Help with Debt Alberta
Find where you can get the help you need by answering a few simple questions about your financial situation.
Credit and debt
Credit is an arrangement to pay for goods and services at a later time. Common types of credit are bank loans, lines of credit, credit cards, finance agreements, and payday loans. Debt is money or goods or services owed by one person to another. This topic includes resources about obtaining and managing credit, collection agencies, arrangements to repay debts, and consequences of failing to repay debts.
Check out CPLEA's newest web resource Help with Debt. This webpage is for Albertans struggling with debt and looking for help.
All CPLEA's consumer law resouces are available here: https://www.cplea.ca/publications-and-resources/consumer-law/
Recommended CPLEA Resources
Bankruptcy - Canadian Legal FAQs
This page on CPLEA’s Canadian Legal FAQs website provides information for Albertan who find themselves in debt and are thinking of declaring bankruptcy Topics covered include: debt and debt control, options other than declaring bankruptcy, collection agencies and links to help and more information.
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada, Inc.
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada is a registered charity. They provide credit counselling and debt management services for Canadians. Their mission is to assist individuals and families in ending financial crises and to help them solve money management problems through education, motivation, and professional counselling.
Credit cards: Rights and responsibilties
When you apply for a credit card, you are entering into a contract. Like any contract, it is legally binding and gives each party certain rights and responsibilities.
On this page you will find information on:
- Your right to information
- Cancelling your credit card
- Unsolicited credit card cheques
- Joint or shared cards
- What you should do if you feel your rights are not being respected
Credit cards: Understanding your rights and your responsibilities
This web page has information about your legal responsibilities when you have a joint or shared credit card. It describes how authorized users (or secondary users) can affect you and your liabilities.
Credit Counselling Society
Credit Counselling Society is an accredited member of Credit Counselling Canada (CCC), a national association of not-for-profit credit counselling agencies specializing in debt consolidation alternatives and credit counselling The Credit Counselling Society is nationally registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a non-profit, charitable organization.
Dealing with Mortgage Payment Difficulties
This online fact sheet from Canada Mortgage and Housing explains some options you may have when unforeseen financial circumstances impact your ability to make regular mortgage payments.
Debt, Collection, and Bankruptcy
This online resource is from the Student Legal Services of Edmonton. Topics include: Credit and Personal Reporting; Dealing with Bill Collecting Agencies; What can happen if you do not pay your debts; and How can Student Legal Services help with debt issues?. This resource is also available to download as a PDF.
Inheritance Issues in Bankruptcy
This article discusses the options available to a debtor when they file for bankruptcy and their are inheritance issues.
Making an application for a discharge from bankruptcy
This court procedure booklet is a guide for people who are bankrupt, but have not been granted a discharge from bankruptcy. If your trustee is no longer responsible for making another application for discharge, this guidebook will help you make your own application for discharge from bankruptcy
Money Mentors
Money Mentors (formerly know as Credit Counseling Services of Alberta) is an Alberta-based public agency that is the exclusive provider of the OrderlyPayment of Debts program in Alberta as specified under the Federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. They offer free credit counselling, money coaching, and financial education tto the community and K-12 students in Alberta. They are an accredited member of Credit Counselling Canada.
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada (OSB)
For debtors (those who owe money) and creditors (those who are owed money), OSB, a special operating agency associated with Industry Canada, makes the bankruptcy and insolvency process easier to understand by providing information.
Uninsured Drivers
Learn about legal options and debt repayment if you caused injury to someone in a motor vehicle accident and you didn’t have insurance.
What Creditors Can Do if You Don’t Pay (Alberta)
This tip-sheet is from the Government of Alberta and describes the legal action a creditor may take if you do not pay your debts. (PDF – 8 pages)