This is a plain-English library of debt-relief options and guides for Canadians. If you are early in figuring out your debt and not sure where to start, this page is the map. Read what fits your situation, or get a free assessment when you are ready. DACL reviews your situation, explains your options, and refers you to the right next step. We are not a lender or a Licensed Insolvency Trustee.
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If you are not sure where to begin, the safest first step is a free, confidential assessment with no obligation. From there, the guides below explain each Canadian debt-relief option in plain English, so you can read about the one that fits and decide what to do next. Nothing here costs anything, and reading does not commit you to anything.
Pick the situation that sounds most like yours.
When in doubt, a free assessment is the simplest way to find your starting point.
Each guide explains one option: what it is, who it may suit, and how it works.
Consumer proposals explained
A legally binding agreement filed by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee, where you repay a portion of what you owe over up to five years.
Alternatives to bankruptcy
The real options worth understanding before bankruptcy, and the truth about "debt relief programs."
Bankruptcy in Canada
What bankruptcy is, what it does, and when it may be the right route. No scare tactics.
Debt consolidation
Combining several debts into one payment. When it fits, and when it does not.
Debt management plans
A repayment plan set up through a non-profit credit counselling agency.
Debt settlement
Negotiating to pay less than the full balance, and the risks that come with it.
Credit counselling and alternatives
What credit counselling is and how it compares to other options.
CRA tax-debt options
What you can do when you owe money to the Canada Revenue Agency.
Rebuilding credit after debt relief
Practical steps for rebuilding once your debt is handled.
Sometimes the clearest way to decide is to put two options side by side.
These tools give estimates only. They are a starting point for a conversation, not a decision.
DACL is a debt assessment and referral service. We review your situation, explain your options in plain language, and refer you to the right professional when a formal solution is involved. We are not a Licensed Insolvency Trustee, so we do not file consumer proposals or bankruptcies; only a trustee can do that under the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. See how DACL works or learn who we are.
Helping Canadians since 2009. 4.9 from 739+ Google reviews. Over $28 million in debt reviewed. Based in Mississauga, serving clients across Canada, excluding Quebec and the territories.
We've been helping Canadians since 2009. Here is what people ask most:
The main options are debt consolidation, a consumer proposal, a debt management plan, debt settlement, and bankruptcy. Each guide above explains one of them. A consumer proposal and bankruptcy are filed by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The others are private or non-profit.
It depends on your income, what you owe, and your goals. A free DACL assessment helps you compare your options in plain language. There is no obligation to act on any of them.
No. The guides are free to read, and the assessment is free and confidential.
No. DACL assesses your situation and explains or refers your options. Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can file a consumer proposal or a bankruptcy.
A short, free, confidential assessment is the simplest way to understand where you stand and what you can do about it. There is no cost and no pressure.
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