Are you a newcomer struggling with finances?

Are you:

• continually going over your spending limit or using your credit cards as a necessity rather than a convenience?
• always borrowing money to make it one payday to the next?
• paying only interest or service charges monthly and do not reduce your total debt over many months?

Additionally:

• are creditors pressuring you for payment, have obtained a wage garnishment, threatening to sue or repossess your car, furniture or television, or hiring a collection agency to recover money for them?
• have utility companies cut off service because your bills have gone unpaid?

These are the danger signals leading to a personal financial crisis. If you have said yes to any or all of the above, it may be time to get help.

How to get help

The first thing to do is to recognize your situation and stop spending and adding to your debt.

Next, talk to someone who can help you. There are debt or financial counselling agencies in Manitoba that provide support. These agencies assess your situation and offer solutions. They can also help you deal with harassing calls from debt agencies and provide information to help you better manage your finances. You can go to:

• Community Financial Counselling Services – A non-profit agency that provides confidential counselling services for free. It is funded by United Way and the Government of Manitoba to provide counselling education and options for accessing resources, managing income, debt, and navigating the financial systems that affect your life.
• Manitoba Credit Counselling Society – A registered, non-profit service that you can contact by phone, in person or through live online chat. They provide free debt counselling, bankruptcy help, and debt consolidation options.
• Go to the 211 Manitoba directory to find listings for credit counselling, and Employment & Income Assistance (EIA) services.

You can also access financial literacy and financial empowerment programs from the organizations below. You don’t have to be in financial trouble to approach them. These programs are offered for free and are ideal for newcomers. These will help you understand how finances work and get strategies on how to handle your money:

• SEED Winnipeg – Offers Manage your Money workshops and Savings Circle.
• Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) – Offers Access to Benefits and Matched Savings programs.

If you can manage your debt on your own with a little guidance, the Office of Consumer Affairs has online tools to help you. Read the guide Six Steps to Get Out of Debt.

Your Rights: Collection agency

If a collection agency is constantly calling you about payments, know that you have rights that protect you from harassment. According to the Manitoba Consumer Protection Office, it is against the law for a collection agency to:

• Phone or visit before 7:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
• Phone or visit on a Sunday or a statutory holiday.
• Deliberately mislead you with a paper that looks like a legal document or a court form.
• Harass you or your family.
• Threaten to repossess goods without having the proper authority to do so.
• Remove any goods unless you or an adult having possession and use of the merchandise is present at the time and is aware of the removal, except with court authority.
• Harass neighbours or friends to locate the whereabouts of you and your family.
• Seize or attempt to seize any item other than what they are authorized to seize.
• Phone or telegram collect.

If you have concerns against collection practices or repossession contact the Consumer Protection Office.
 
Sources: Consumed by debt? Government of Canada site; and Consumer Protection, Manitoba.ca.