter, you know when you’re dealing with potential landlords, if everything about you is the same as everyone else, except for your credit score, and yours is poor compared to another applicant, the rental will go to the other applicant.
Good and Bad credit loans: It doesn’t have to be like that forever
Does your credit rating stay with you eternally? If I was a broke student and racked up indebtedness, is that still going to affect me in my forties? Probably not. What happens is your rating will change as your circumstances change. So as long as you set up a record of responsible credit behavior, even if circumstances were really bad a very long time ago, you probably can still have a really good credit rating.
So it all starts with knowing your credit score and Borrowell.com can help you. Once you know the credit score, the secret to getting that loan you need at a reasonable price is to first do the things you need to do to improve your credit score. But even with a bad credit rating, Borrowell.com, through one of its partners, may still be able to get you that bad credit loan.
Good and Bad credit loans: Hidden secret to fix the problem without more debt
Our final hidden secret is to let you know that normally, more debt will not fix your problems. You need to find out why you have a bad credit score, why you cannot use your existing income to pay your bills and debts and why you need to borrow more money. We can help you unlock all those answers, and unlock the hidden secret for you to get your life back on track.
We’re approaching tax season and income tax scams in Canada are rampant. It’s more than just the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that wants your money. Income tax scams in Canada are big business and it seems that every day there’s a new scam designed to fool you into giving up your information and ultimately your money. Don’t let your guard down because these fraudsters are good.
We regularly warn our readers about scams in blogs such as:
If you receive any sort of communication from the CRA – telephone, mail, email, text message – requesting personal information such as your social insurance number, credit card information, bank account number or passport number, it’s a scam. The CRA will never:
ask for personal information of any kind by email or text message
request payments by prepaid credit cards
give taxpayer information to another person, unless you give formal authorization
leave personal information on an answering machine
send email with a link and ask you to divulge personal or financial information (There is one exception: If you call the CRA to ask for a form or a link for specific information, a CRA agent will send an email containing links)
Tax scams in Canada: How to protect yourself
Never give out personal information via the email, text, voice mail or Internet
Guard your passwords, IDs, PINs and access codes
Do your due diligence when selecting a tax preparer. Preferably get a referral from a trusted source
Shred unwanted documents
Tax scams in Canada: What to do if you’re a victim
Many people don’t report these types of crimes because they’re ashamed. Don’t be! If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact your local police service.
Tax scams in Canada: Are you experiencing financial hardship?
People land in financial hardship for many reasons. If you’re experiencing financial hardship and are looking for a way out, contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. With immediate action and the right plan for moving forward we can set you on a path to debt free living Starting Over, Starting Now. All it takes is one phone call.
Credit Karma Canada has arrived recently from the United States. Its website is creditkarma.ca. Right now they run in most provinces but not yet in Quebec, Nunavut, the Yukon or the Northwest Territories; but they are working on it. The purpose of this blog is to provide our Credit Karma Canada review, tell you what it is and to let you decide if it will be helpful or not for you or someone you know.
Since 2007, Credit Karma USA (CKUSA) has attempted to simplify credit and finance for more than 60 million CKUSA members. They advertise very heavily on US television to attract new members. Becoming a member is free, and it allows any member to get access to their free credit score and credit report, with the option to update every single week. CKUSA also provides financial education to put credit into context.
It’s mission statement is:
“Everyone deserves to feel confident about their finances. Our job is to give you the tools, the education and the opportunities you need to make real, meaningful progress.”
Credit Karma Canada review: Is it really free? Is it legitimate?
So far so good. Like a lot of things advertised as being free, you may wonder to yourself is it really free? Is it legitimate?
The answer is yes; accessing your credit score, your credit report and the financial and educational aspects are free. However, it is a money-making operation. They make money in at least two ways:
They have ads to make money. So if you don’t like ads, just ignore them; and
They do promote various credit card, mortgage and loan programs which they hope members will purchase when needed. When someone takes an offer through CKUSA, it makes money from one of its partners (like the bank that issues a credit card or the lender who funds a loan). Presumably, Credit Karma Canada (CKC) will be following that model by establishing such partnerships.
So this is how it works. When you first open your account and set up your unique password, it’s going to ask you different questions to confirm your identity, including your date of birth and social insurance number. They are trying to become the best-known credit bureau of Canada.
It might include things like where did you get your last car, what kind of car do you have, what addresses have you lived at in the last five years, what address do you currently live at. All of the questions offer you multiple choices to choose from. Once you finish that process your account is open. This allows you to log in either from the app or from their website.
In order to ask you the setup questions, and to then be able to give you your free credit score and report, CKC obtains information from one of our two credit reporting agencies, TransUnion. In the United States, Credit Karma uses both Equifax and TransUnion.
CKC also searches certain public record databases to look for other information such as:
Bankruptcy: A legal filing by people or businesses seeking certain types of relief from all or some their debt.
Civil Judgment: A non-criminal ruling in a court of law, often requiring the person or business to pay damages.
Registered Items: Other items included in public records, like a lien against your car or a mortgage or loan registered against your house.
Credit Karma Canada review: Does using it lower my credit score?
You can watch your score through CKC anytime you want. Unlike a potential or real lender performing a check on you, the more times you go into the CKC database it does not affect your score. The TransUnion and Equifax credit score algorithm reduces your score every time someone does a check on you.
The theory is that each credit check is either related to your having applied for new loan(s), or an existing lender feels the need to check up on you. The algorithm interprets this as your need for more borrowing. If the checks are too often or too close together, their algorithm assumes you are experiencing some financial problems requiring more loans. The CKC algorithm prevents this from happening, which is a good thing.
However, remember that the CKC algorithm is different from the one used by TransUnion and Equifax; this is an important distinction which I will explain shortly.
Credit Karma Canada review: Things I like about it
A feature that I do like is that the CKC report will help you understand what factors are impacting your score, thereby telling you what you need to work on to improve your score. This is especially for young people who are just learning about borrowing and personal finance for the very first time. CKC gives advice for how to help improve your score and things not to do.
So it is handy to find out about:
payment history;
credit use;
derogatory remarks on your financial history;
total account and inquiries;
your full report; and
credit advice.
CKC gives you an easy way to see how you’re doing financially, how much money you have tied up between charge cards and auto and other loans. It also gives you tips on how to improve your score, all for free.
It is an easy and efficient way of checking up on yourself that TransUnion, Equifax or any of our Canadian financial institutions have never done. So, in my view, CKC is providing a real service and benefit.
Credit Karma Canada review: Things I do not like about it
So are there any downsides? Since CKC is not yet advertising who its financial product partners are, I have to look at the US operation. So, my comments come from a review of only CKUSA.
I’m not convinced that I would personally recommend any of the financial partners. Here are the reasons why:
The financial partners have to pay a fee to CKUSA, and that fee has to be reflected in the cost of the financial product itself, making it higher.
It is safe to assume that CKUSA members are working on improving their scores. The financial partners may be pricing their products for those people who have not achieved enough of a score to go and negotiate the rate they will be paying with any Bank. Again, this means the cost of any specific financial product through CKUSA could be higher than otherwise available to people with a better score.
So if you do have a good score, you can probably get a better deal by going to the Bank you normally deal with.
Once CKC establishes its Canadian financial partners, we will have to see if it follows this higher priced US model.
The most common complaint in the US is that the score through CKUSA is different from the score calculated by either Equifax or TransUnion.
Recall that I gave an example of how the CKUSA algorithm was different from the one used by the credit reporting agencies? Well, it is further differences in the algorithms that causes this disparity. I am not talking about a small disparity either. Complaints show that the difference could be as much as 100 points!
CKC states that it shows the same credit rating and report that TransUnion shows. Again, time will tell if the Canadian experience is the same or different from in the United States.
My final point is not a criticism, but merely a fact. CKC describes their system as being safe, they respect your privacy and do not share your information with any third-party.
However, when you give personal information on a website, and especially financial information including your social insurance number, this always provides an opportunity for hackers and phisher scam artists to attempt to either hack the system or use phishing emails and websites to attempt to steal your identity.
Credit Karma Canada review: Only you are in control of your credit and debts
I hope that you realize from this blog that understanding your credit score and credit report and obtaining more financial education are all positive things and are necessary to be able to have a good financial life. However, sometimes life gets in the way and good people experience debt problems.
Only you can be the one to deal with your debt to get on top of it and gain back your life. If you don’t know how to go about reducing your debt, start by contactingIra Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. There are many ways to deal with debt. As experts we can help you make the best choice and set you on a path to debt free living Starting Over, Starting Now. Make an appointment for a free, no obligation today.
We keep hearing commercials about debt relief and their scare tactics of portraying the safety of a debt relief program vs bankruptcy. But, what is debt relief? And can some of these so-called debt relief companies actually put you deeper into debt?
Debt Relief Program vs Bankruptcy: Are They Legit?
As consumer debt continues to soar many Canadians are easy marks for unscrupulous companies who make false claims which are quite frankly just scams. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) is warning Canadians to be very cautious about companies that claim they can negotiate a deal to cut the amount of debt you must repay to your creditors. This process is often called “debt reduction,” “debt settlement,” “debt relief” or “debt negotiation.” The truth is that there is no easy way out of debt. And, if you need help dealing with debt problems, run away from these companies and work only with a licensed insolvency trustee (the new name for a trustee in bankruptcy).
Heed the warning of FCAC Commissioner Ursula Menke. “Unfortunately, people do not always see the benefits that debt reduction companies lead them to expect—and some people wind up even deeper in debt than they were before,” says FCAC Commissioner Ursula Menke. “If an offer to reduce your debts seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Debt Relief Program vs Bankruptcy: Debt relief tactics to beware of:
Government approved: Companies will try to win your confidence by stating that they are government approved. Not true. A company’s business license or registration doesn’t mean that the government has approved or endorsed them.
We can reduce your debt by 60% or more: Not true.Your creditors are under no obligation to reduce your debts.
High pressure sales tactics: Don’t ever be victimized by high pressure sales tactics. Always take your time. Do your due diligence. Check out the company thoroughly. Check with the government office that handles consumer affairs in your province or territory, as well as the Better Business Bureau.
Upfront fees: These companies usually charge you hefty upfront fees and then don’t reduce your debt. Good luck getting a refund.
Debt Relief Program vs Bankruptcy: How Can You Get Debt Relief Safely And Reliably?
Contact a licensed insolvency trustee. We’re federally regulated, our fees are federally regulated, we’re subject to a strict code of ethics and we complete ongoing mandatory professional development each year.
Don’t take chances with your financial future. Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. We’ll evaluate your situation and help you to arrive at the best possible solution for your problems. Let us help restore you to financial health and give you back peace of mind Starting Over, Starting Now. Give us a call today. You’ll be happy you did.
Kanye West is $53 million in debt and needs a Kanye debt gofundme. I am really not going to answer the question about why Kanye is $53 million in debt. We have previously written on related topics such as:
I have written this somewhat tongue in cheek article because some of the things I learn in dealing with people in debt as a licensed insolvency trustee, is that bizarre things sometime happen. I even found out that there is really a Kanye debt gofundme website. So here goes some of my ideas, which are no more bizarre than the Kanye debt gofundme site, or one of Kanye’s ideas described below.
Kanye debt gofundme: Kanye West Lemonade Stand
Perhaps some budding entrepreneur should raise money to get him out. They could do a grassroots fundraising and make a Kanye West lemonade stand. Being out there would show people how enthusiastic we are about this.
Entrepreneur: “Excuse me, do you have time to drink $53 million of lemonade for Kanye West? This is the greatest artist of our generation.”
Customer: “I don’t really care for Kanye.”
Entrepreneur: “You don’t like Kanye? Okay … Kanye is very misunderstood. When life gives you lemons, oblige Kanye West lemonade.”
So we got creative. She likes her Kanye debt gofundme lemonade.
I’ll just give. Yay! Thank you. It’s a perfect era for a cup of lemonade. Just cause its Kanye West, here’s another $0.25. Thank you so much better! We got money! We made about $2.
Kanye debt gofundme: Kanye West Tribute Track
Kanye West would tell us that he is the greatest artist of our time yet he is $53 million in debt. So we needed to seek other areas of income. We decided to record our own Kanye tribute track and sell it. We had recorded the ballad, we had to think “what would Kanye do? ” We just needed to get some people to sign up for it on a music streaming site. Hello can you spare a moment? Listen to our exclusive new Kanye West homage. All we need is your credit card!
Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna? Would you like to buy our Kanye tribute track? All you need is to sign up with your credit card. I’m so sorry this is not working. No, how could you say that? I think we made some sales.
Kanye debt gofundme: How Are We Doing So Far?
So we have raised funds to get Kanye West out of his debt through our Kanye debt gofundme income streams and we want to know how close we are to $53 million. We have our expenses itemized here and we now have our revenue figure so far – $106. Wholesome lemonade. Marvelous luxury lemonade. Possibly people would prefer a little sweeter.
We crunched some numbers and found out some hard news; Pretty much a $2,300 loss so far. So you see, we need to sell you some lemonade and our cool song track. Your mailing address and then your credit card details please.
Kanye debt gofundme: We Need To Hit Up Some Rich People
We had reached our breaking point. So we had to think “What would Kanye do?” Kanye West said that he wants Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion in his ideas. Mark Zuckerberg, could you afford to lend my friend Kanye West 1 billion dollars? Actually, a billion and $2,300 would be perfect.
I haven’t heard back yet from Mark Zuckerberg? No. I can try some other famous people. Ed Sheeran? Kanye would never talk to Ed Sheeran. Okay. Kim Kardashian? Oh yes, utterly. “Hey, you love Kanye almost as much as Kanye loves Kanye.” Do you have $53 million you can give him?
I haven’t heard back from Kim, but she’s a busy woman. Rumour has it that she may have already helped out hubby by paying out that debt. Regardless, we had created one of the most influential lemonade stands of all time. Hopefully Kanye can move forward with all of his dreams.
Kanye debt gofundme: How Can You Deal With Too Much Debt?
I hope that you realize from this blog that only you can be the one to deal with your debt to get on top of it and gain back your life. If you don’t know how to go about reducing your debt, start by contactingIra Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. There are many ways to deal with debt. As experts we can help you make the best choice and set you on a path to debt free living Starting Over, Starting Now. Make an appointment for a free, no obligation today.
There are certainly differing opinions on reverse mortgage good or bad idea. There’s a lot of buzz lately about seniors using a reverse mortgage to fund retirement – on television and radio commercials, articles in magazines and newspapers and on talk shows. But, how much do you really know about reverse mortgages? Most of these promotional pieces are from companies who stand to make money from your reverse mortgage.
The Ira Smith Team is here to give you impartial and balanced advice so that you can make an informed decision whether or not a reverse mortgage is right for you.
Reverse Mortgage Good Or Bad Idea: What is a reverse mortgage?
A reverse mortgage is a loan. It’s designed for home owners who are 55+ so that you can get money without having to sell your house.
Reverse Mortgage Good Or Bad Idea: How does a reverse mortgage work?
A reverse mortgage (loan) is secured by the equity (difference between the value of your home and the unpaid balance of your current mortgage). Based on the equity in your home, you can get cash. And you don’t have to make any payments. Instead of making payments, the interest on your reverse mortgage accumulates and the equity that you have in your home decreases with time. However, if you sell your house or it’s no longer is your principal residence, you must repay the loan and any interest that has accumulated.
Reverse Mortgage Good Or Bad Idea: What are the advantages of a reverse mortgage?
You can get cash without having to sell your home
You don’t have to make payments on your reverse mortgage
It provides you with tax-free income
The income from a reverse mortgage doesn’t affect Old-Age Security (OAS) or Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits
Reverse Mortgage Good Or Bad Idea: What are the disadvantages of a reverse mortgage?
They’re subject to higher interest rates than most other types of mortgages
The associated costs are quite high
The equity in your home decreases as the interest on your reverse mortgage accumulates
At your death your estate will have to repay the loan and interest in full within a limited time
Reverse Mortgage Good Or Bad Idea: Do You Need To Refinance Debt?
As you can see, there are pros and cons to a reverse mortgage and every situation is different. If you’re considering a reverse mortgage to deal with debt contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. There are many ways to deal with debt. As experts we can help you make the best choice and set you on a path to debt free living Starting Over, Starting Now. Make an appointment for a free, no obligation today.
This video is courtesy of ABC News. References to IRS can be replaced with CRA. The top consumer scams to watch for in 2017 will know no geographical boundaries.
Top Consumer Scams To Watch For In 2017: Introduction
Consumer experts are already predicting the rip-offs and top consumer scams to watch for in 2017. Our video and blog shows you what new scams to watch out for this year or new twists put on some old scams tricking you out of your money.
Top Consumer Scams To Watch For In 2017: The IRS/CRA Scam
Polk county resident Sherry Gordy fell for the number one rip off in the United States. They said they were with the IRS and that I owed $2,773.00 dollars in back taxes. So far the IRS scheme cost Sherry and thousands of other Americans more than $30 million dollars.
Most now know that the IRS and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will issue a statement showing the amount of tax owing, by year, but will never first contact a taxpayer by calling on the telephone. So this year, look for phony letters notifying people they owe taxes. I just can’t believe people still fall for this scam. It may be the biggest scams to watch for in 2017.
Top Consumer Scams To Watch For In 2017: The Computer Virus and Jury Duty Scams
Consumer experts predict that bogus notices involving a virus on your computer and missing jury duty will make the rounds this year.
The computer virus scam is not a new one, but people fall for it. This is how it works. You receive a phone call from someone pretending to be from your internet service provider, advising you that they have noticed irregular traffic, irregular internet connectivity and a potential virus from your computer. They ask you to go to your computer, put in certain keystrokes, and “test” your internet service by providing key details of your computer and its passwords. People who fall for this don’t realize that the scammers are asking you for your IP address, and then passwords, so that they can after the call hack your system and use your passwords for their criminal activities such as hacking bank accounts or stealing your identity.
The jury duty notice trick, sent mainly to business owners, will make the rounds in 2017. This is how this scam works. The business owner receives an official looking notice using a lot of legal terms. The warrant advises that you failed to show up for the jury duty selection. The scammers hope that the business owner thinks that they must have misplaced the original jury duty notice, which of course, was never sent.
The warrant goes on to say that the person can avoid further fines and prosecution, by paying a certain amount of money now. People are paying and of course it’s a scam.
Top Consumer Scams To Watch For In 2017: What Do Consumer Protection Experts Advise?
Consumer protection experts recommend that anytime you’re hit with an unsolicited call, email or letter, look up the real number for the agency they claim to be with. Then call the real agency to find if what you received was a real communication or a bogus one.
Consumer protection experts also recommend that if you are online checking your bank accounts, or other sites that contain your personal information or money, make sure you have plugged in the right web address. The bad guys have purchased domain names with common typos and have made them look like the real websites they are impersonating. They have done so with the hopes that you’ll accidentally put in your login information and they’ll gain access to your account.
Also be on the lookout for smarter phishing scams. The bogus emails that look like</font> they’re coming from your bank credit card or utility company. Instead of clicking on the link, open a new browser and go directly to the real website.
Top Consumer Scams To Watch For In 2017: Been Scammed and Now Can’t Pay Your Bills?
There are many scammers who think nothing of bilking innocent people out of their money. In extreme cases, you might be left without enough money to pay your bills. Your debts are now too much for you to handle, and you will never be able to recoup the money you have lost.
If you have too much debt, for whatever reason, contact the Ira Smith Team. We will give you a free consultation, where we will discuss your problems, treat you with the respect that you deserve, and create a plan for you, often to avoid bankruptcy, and regain a stress free life, Starting Over, Staring Now.
How Much Interest Am I Paying Every Month?: Introduction
From my experience, how much interest am I paying every month is a question that nobody asks themselves. We’ve become a society based on credit. We have multiple credit cards, lines of credit, mortgages, car loans, student loans…
If I asked you how much interest you were paying each month I’d be willing to bet that not a single person could give me a correct answer. A monthly statement arrives either in the mail or electronically or an automatic payment comes out of your bank account or billed to your credit card. If you’re like most people the two things you see on a statement are the amount owing and the due date.
How Much Interest Am I Paying Every Month?: Start With Credit Cards
I think you’d be totally shocked at the amount of interest you’re paying each month, especially on high interest debt like credit cards. According to Capital Direct if you carry a balance of $8,000 on your credit card:
Your statement will show a minimum payment of $240. That may not seem like a big deal but did you know that if you pay the monthly minimum each month at an interest rate of 18.9%, it will take you 4 years to pay off the debt?
During this period you will pay $3,461 in interest charges.
The $8,000 debt will end up costing you $11,461.
How Much Interest Am I Paying Every Month?: How You Can Find Out
This is the area of your credit card statement that everyone ignores. By focusing on this area, it will allow you to calculate the amount and answer the question “how much interest do I pay every month”
How Much Interest Am I Paying Every Month?: The Bizarre Truth
