Tag: seniors carrying debt

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SENIORS ARE CARRYING DEBT: WILL RETIREMENT SPELL POVERTY FOR YOU?

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Seniors are carrying debt. Senior finances are nothing short of alarming. How will retirement look for you? Will you be taking part in wonderful retirement activities such as traveling the world in style? Will you continue to work in one of the jobs for retirees? Will you be at home living in poverty on a meager government provided pension?

This is such a serious issue that we have written a series of blogs on the topic which delve into WHY seniors are carrying debt.

Seniors are carrying debt – What is the current situation?

The latest facts and figures will not offer any comfort I’m afraid. According to a report by the Broadbent Institute on seniors’ finances:

  • 47% of Canadians aged 55 to 64 don’t have an employer pension plan
  • 50% of Canadians aged 55 to 64 who don’t have an employer pension have less than $3,000 saved up for retirement
  • Of the Canadians without an employer pension plan those who earn $50,000 to $100,000 a year have saved up an average of $21,000
  • Of the Canadians without an employer pension plan those who earn $25,000 to $50,000 a year have saved up an average of $250
  • Less than 20% of people over age 55 who don’t have an employer pension have enough to live in retirement for five years or more
  • The poverty rates for single seniors, especially for women, is nearly 30%

If seniors are carrying debt, will seniors be living in poverty?

According to Rick Smith, executive director of the Broadbent Institute, “This new data on retirement savings and gaps in support makes one thing perfectly clear — we have a retirement income crisis on our hands that requires urgent government action now.” The reality is seniors are carrying debt and it’s time for the federal government to step up to the plate and in a meaningful way, increase the amount of money we give seniors. Having seniors living in poverty in the greatest country in the world is just not acceptable.

What can I do now to avoid being a senior living in poverty?

The sooner you address debt issues, the better. Eliminating debt is an excellent first step. Contact the Ira Smith Team. We’re professional, federally licensed trustees who can help you conquer your financial problems so that Starting Over, Starting Now you can put debt behind you and start saving for the future.

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Brandon Blog Post

SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA: STRESS FREE THROUGH SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA

SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA: STRESS FREE THROUGH SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA

The topic of seniors debt relief Canada has been described in the media frequently over the last year. Last week we published our blog THE MODERN RULES OF SENIORS CARRYING DEBT. Before that we’ve done a series of blogs about seniors in debt:

Many Canadian seniors are struggling financially in what should have been a carefree retirement. They desperately need seniors debt relief Canada.

However, the problem with seniors carrying indebtedness into retirement is not going away. In fact, seniors have now become so accustomed to living this way that they are using it to finance their lifestyles instead of downsizing or cutting back on expenses.

The full story has not yet played out. Given that retirees and working seniors are less likely to be taking steps to accelerate their liabilities repayment, the stress on them will get worse.

The number of seniors in this situation is not only in low rate mortgages right now but is also increasing in other credit categories, such as auto loans, bank loans, lines of credit and credit cards.

This can be a recipe for disaster if interest rates rise. Where is the extra income going to come from? If you’re one of these seniors or anyone else who is relying on credit to support their lifestyle, give the Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. Team a call before interest rates rise and while you still have options. With immediate action and the right plan, we can solve your financial problems and set you on a path to a debt free and stress-free living Starting Over, Starting Now.

seniors debt relief canada
Seniors debt relief Canada – Picture courtesy of The Globe & Mail
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Brandon Blog Post

THE MODERN RULES OF SENIORS CARRYING DEBT

seniors, seniors carrying debt, seniors in debt, debt, auto loans, bank loans, lines of credit, credit card debt, interest rates, Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc., retirees, starting over starting now, stress of carrying debtSeniors carrying debt becomes the norm

Many Canadian seniors are struggling financially in what should have been a carefree retirement. We’ve done a series of blogs about seniors in debt:

Seniors carrying debt is not going away

However, this problem is not going away. In fact, seniors have now become so accustomed to living with debt that they are using it to finance their lifestyles instead of downsizing or cutting back on expenses. For the time being, seniors are not feeling the stress of carrying debt. Given that retirees and working seniors carrying debt are less likely to be taking steps to accelerate their debt repayment, the problem may very well get worse.

Seniors carrying debt not bothered by it

According to a survey conducted by Equifax for HomEquity Bank:

  • A number of Canadians over 75 are still dealing with a mortgage and their numbers are rising
  • 11.3 million Canadians 55 or older have some sort of debt. Of that figure, about 1.87 million are carrying a mortgage which is up 20% in two years
  • Outstanding mortgage balances are up for every segment of seniors, which for the purposes of the survey was anyone over the age of 55
  • In the 75-and-over category, the average senior with a mortgage had $133,944 outstanding, up 11% from two years ago
  • The number of seniors carrying debt is also increasing in other credit categories, such as auto loans, bank loans, lines of credit and credit card debt

Yvonne Ziomecki, senior vice-president of marketing and sales of HomEquity Bank states, “A lot of people I talk to, they just don’t really care. This is how they manage their finances and they are perfectly comfortable with it”.

Seniors carrying debt need to take action now

This can be a recipe for disaster if interest rates rise. Where is the extra income going to come from? If you’re one of the seniors carrying debt, or anyone else who is relying on credit to support their lifestyle, give the Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. Team a call before interest rates rise and while you still have options. With immediate action and the right plan we can solve your financial problems and set you on a path to debt free and stress free living Starting Over, Starting Now.

Call a Trustee Now!