Bankruptcy 15 Facts You May Not Know!

September 2nd, 2010

15 Facts About Bankruptcy

1. Stops a foreclosure of your home.

2. Stops repossession. For instance, if your car is being repossessed, Bankruptcy can stop your creditor from repossessing your car and possibly lower your payment.

3. Stops bill collectors. If you happen to be behind in your bills and your creditors are constantly calling you, that will definitely stop once you declare bankruptcy.

4. Enables you to keep your car as well as your home. Most people who declare bankruptcy do keep their home and their car while they are paying down their debt.

5. The new bankruptcy laws actually help people more than the old laws.

6. When you are married, you can file individually if the debts are mostly in one of the names.

7. Bankruptcy is not published in the newspaper.

8. Fast filing is normal. Some worry it will take forever to file, but that isn't the case. Usually it can be within 1-2 days, as long as you provide the necessary documentation.

9. Bankruptcy laws are federal laws and the cases are brought into federal court.

10. You have to petition for bankruptcy with a judge.

11. Not all debts are forgiven when you file

12. Student loans and tax debt usually can't be eliminated in any bankruptcy.

13. Your credit report will show Bankruptcy for 10 years after you file.

14. Filing Bankruptcy can Lower Payments...

15. Debtors must meet with a credit counselor six months prior to applying for bankruptcy and must attend money management class.

McKay & Associates, PC located in Pittsburgh is a small law firm with experience who you can trust. They handle bankruptcy wills, estates, trusts and more. These attorneys are approachable and efficient. They are a Debt Relief Agency who help people file for relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Take the first step of getting out of debt by calling or visiting their site. Google: Patent Pittsburgh, Commercial Business Law Pittsburgh or visit: http://www.mckaylaw.com.

Avoid Bankruptcy Simple Steps to Follow

September 1st, 2010

When a person or a business finds themselves in a situation where they are unable to repay their debts, they are in a state of bankruptcy. The bankruptcy process begins when the debtor approaches the court system by filing a petition. Bankruptcy sometimes allows a person to start fresh. At other times it allows the debtor to offer some recompense to those who are owed depending on what assets or resources are available. Either way, it is just about the worst scar that can be made on the financial history of anyone. When debts start to become unmanageable, immediate action needs to be taken to avoid bankruptcy.

Sell Assets

Immediately, when you start to fall behind on payments or when creditors start to call, you must take action. Sell everything you can put your hands on: Books. CDs. Computer. Electronics. Home Entertainment Devices. Jewelry. Anything to raise cash to put towards bills. Nowadays, the internet offers many ways to sell stuff. If you cannot sell things directly, sell them online. Amazon, Craigslist, and eBay are starting points.

Increase Income

What skills do you have beyond your job? Sometimes hobbies or carpentry or plumbing skills offer excellent opportunities to supplement your income. If it is available, work overtime. Take a part-time job. The internet also has e-businesses that work as talent and employment agencies for free-lancers. You can be a virtual assistant, build links, write content, do coding or programming. Elance and oDesk are examples. Some sites allow you to write and post an article of general interest and they will pay you a small amount for each visitor the article gets. It can add up.

Seek Help

Do not be afraid to be upfront and candid. Let your creditors know what you are faced with. The creditors are folks just like you and they may have been through such a period themselves. What is important is that you let them know your willingness, your resoluteness to pay and how you intend to do it. If possible, ask them to lower interest rates or monthly fees. You might be surprised at their willingness to help.

Borrow Money

Borrowing money from family or friends is often not a good idea. Consider their lives and their problems. But, if there is a likelihood, take a good look as to what you should ask for and how you would intend to repay it. Write out the plan and show it to the prospective friend or family member. Show how you would repay them and stick with it. If some of your folks can help you with some cash, you may want to use some of the money to approach a lawyer.

Settle Debts

Debt settlement is something you will want to avoid under normal circumstances. But anyone on the brink of bankruptcy is not exactly normal. If you must choose between bankruptcy and settlement, choose settlement. Never rely on debt settlement companies. They are not very effective and they often cost more time and money than they're worth. Don't settle on current debts. Focus on those that have been charged off or sent to collection. As with any settlement, pay when you have agreed to pay.

Take Action

Taking these steps of self-analysis and immediate action may very well help you avoid bankruptcy. Just do not sit around hoping everything will work out. Things will only get worse. Take action immediately.

Kate Ross has a Master in Finance and has been a university teacher as well as a financial consultant for years. She specializes in Unsecured Loans and also in helping people to get approved for Guaranteed Loans for Bad Credit, among many other financial products. For further information, please visit SpeedyBadCreditLoans.com

Bankruptcy As a Growing Problem

August 31st, 2010

Managing your money can be hard sometimes. There always seems to be things to pay for, whether its bills to pay, cars to repair, or groceries to buy. Then there always seems to be some type of event where you need to buy a gift. Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and other events come up regularly which can really put a dent in your wallet. Especially with the economy lately, people have been struggling with their financial situations. With jobs more scarce and all of the things in life that need to be paid for, more and more people are going bankrupt. It is hard to admit when you are having financial trouble, let alone admitting that you are bankrupt.

Sometimes it is necessary, however, to get you back on your feet. When you claim bankruptcy it allows you to have a fresh start. It reduces the amount of debt that you need to pay back and gives you a chance to have more time to pay that debt off. Filing for bankruptcy can be a confusing process. There are a lot of laws and regulations surrounding it. Luckily, there are bankruptcy lawyers that are ready and willing to help you through this hard time. To find a good lawyer in your area, search online locally. For example, search "San Francisco Bankruptcy Lawyer" to find someone to help you in the bay area. When you are going through this troubling time, a bankruptcy lawyer will be there to help you through it and get you the back on your feet again.

Bankruptcy Law Center (http://www.tburnslaw.com/) I am a San Francisco bankruptcy lawyer with over 17 years experience helping individuals, families and small businesses with debt relief and filing bankruptcy in California.