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Use a Debt Repayment Calculator to Build Your Payoff Plan

Stop Guessing. Start Calculating. Knowing you have debt is one thing. Knowing exactly when it will be gone — and how much interest you'll pay along the way — is something entirely different. That's where a Debt Repayment Calculator earns its keep. Whether you're carrying a credit card balance, a car loan, a student loan, or a combination of all three, a repayment calculator takes the guesswork out of your payoff journey and puts you in the driver's seat. What Does a Debt Repayment Calculator Do? A debt repayment calculator takes three simple inputs: Your current balance — how much you owe today Your interest rate — the annual percentage rate (APR) on the debt Your monthly payment — what you're paying (or plan to pay) each month From there, it instantly tells you: Your payoff date — the exact month and year you'll be debt-free Total interest paid — the real cost of carrying that balance Interest saved — how much you'd save by increasin...
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Preserving Affordable Housing: The Role of Rental-Protection Funds


Colleen Frank, a 74-year-old resident, stood in front of the rental apartment she had called home for over two decades. The two-bedroom condo in Chilliwack, B.C., where she had served as the unofficial superintendent, was no longer hers. Evicted at 72, she faced homelessness in a rapidly rising rental market. Colleen’s story is not unique; many low-income Canadians struggle to find affordable housing as rents soar.

Across Canada, lower-cost rental properties are disappearing due to renovictions, tenant turnover, and demolitions. While new buildings receive attention, the existing stock dwindles. It’s akin to filling a bucket with a hole at the bottom—new development won’t suffice if we lose existing units.

Canada is now taking a crucial step to address this crisis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced the creation of a $1.5-billion rental protection fund. This fund aims to preserve affordable housing by helping non-profits purchase rental apartments when they come up for sale.

How It Works

  1. Loans and Grants: The program offers $1 billion in loans and $470 million in grants. Non-profits can access these funds to buy affordable rental properties.
  2. Cost-Effective Preservation: Research shows that preserving existing affordable housing is 50-70% cheaper than new construction. Non-profit operators keep rents lower for the long term.
  3. Swift Action: Private real estate sales move quickly, making it challenging for non-profits to compete. The rental-protection fund bridges this gap.

British Columbia’s Rental Protection Fund has already made a difference. It provides one-time capital grants to non-profit housing organizations, allowing them to purchase rental buildings and co-operatives listed for sale. By safeguarding existing units, this fund protects renters and ensures long-term affordability.

As the housing market escalates, rental-protection funds become essential tools. By preserving what we have, we can stem the vanishing supply of affordable units and provide stability for vulnerable Canadians. 

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