ADMIN PREVIEW — ClearGround Financial Triage Report — hardcoded sample data — URL never changes
Not financial advice — informational guidance only.
How to read this report
Priority Actions
Do these first
What Can Wait
Not urgent right now
What to Ignore
Not relevant to your situation
Additional Notes
Supporting information
•**Stop making minimum payments on credit cards** — your cash flow cannot sustain it. Protect rent, utilities, and food first.
•**Contact CRA immediately** — government debt has special collection powers including wage garnishment without a court order. Call 1-888-863-8657 to set up an arrangement before enforcement begins.
•**Pull your credit reports** from Equifax (equifax.ca) and TransUnion (transunion.ca) at no cost. Identify every account's Date of Last Activity (DLA).
•**Do not make any payment on the collections account** — any payment or verbal acknowledgment can restart the 2-year limitation clock. Send a Debt Validation letter first using the Debt Letters tool.
•**Identify your survival budget** — rent, food, utilities, and essential transport only. Every dollar beyond this is allocated strategically, not emotionally.
•Marketing offers for debt consolidation loans — you do not qualify at terms that help you, and new debt worsens your position.
•Creditor phone calls about the older unsecured accounts — they have no legal enforcement power beyond the limitation period.
•Credit score anxiety for now — your score will drop during containment. This is expected and temporary.
•Any advice to "pay something to show good faith" on statute-barred debts — this resets the clock and has no legal benefit to you.
•Opening a secured credit card (Phase 4 — Rebuild). Do not apply for any new credit during Phase 1 or 2.
•Negotiating settlements — only relevant once you have confirmed DLA dates and cash available. Premature settlement attempts often restart limitation periods.
•RRSP contributions or investment accounts — these are Phase 5 actions. Focus entirely on stabilization first.
•Disputing credit report items — useful, but not your first priority. Complete debt inventory and legal assessment first.
1. Pull Equifax + TransUnion reports this week. Map every account's DLA date.
2. Contact CRA (1-888-863-8657) and request a payment arrangement.
3. Send Debt Validation letter to the collections agency using the Debt Letters tool.
4. Calculate your survival budget — document your minimum monthly floor.
5. Stop all non-essential spending immediately. Redirect to an emergency cash buffer.
Your oldest debt is approaching the provincial limitation period. Once a debt exceeds ~2 years from DLA in most provinces (6 years in some), creditors lose the right to sue. This does not erase the debt but removes legal enforcement risk. Verify DLA dates on your credit report before making any payment decisions.
Government debt (CRA / student loan) does not follow the same limitation rules. These require direct contact and payment arrangements regardless of age.
•*Risk Level: HIGH** — Collections account active, government debt present, cash flow under pressure. Immediate containment action required. Do not delay pulling credit reports or contacting CRA.