Monday, 15 June 2015

Understanding when to file for Bankruptcy

As it stands, filing for bankruptcy should be the last resort when it comes to straightening out the finances, whether they are personal or tied to a business here in Ottawa. The main reason is the outcome of any type of bankruptcy is always going to be negative. The impact on an individual is, life changing, and catastrophic in a financial sense.

However, there are instances when it may be absolutely necessary to go forward with filing for bankruptcy. The important factor is understanding when the time is right. The following items need consideration beforehand, however:

·         Are you receiving harassing calls from Ottawa collectors?
·         Do you shop for necessary items using your credit card?
·         Have you been making minimum payments on the same credit cards?
·         Do you have the feeling that your finances are out of your control?
·         Do you have any idea of the amount of your debt?
·         Lastly, have you made any attempt at consolidating your debt?

Considering all of these points, it is definitely time to access your financial situation if any one of the above points is occurring. Another point is that you understand what being bankrupt means. Accordingly, it means that a person or an Ottawa business owes more than they earn.

This drives the interest on loans higher and the person or business deeper in debt. A tool that is predominately used for business finances also works for individual or personal finance as well. This is the debt ratio.

This determines the financial health and leverage that is present, (the ability or inability to acquire a loan and pay it back). While the results of the formula may be clouded by operational costs in any scenario the higher the ratio the lower the financial health is. The way to find it is to divide the total amount of liabilities, (money owed), by the total amount of assets, (money earned).

An example follows;

Joanne earns $3000 per  month and pays monthly for the following,

$400 for car payment, $1200 for rent and utilities, $200 for groceries, $300  car insurance, $200 for renters insurance. The total liability is $2300 divided by $3000 equals a ratio of over 75%. If she were living by using her credit cards for daily expenses you can see the dilemma mounting rapidly.

This is why it is a good idea to always be aware of your cash flow and your debt. When considering filing for bankruptcy in Ottawa you should look at the outcome, such as bad credit, the biggest deterrent. Naturally, there are two different ways a bankruptcy will occur, the first is to file after deciding it is the best move and the second way is for your creditors to declare it for you. This is typically the worst of either case because of who made the accusation. Moreover, if you determine that bankruptcy is  a best case scenario you should talk to an Ottawa bankruptcy lawyer so they can help guide you through the process.

Need help with Bankruptcy? Surgeson Carson Associates is a renowned Ottawa Bankruptcy Trustee who can provide you better suggestions to get out of your financial problems. There might be other solution than Bankruptcy.