Charla Smith & Company Ltd.

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Charla Smith & Company Ltd.

Charla Smith & Company Ltd. is a Calgary-based Licensed Insolvency Trustee offering FREE consultation

11/22/2025

Recognizing the warning signs that you have too much debt early can help you get control before things spiral. But debt can creep up, and you may not realize how deep you're in when you're keeping up with minimum payments.

This article includes some red flags that suggest your debt may be more than you can reasonably handle, as well as some actions you can take.

https://csmithco.ca/pages/the-warning-signs-you-may-have-too-much-debt

11/15/2025

New blog and reminder about our Financial Literacy Month contest!!!

Here is our latest blog about money matters - Why Payday Loans Are Risky

The cost of a payday loan for two weeks doesn't seem too bad. But in reality, many people can't pay it back in two weeks and end up in a Payday Loan Cycle. By the end of one year, this can mean they pay more than double or triple the original loan amount in fees.

Read our blog to find out more:
https://csmithco.ca/pages/why-payday-loans-are-risky

Also, don't forget about our contest to identify a new deserving organization we can support to help people in financial distress. We already support Momentum, the Women's Centre of Calgary, and Carya, but we ask that you suggest another Alberta organization that helps support people with financial struggles. If we pick your suggestion, we will send you a thank you gift!

11/08/2025

When you open your credit card bill, the first thing you probably look for is the amount you have to pay. If you pay the minimum payment amount on time, you will stay in good standing.

But keeping up with the minimum payments does not mean that you are in control of your debt.

Read our newest blog to find out why paying the minimum is a trap.
https://csmithco.ca/pages/why-paying-the-minimum-on-credit-cards-is-a-trap

11/02/2025

Happy Financial Literacy Month! See contest information below:

This month we're celebrating with five new blogs about money matters, with a link to the first one here.

We're also donating once again to three wonderful local organizations that help people in financial distress:

Momentum
Women's Centre of Calgary
Carya

And we're launching a contest to identify a fourth deserving organization. This month, we ask that you suggest an Alberta organization that you know about that helps support people with financial struggles. If we pick your suggestion, we will send you a thank you gift!

This week's blog:

Budgeting is the root of all financial planning, but many people avoid it because they envision spreadsheets, strict rules, and cutting out joy.

Read our blog to see why the best way to start a budget isn't sitting down with a spreadsheet or cutting back, it's tracking your spending.

https://csmithco.ca/pages/the-power-of-tracking-your-spending

09/20/2025

The possibility of having their wages garnished is something people in debt tend to lose sleep over. Knowing what to expect and how to handle it if garnishment does happen can help ease some of the anxiety.

In Canada, the rules for wage garnishment are set provincially. In Alberta, the rules are governed by the Civil Enforcement Act.

If you or someone you care about are at risk of having their wages garnished, here are some things you should know.

https://csmithco.ca/pages/worried-about-being-garnished-what-you-need-to-know-in-alberta

08/30/2025

If you’ve been getting collection calls, no doubt you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. That’s by design – one of the best ways to get you to pay your bills is to motivate you to voluntarily pay some or all of the debt just to make the calls stop.

In Alberta, debt collectors must follow strict rules outlined in the Consumer Protection Act and related regulations. There are several things that collectors can or cannot do based on what you say to them, so knowing these rules will help you figure out what to say when they call.

This blog post provides some details on the rules to give you knowledge to help you protect your rights and reduce unnecessary stress while you decide your next steps.

https://csmithco.ca/pages/dealing-with-debt-collectors-in-alberta

08/02/2025

According to ChatGPT, this is the most common question Albertans ask about debt help, so I wrote a little article to answer it.

TL;DR: you really need to call a Licensed Insolvency Trustee to truly find out which option is better for you. Bonus: they may be able to steer you toward other viable options.

https://csmithco.ca/pages/is-a-consumer-proposal-better-than-bankruptcy

Address

300, 1933/10 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
T3C0K3

Telephone

+14038993890

Website

https://csmithco.ca/

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