The most recent Statistics Canada Report covering the period 1999-2012 inclusive show that
family debt increased by 4% but the seniors debt (over 55 years old) increased by 16%. People generally are taking on more debt. We now owe $1.60 for every $1.00 we make. In 2013, 69,000 people filed for bankruptcy. Seniors currently make up one-third (and growing) of our population. So why are such a large amount of bankruptcies being filed by seniors? The answer is that their income (pensions from work, RRSP, Canada Pension, Old Age Security, etc.) do not keep up with inflation. The cost of housing, food, automobiles, demands from children and the ever increasing health costs are all rising faster than the available income to pay these expenses. The seniors turn to their homes for a home equity line of credit or a reverse mortgage or they use their credit cards to finance their day-to-day standard of living. They get the credit because their income is stable and seniors have lived their life being taught to “pay your debts.” What they must do before they exhaust all of their options is to sit down with a financial advisor, prepare a realistic budget and make whatever adjustments to their standard of living that are needed to have a long and financial stable life.
Contact Rumanek & Company Ltd. for more information on bankruptcy and debt solutions. Or please fill out the free bankruptcy evaluation form. To learn more please visit our YouTube Channel. Rumanek & Company have been helping individuals and families overcome debt for more than 25 years.
