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As the weather warms and people meet for the first time in months around barbecue grills nationwide, the talk is sure to include a time-honored tradition: ‘poor talk’.
“Poor talk,” for those of you who don’t recognize the term, is when two people meet and end up talking about their money problems. It’s similar to, ‘fat talk,’ only this is money and not weight.
In the old days, people didn’t talk about money with one another. It simply wasn’t polite.
Nowadays, however, it seems as if our culture of oversharing has made it acceptable to talk money with the neighbors.
The questions are the reasons why, and whether it’s a good use of your time.
Why ‘Poor Talk’ Is So Compelling
Humans beings have a psychological need to belong to a group. We want to be wanted, and we want to be identified as part of a particular crowd.
That’s why we join clubs, social networks, and even work for particular companies.
That need to belong is a driving force behind our desire to share information that we might otherwise keep close to the vest. We hear the neighbor complaining about how his insurance costs have spiked, and we’re more likely to agree and throw in our own two cents.
But Is ‘Poor Talk’ Helping Us?
I used to think there was value in commiseration, that misery did love company. I still do, but not in the same way.
If I’m having a hard time with something, I might need a friend’s ear. That friend will nod, sympathize, and maybe give me some ideas about how to make things better. More likely, my friend will tell me the time he was in a tight spot and managed to get out of it.
That sort of, “you can do it,” talk can help motivate someone into making a positive change.
When both people are in the same boat, however, there’s nothing productive going on.
You both walk away from the conversation feeling as if you belong to the same club, so you’re not alone. That’s not terrible.
But you both also look at one another and figure that if the other guy’s not going out of his mind then perhaps you shouldn’t, either. You’re less likely to take positive action to get out of your bad situation.
In this respect, community can be a bad thing.
How To Break the Cycle
I’m not going to tell you to stop with the ‘poor talk’ – after all, it does fill a need from time to time.
I am, however, recommending that you look at the other folks engaging in this line of conversation and ask yourself about the things they’re not saying rather than merely what is coming out of their mouths.
Are they buckling down financially to end their problems?
Are they overstating the problem in the first place?
Do they have a deep well of savings from which to draw?
Questions such as these will help you realize that you don’t share the same problems as others, not in the same way at least. Nobody’s going to help you when your bills come due, and all the griping in the world won’t make your life better.
Let the neighbors worry about themselves. Your job is to get to work on your own financial well-being.
Image credit:  stevendepolo
‘Poor Talk’ And The Society Of Mutually Destructive Commiseration was originally published on Consumer Help Central. If you're seeing this message on another site, it has been stolen and is being used without permission. That's illegal, a violation of copyright, and just plain awful.

Bringing you the most up-to-date news, tips and blogs throughout the web. Here’s your Bankruptcy Update for May 28, 2013 Better Place Runs Out of Juice, Reportedly Plans Bankruptcy What Better Place’s bankruptcy tells us about the future of electric cars Highway Technologies closes doors; files for bankruptcy protection

As many consumers in Oregon and Washington are now painfully aware, debt buyers often purchase severely flawed claims. The FTC has determined that the information that debt buyers receive when they purchase debts, which is the only information they have to rely on in collecting, is often woefully inadequate. This often results in debt buyers suing the wrong Oregon or Washington consumer, or for the wrong amount, or on a debt that has long since been barred by the applicable statute of limitations. I often hear from consumers who are absolutely amazed that they are hearing from debt buyer collectors on debts that have long since been settled or even discharged in bankruptcy.
The whole game for most debt buyers is to get a default judgement so that the particulars of their severely flawed cases are not examined. In fact a recent study showed that in thousands of cases reviewed, debt buyers prevailed nearly ninety-four percent of the time and largely because only ten percent of the people sued even answered the complaint and only one percent hired an attorney. This is tragic because the same study found that thirty five percent of the cases filed were completely without merit and that in nearly seventy one percent of the cases, service was defective.
If you have been served with a summons, it’s time to contact an attorney. We represent consumers across both Oregon and Washington and we would be happy to help.
The original post is titled Debt Buyers and Oregon and Washington Consumers , and it came from Oregon Bankruptcy Lawyer | Portland, Salem, and Vancouver, Wa .

Even if your income is above the applicable median family income, you may still qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
You’ve done the means test.
You’ve calculated your current monthly income.
And you’ve checked it against your applicable median family income.
Things are looking bad for you, Chapter 7-wise. But wait – all hope is not lost.
Using Deductions In Means Testing
The bankruptcy system recognizes that you bring your entire gross income home with you in your pocket, and that life itself costs money.
To give a more realistic sense of how much that life should cost, the second part of the means test provides you with certain deductions for standard expenses.
These deductions from income are (supposedly) figured out by looking at the cost of living in your area as well as the size of your household.
The larger your household size, the bigger your allowed deductions. It makes sense, after all – the bigger the family, the more you’re going to spend each month on things like food and clothing.
Examples Of Means Testing Deductions
Here is a partial list of some of the allowed deductions from income on your means test:

• food and clothing – based on national standards;
• utilities – based on local standards;
• mortgage payments (or, if you’re a renter, rent expenses) – based on local standards;
• vehicle ownership and operation costs – based on local standards;
• federal, state and local taxes;
• life insurance;
• court-ordered payments;
• involuntary deductions from employment for retirement contributions, union dues, and uniform costs;
• child care;
• education for employment or for a physically or mentally challenged child;
• telecommunications;
• Health Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Health Savings Account Expenses;
• Continued contributions to the care of household or family members;
• Protection against family violence;
• Home energy costs in excess of the amounts provided for under local standards for utilities;
• total average monthly expenses that you actually incur, not to exceed $156.25 per child, for attendance at a private or public elementary or secondary school by dependent children less than 18 years of age;
• Continuing charitable contributions; and
• total average monthly amount by which your food and clothing expenses exceed the combined allowances for food and clothing (apparel and services) in the IRS National Standards, not to exceed 5% of those combined allowances.

As you can tell, it’s a fairly lengthy list of deductions. When you complete your means test forms, it’s important to review each of these potential deductions to see how you can maximize them.
Why Your Deductions From Income Are Important
If your currently monthly income is above the applicable median family income, you will be be unable to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
If you try to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you’ll be subject to a presumption of abuse – and fighting to keep your case alive is going to be time consuming and frustrating.  There’s a good chance you’ll fail.
Utilizing the deductions from income may save you, helping to rebut the presumption of abuse and giving you the opportunity to get relief under Chapter 7.
More to the point, these deductions help to paint a more accurate picture of your financial situation. They complete the scene, providing a greater sense of where the money goes each month.
In the end, that’s the most important piece of the puzzle.
How To File Bankruptcy: Means Testing Deductions From Income was originally published on Consumer Help Central. If you're seeing this message on another site, it has been stolen and is being used without permission. That's illegal, a violation of copyright, and just plain awful.