Many times when thinking about our budget, and how much we have left-over for spending on our wants, we forget about the irregular expenses or unexpected costs that pop up. That is why having a detailed budget (with an appropriately sized miscellaneous category) along with an emergency savings fund is essential to keeping us out of debt. Let’s review some of the commonly forgotten costs that can lead to financial hot water:
“Do you not understand she’s dead? What part of dead don’t you understand?” West said. “There’s no one to pay this bill.”
What if you were nervous to open up your mailbox because you would be reminded of your deceased child?
Personally, I can’t even imagine this scenario; however, a parent featured in a recent news story was going through this every day when Bell Canada was attempting to collect a debt owed by her deceased daughter. Sadly, Christine West of Ontario lost her daughter, Katie, to suicide in December of 2011. Katie’s cell phone with Bell Canada had an outstanding balance of approximately $215, and for three years the company attempted to collect it, even though she had passed away and Christine had provided proof Katie’s death certificate to Bell (numerous times).
Jun 4, 2013
33 percent of Canadians are Broke!
My eyes opened up wide when I heard on the Lang O’Leary show yesterday that 33% of all Canadians are living from pay cheque to pay cheque according to a survey conducted by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada. I say that living from pay cheque to paycheque is a loud resounding danger signal that you are either broke or short of money – and probably have maxed out your credit lines and credit cards.
May 7, 2013
The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a yearly measure of the cost of credit. Some cards have an APR as high as 29.9 percent, while the average percentage rate is around 19.9 percent.
April 30, 2013
By D. P. Welbanks
The distance between unlicensed and licensed credit counsellors is far too short. The need is even greater to regulate activities that purport to counsel people. Counselling is a specialized term that implies a wide variety of benefits including trust being given to those who call themselves counsellors to act like counsellors. The following is an excerpt from Almost Empty www.chateaulanepublishing.com
April 23, 2013
By D. P. Welbanks
An article on Margaret Johnson’s blog rattled a few skeletons in my closet. It begins by resurrecting an old nemesis from my days as the Director of Debt Collection in British Columbia in the 1990s, namely Debt-Settlement Companies. A prudent consumer who might carry a burdensome load of debt would first ask the question, is this company licensed?
The Solutions™ Credit Counselling Inc. family:
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