As I wrote previously, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) was established in 2001 by Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act to: “ensure that financial institutions, external complaints bodies and payment card network operators are supervised by an agency of the Government of Canada so as to contribute to the protection of consumers of...Continue reading

To put it simply – If you are facing an overwhelming amount of debt that you are unable to repay, filing a consumer proposal might be a good option for you to consider. You should, however, review all options available and compare the pros and the cons of each. It can be tricky to get...Continue reading

For millions of Canadians, the pandemic brought economic hardship. The worst is over. Now Canadians face a hard trek back to financial recovery. As Canada’s largest independent debt restructuring firm with over 60 offices in Canada, we have a unique view of Canadians in financial crises.  We’ve created this special guide to help you put...Continue reading

As a debt restructuring specialist, I spend all my days working with and for Canadian consumer debtors facing insolvency. When you approach insolvency, you are basically seeking to negotiate with your creditors to relieve or eliminate your debt, and our job is to help our clients understand this process and make the best decisions possible...Continue reading

20-year financial veteran Paul Murphy breaks down a common question from our clients: should you use things like consumer proposals bankruptcy or debt consolidation or preserve your credit score? I recently sat down with David Moffatt from 4 Pillars’ Halifax office and Ryan Brown from 4 Pillars’ Muskoka & Parry Sound offices on our 4 Pillars’ podcast Beating the Debt Game....Continue reading

20-year financial veteran Paul Murphy breaks down how the major credit bureaus work, showing how your credit score is calculated in Canada.  Five major factors go into how your credit score is calculated in Canada. 1. Your payment history 2 . Amount of utilization 3. Length of time of credit history 4. New credit 5. Maturity...Continue reading

“Well, I got a job and tried to put my money away. But I got debts that no honest man can pay.” — Bruce Springsteen It was June. I was attending a wedding of a friend and I met a man in his late 20’s, who had recently fallen into debt. It began with a...Continue reading

4 Pillars urges House of Commons Finance Committee to review Canada’s insolvency legislation: Be more debtor-centered. Reg Rocha December 4, 2020 I have written on many occasions about the rising levels of household debt in Canada. As a nation, we hold one of the highest consumer debt levels in the G20. Just prior to the...Continue reading

  On July 7, the House of Commons FINA Committee called the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada as witnesses to discuss their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their testimonies revealed the extent to which key Federal regulators know (and don’t know) about what’s to come for Canadians during...Continue reading

Join financial expert Paul Murphy for an insider’s tour of the belly of the debt machine in Canada.  “Paul Murphy arms readers with his unique perspective of the consumer credit and debt industry.” – Henrietta E. Ross, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Debtors Association The stakes are high. The table is rigged....Continue reading