When refinancing becomes critical, we move quickly and strategically.

Covenant breaches don't eliminate all options with existing lenders, but they do significantly change the conversation. Some banks will consider forbearance agreements or covenant resets if you demonstrate credible recovery plans and meaningful progress. However, once accounts migrate to Special Loans departments, the mandate shifts from relationship banking to risk mitigation and exit. Alternative lenders are structured to support situations that conventional banks can't. Time matters—the sooner you engage advisors, the more options remain available before bank pressure forces suboptimal decisions.

Other conventional banks typically decline for the same reasons your existing lender moved you to Special Loans. They use similar underwriting frameworks, risk models, and covenant structures. If you haven't already approached other banks, a quick effort won't hurt, but don't let it drag on for weeks. Alternative lenders exist precisely because conventional banking can't accommodate every situation—they evaluate risk differently and structure capital for businesses in transition. We can help you determine quickly whether conventional refinancing remains viable or whether alternative capital makes more sense for your timeline and situation.

Your bank extracted significant value through interest rate spread—the difference between what they pay for capital and what they charge you. That margin funds their operations, including their commercial banking team. Advisor fees are transparent and situational, typically 2% to 3% of capital raised. The relevant comparison is value created versus cost. Structured processes typically improve pricing and covenant terms by amounts that exceed advisory fees, while preventing costly mistakes and preserving future refinancing options. More importantly, advisors work for you, not for the lender—your interests, not capital deployment targets.

Alternative lending rates typically range from 10% to 18%, depending on the situation's complexity, collateral coverage, recovery timeline, and perceived risk. Factors that drive pricing include debt service coverage ratios, asset quality, management capability, and credibility of turnaround plans. These rates reflect higher risk and shorter-term capital designed to help you regain bankable status. We structure refinancing with clear paths to return to conventional banking once performance stabilizes — typically 12 to 24 months — when rates return to prime plus 1% to 3%. The goal isn't permanent alternative financing—it's strategic bridge capital that creates runway for recovery.

No. Our fees are paid exclusively by clients, not lenders. This structure eliminates conflicts of interest that arise when advisors receive placement fees or ongoing compensation from capital providers. We negotiate on your behalf without incentive to favor one lender over another or to close deals that don't serve your interests. Our compensation aligns entirely with securing the best available terms and structures for your situation.

Accounting firms and CFOs bring valuable financial expertise, but capital markets execution requires different capabilities—lender relationships across Canada's alternative lending market, an understanding of how distressed credit providers evaluate risk, experience in structuring deals that get funded rather than declined, and negotiation leverage from running competitive processes regularly. Most importantly, failed refinancing attempts damage credibility permanently and compress timelines further. The false economy of saving advisory fees often costs multiples more when approaches fail, leverage evaporates, or problematic terms get accepted under pressure. Your CFO and accountants remain critical to the process—we coordinate with them throughout, bringing specialized capital markets capabilities they don't typically possess.