The insolvency choice during an economic crisis: the case of Canada

Total insolvencies filed by Canadian Households reached a record number in 2009 when close to 152,000 individuals sought the protection of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. This paper aims to investigate the factors that dictate the choice of insolvent debtors during an economic crisis, by comparing their choice before, during and after the crisis. Using data provided by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, and in addition to explain insolvency choice by the debtor's wealth, income and level of debt, the results show that insolvent debtors are more likely to file for bankruptcy during an economic crisis than before and after. This is in fact, a significant contribution to the literature, for never before had debtors' insolvency choice been looked at in light of the effects of an economic crisis.