Credit and Credit Cards

The “Last Resort”

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

last resort

If you find yourself in a financial pickle, there are three times when it makes sense to look at bankruptcy.  The first is in a crisis, the second is when you’re looking at the totality of your financial situation and the third is when you’re so worried about your finances that you’re literally making yourself sick. If you’ll notice however, none of those are called, “last resort.”

All of the financial gurus out there, and I mean all of them, love to sit around and talk about how bankruptcy should only be a last resort.  While I enjoy listening to some of these “gurus” I prefer to take some of their advice with a grain of salt.  Using bankruptcy as a last resort often keeps people from getting the help they need, when they need it.  It can often lead to people throwing good money after bad by trying to repay debts when it’s obvious you can’t.  That kind of thinking delays the inevitable, costs you more and absolutely makes you more stressed. 

That said, let’s talk about when it’s a good time to file bankruptcy.  Remember, none of these situations are a “last resort.”

1.  You’re in crisis

You just got a notice that your car is going to be repossessed, you were told at work about a garnishment that would hit soon or you got a foreclosure notice in the mail from your mortgage lender.  Without a roof over your head, your whole paycheck or a car under your rear end, you’re going to have a hard time making day to day living manageable.  It’s going to threaten the whole foundation of your financial house.

Filing bankruptcy can stop all of those actions dead in their tracks.  It can allow you to keep assets that you may otherwise lose to creditors without bankruptcy.  It gives you a chance to reassess your situation, effectively calling a timeout on collection efforts while you sort through what you need to do to survive. 

Remember, bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay and that’s like pulling the emergency brake on a train.  Everything comes to a screeching halt. It stops all collection actions against you including suits.  

Lawsuits aren’t automatically a crisis, even though it seems like one at the time.  It’s more of a wakeup call that your finances are not in a good place and you need to do something to get your finances back in order. Remember, the lawsuit is just one creditor knocking at your door.  If you’ve got one that’s upset, chances are there are more and they can sue you too. 

Bankruptcy gives you a time out to breathe, assess and figure out where to go from here.  Not to mention that it wipes out many of your unsecured debts.

2.  You finally see the forest through the trees

It doesn’t necessarily take a crisis for you to take a look at your balance sheet and realize that you’ve dug yourself into a hole you aren’t likely to get out of. Making decades of minimum payments just to keep creditors away isn’t a way to live and it certainly isn’t a way to get out of debt.  I know you see the part of your credit card bill that tells you when you’ll get out of debt if you only make your minimums AND don’t spend anymore money.  It’s a long time, even for small debts.  

Having a healthy financial situation includes having an emergency reserve and a good chunk of change saved for your retirement. If you keep throwing all your money at Discover and American Express, you’ll be eating dog food when you turn 75. 

Lawmakers created bankruptcy because they understood that the economy is better when people are able to be self sufficient.  It doesn’t matter how you got into debt, you’re not a bad person.  Most bankruptcies result from things that are out of our control. Job losses, illness, divorce, death of a loved one and the list goes on and on.  Whether you are in a bad financial situation because of bad luck or bad choices, getting the fresh start you need can certainly be a refreshing thought. 

3.  You’re killing yourself with stress

Stress is a major driver of physical and mental health issues in our country.  It is unfortunate that we tend to deify those people who struggle to pay off their debts.  While that’s all well and good, we truly need to remember one thing.  Stress kills.  Stress makes us less likely to be able to make good decisions and forces us into choices that can have ramifications for years to come. 

When money worries have an impact on your ability to sleep, work, or have healthy relationships, it’s worth looking at bankruptcy as an option.  Even for people who are older and protected from collection by exemptions, you may look into bankruptcy for the sake of your heirs even if you won’t do it for the sake of your health. 

These reasons for seeking help via bankruptcy often overlap but the idea that bankruptcy should only be a last resort is just patently untrue.  Filing bankruptcy shouldn’t be taken lightly but it also shouldn’t be the last option.  The sooner you examine your situation the sooner you can start looking at getting the help you need before you go out and do something crazy like borrow against your house or your retirement savings to pay off some dischargeable debt. 

When you’ve determined that you need to seek help, call the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove.  We have helped thousands of people escape the burdens of debt and get a fresh start.  We offer 100% free consultations and will always tell you the best course of action, even if it doesn’t make us a dime.  

Collection Threats: What’s real?

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

When you think about debt collectors, you usually think of someone that isn’t very nice.  They call, they harass and they threaten.  In reality though, what threats to take seriously and what threats to ignore is something most people don’t understand.

The reality is, most of them are empty threats.  

  1. You’re not going to jail.  Debtors prisons are a relic of the distant past.  
  2. They’re not going to send people to pick you up.  That’s kidnapping and that’s illegal. 
  3. Chances are, they’re not going to “ruin” your credit. 
  4. So what if they, “refer it to an attorney to look at.”

 

The three threats with teeth

There are only three things you really need to be concerned about.

  1. They have a court judgement against you and they know where you work.  They can then file a garnishment and take your pay. 
  2. There is a lien against your house by your Homeowners Association or your  mortgage lender and they are threatening to foreclose on your house.  You need to be concerned about that and you need to take action to stop it.
  3. You’re behind on your car and they’re threatening to repossess it.

 

That’s what you need to be concerned with.  The rest, well, is just crap. Let’s be honest, the lender would really just rather make a deal. It’s cheaper, cleaner and keeps everyone happy.  

The debt collector who is legitimate will reach out to you in writing or dials you from a number that is from a real debt company. That said, just because they are from a “real company” doesn’t mean they won’t lie to you, call you at work, tell your loved ones about your debt or do other illegal things. 

If you find yourself drowning in debt and being harassed by legitimate debt collectors, reach out to us at Harmon and Gorove.  We can help you get your finances in order and bring some peace to your life.  Contact us today to learn how bankruptcy can help you achieve financial freedom and peace. 

Credit score increases rapidly after bankruptcy, says by the CFPB.

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

Our clients are often so very concerned about their credit score.  That’s natural, and frankly, we are too.  I check my credit score at least once every two weeks.  It’s a point of pride for many people.  For others however, it can be the difference in being able to get ahead in life or not being able to afford those things we need. 

We have some very good news to report for people who are worried about the impact that bankruptcy will have on their credit score. The good news is, and I say it boldly;

AFTER BANKRUPTCY, CREDIT SCORES GO STEADILY UP

That’s right.  All these years you’ve been lied to by people who have no idea what they’re talking about.  Telling you that if you file bankruptcy your finances are toast and you’re dead in the water. You’ll never get another loan again.  We’ve all heard it and it’s usually coming from the slime ball that charged you 97% interest on a $2,500 car loan.

We didn’t just make this up either, although we already knew this to be true, this is a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  The study, which you can read here is completely legitimate and has been researched over the last 17 years. Another finding from the study is 

A PERSON’S CREDIT SCORES START IMPROVING THE SAME YEAR AS YOUR BANKRUPTCY FILING

Take a minute and absorb that.

How Creditors Use Fear

Creditors and all their hack buddies scream from the rooftops about bankruptcy trashing your credit score.  The data shows just the opposite.  In fact, there’s usually no dip in your score after filing.  The overwhelming amount of people who file bankruptcy see an IMMEDIATE increase in their score. Don’t believe us, just read what the CFPB says: 

Median credit scores increase steadily from year-to-year after consumers file a bankruptcy petition.

Median scores for Chapter 7 filers recover more quickly than those for Chapter 13 filers possibly due to the much quicker and more likely discharge of Chapter 7 filings.  

Bankruptcy improves your Financial Health

When it comes to your financial health, let’s get one thing straight. Your credit score is a vastly inadequate indicator of your financial health.  What really matters is your balance sheet.

A credit score is a distraction

In the grand scheme of loans and credit, lenders look at your balance sheet as much or more than your credit score.  In essence, they look at your net worth which is comprised of assets minus liabilities.  If you eliminate the liabilities you have via bankruptcy, your net worth looks even better. 

A credit score is just a number, most banks prefer a measure called the Debt to Income ratio or DTI.  If you wipe out unsecured debts, your DTI goes down as well, improving your likelihood of getting approved for a loan.  

Boost your credit score

You can take actions that can boost your score.  One of the best ways to do that is to check your credit report.  Not just your score, but what’s listed on your report.  When you look into credit reports, you’ll find that credit reports are notoriously inaccurate. Nearly 1 in 4 credit reports had factual inaccuracies that could negatively impact your credit score. That’s why its very important to check your credit report often, even more so than your score itself.  

Is bankruptcy right for me?

Just because you can file bankruptcy, doesn’t mean you should. It’s just one of the things you should consider if you find yourself needing to file.  Lots of different factors influence whether you should file bankruptcy.  We discuss those factors in one of our recent blog posts

If you’re ready to discuss filing bankruptcy with an experienced bankruptcy attorney, contact our office today for a free, no obligation consultation.  

Hold it, fold it or run

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em,

know when to fold ’em;

know when to walk away,

know when to run…

Thus is the advice that is given to a young protege of the Gambler in the hit Kenny Rogers song. This advice is also good for people who are facing problems with debt to consider.  One of the toughest things for people who are facing uncertainty about their finances is knowing when to fold and get the financial help they need. 

We often play a bad hand

Almost everyone wants to repay their debts. We feel like it’s the “right” thing to do.  Paying your debts fits the narrative of the hard working hero who scrimped and went without to pay your debt in full.  Lord knows the creditors who push these massive debt loads onto people with the false assumption that they’ll be able to pay want you to think that not paying your debts will be the financial ruin of you until the end of the world. 

If you’re in debt, it’s hard to know what your choices are and to know which debts are the best to get rid of and which ones you need to keep. 

The problem is that no one talks about the actual cost of paying off burdensome debt.

Nobody talks about people who have such a strong commitment to pay burdensome debt, get blinded to other needs and other financial pitfalls.

Certainly, no one mentions good people who sacrifice and still fail to find a way to pay off their debts.

Nobody seems to care about the elderly; drowning in debt with no hope of better times ahead.

So how do you know how to play your hand, so to speak, when choosing the best way to succeed at getting out of debt?

Just like the cards you have, the decision about what to pay (hold) or file bankruptcy on (fold) depends on a number of factors. 

What’s the amount you owe?  

HOLD:  the lower your total debt, the more likely you can succeed in paying it off.

FOLD:  If you have a very large amount of debt it will take longer to pay off and will likely cause other events to interfere.

What’s your age?

HOLD: If you’re young, you have more time, theoretically, to pay off your debts due to the amount of time you have left in life to work. 

FOLD:  If you’re close to retirement, now’s the time to seriously start looking at cleaning up your finances. 

Do you have critical debts?

HOLD:  Do you owe taxes, have a mortgage or owe some kind of domestic support? These critical kinds of debts should take priority over unsecured or other debts that could be discharged. If you don’t owe these types of debts, a payment plan for other debts can often succeed.

FOLD:  paying unsecured bills when you owe these critical types of debt is EXTREMELY risky.

What does your retirement savings look like?

HOLD: IF you have a pension or a substantial amount of money saved for retirement, you can try to get your debts paid.

FOLD:  If you’re way behind on saving money for your golden years, wouldn’t it be better to use that money to save for retirement instead of paying back unsecured creditors?

Do you have an emergency savings fund?

HOLD:  If you have a big enough cushion to sustain a loss of income, try to pay off debt.

FOLD:  If you’re like the majority of Americans and have very little saved, you make yourself even more vulnerable diverting money to existing debt.

How to succeed

The number one thing you want to avoid is spending money you don’t have on old debts when you have no reasonable chance of succeeding.  Living paycheck to paycheck with no savings isn’t a good way to live and it makes life very tough. The young protege got some good advice for that taste of whiskey.

Kenny Rogers’ gambler told him:

That the secret to survivin’

Is knowin’ what to throw away

And knowin’ what to keep

Keep paying on old debts only if you have the ability to succeed.  Otherwise… well you know how the rest of the song goes. 

If you feel lost and are unable to find a way out of debt, contact the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove.  We have helped tens of thousands of people get the help they need in order to get the fresh start they so desperately need.  

A Study: Debt in Georgia

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

Consumer debt all over the country is approaching record levels.  We are all aware of the student loan crisis and medical debt, but the reality is, debt of all kids is at an all time high.  Citizens of the State of Georgia are facing incredible levels of debt.  More than 39% of Georgia residents have at least 1 account currently tied up in debt collection.  A recent CNN report states that more than $14 Trillion dollars of debt is outstanding in America.  That includes mortgages, student loans, car loans and credit cards, medical debt and other debts.  These levels of debt are scary to most people because levels of debt this high represent unsustainable amounts of money to service these debts.

The average American Family lives on less than $64,000 per year and while that number has risen lately, it pales in comparison to the average amount of debt carried by Americans at more than $137,000 .  Citizens of Georgia face higher collections and levels of debt that the national average. Citizens of Georgia have on average about $2,700 of credit card debt which on average costs around $275 a month in payments in order to actually pay it off.  That is a significant payment for most citizens in Georgia who average a gross monthly income of only $4,600 before taxes.  

What can we do about debt? Well that’s the million dollar question.  We try to pay it off if we can.  No one takes out a loan wanting to not pay it.  We often find ourselves struggling to deal with paying our debts and maintaining basic necessities and unexpected emergencies.  If your level of debt has become unsustainable, contact the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove to see how we can help you achieve freedom from debt with a completely free consultation with one of our award winning attorneys.

3 uses for your Stimulus Check

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

As of the writing of this blog entry, more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment and millions more are staring into the abyss.  COVID-19 has decimated what was one of the strongest economies in American history. Businesses are closing and some of the most famous names in retail are likely to be seeking bankruptcy protection in the very near future. There is one silver lining in all this and that’s the help we’re all getting from the government in the form of Stimulus checks to help offset the damage COVID-19 has done to people’s ability to function financially. A lot of people don’t often receive a big lump sum payment like this and many are asking, what should I do with my newfound windfall.  We have a list below to help you decide. 

Meet your basic needs

Everyone has ongoing expenses that they must pay for, your stimulus can help.

Food: You’ve got to eat and so does your family.  You’ve got to be able to put food on the table day in and day out.  If you don’t have any other means of putting food on the table, this check can seriously help with one of life’s greatest necessities. 

Housing: You’ve got to keep a roof over your head.  Many people are finding offers of forbearance on loans and rent, but be sure to read the fine print.  Many banks and landlords are offering forbearance but the devil is in the details. Many of those banks and landlords will expect the entire amount due at the end of the forbearance period.  If you can, pay your mortgage or your rent.  

Transportation: If you’re lucky enough to have a job now or one to go back to once everything goes back to normal, you need to keep a set of wheels. 

Utilities: You should pay your bills if you can.  While many utility companies are’t disconnecting during the crisis, don’t think that’s going to be a free ride. The tab is still running and they will eventually expect payment, possibly with interest and fees. The bottom line is, look on their websites for coronavirus accommodations and how to contact them for assistance. Don’t ignore bills. Stay in touch with each company if financial hardship puts you behind and you can’t pay.

Save it

We have written before about the number of Americans who don’t have even enough money  in their bank account to cover a $1,000 emergency. With each person getting $1,200 in stimulus money and families getting more, if you are one of the fortunate people who still have a job, use this money to help build up a fund to cover the unexpected burdens you may not see coming yet.  

Invest in your future

Eventually, everything will get back to normal and when it does, you’re going to have a lot of financial decisions to make.  If you aren’t in the position to save your money and you’ve stopped paying some of your bills like credit cards and personal loans, know that your creditors will eventually come looking for you and the money you owe them.  If you already had a good amount of debt to begin with maybe you’re realizing that now may be a good time to start fresh with a clean slate. At Harmon and Gorove, that’s what we’ve done for nearly 40 years. If you’re facing financial uncertainty because of unsustainable debt, contact the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove for a free consultation to discuss how bankruptcy can put you on the path to financial security.