WINNIPEG, MB: C. Buhler & Associates Ltd., a licensed insolvency trustee (LIT) firm serving the Prairie Provinces and all Three Northern Territories, advises Canadians to exercise caution when working with debt advisors.
Because debt advisors are unregulated, anyone can call themselves a debt advisor and give Canadians recommendations on how to deal with debt, whether or not that advice is for a fee. Debtors who use a debt advisor before filing an insolvency can end up paying thousands of dollars in additional, unnecessary fees to the debt advisor.
LITs have a duty to their clients and to the clients’ creditors; a debt advisor is not required for a debtor to schedule a consultation with an LIT, who generally offer consultations for free, and are by law required to discuss all available options with debtors. C. Buhler & Associates Ltd. reminds individuals to be cautious when considering debt relief claims and/or debt relief services that seem too good to be true.
Canadians should opt to work with LITs directly. All LITs are licensed by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB), a federal agency that provides a full list of LITs on its website.
“Licensed insolvency trustees are the only professionals authorized to administer bankruptcies and consumer proposals,” says Crystal Buhler, President and Licensed Insolvency Trustee at C. Buhler & Associates Ltd. “We can also offer financial advice, debt consolidation advice, and other services to help Canadians get out of debt. We are federally regulated fiduciaries; this means we are legally obligated to provide Canadians with the best financial advice we can, and even our fees are federally regulated. Opting to work directly with an LIT instead of working with a debt advisor significantly reduces your risk.”
Buhler & Associates Ltd. offers financial advice and services across Western Canada, with locations in Winnipeg, Brandon, Calgary, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and is licensed to assist clients in all three prairie provinces, and all three northern territories. Its services include administering bankruptcies and consumer proposals, credit counselling, and corporate restructuring.
