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HOLIDAY DEBT CURES
By: Steven P. Taylor, Attorney at Law
It is that holiday season again. A number of potential debt traps exist that could lead to long-term credit card bills for payment of holiday things such as Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas presents and the travel to each that we must pay for.
Black Friday has descended upon us; but the days that shoppers swarm the stores for deals and sales continues on. The holidays will come and go. During this festive season, it’s spend, spend, spend. Family and friends receive their gifts and are glowing with cheer, love and thankfulness. Somehow, we manage to scrape up the extra money–with just a little help from credit cards and overtime.
Then January comes, and with the unwelcome credit card bill requesting payments for the Yuletide cheer. Unfortunately, the house payment, car payment and utility payment that are due do not have grace periods that extend to your tax refund. The money has been spent on the gifts in your child’s room.
Soon, you are having heated phone conversations with creditors and utility companies. The easiest way to avoid post holiday pain is to prepare. Below are a few tips on how your can avoid the holiday debt trap.
- Set up the amount you are going to spend on the holidays in advance. Divide that number by 11 and set that amount back every month as your “holiday fund”. By Christmas time you have easily saved the amount needed for a stress fee holiday season.
- Keep your holiday shopping to a minimal. Make a short list of the people you’re going to purchase gifts for and stick to it. Got a long list of friends and relatives? Still make a short list and send everyone else an inexpensive holiday card. Remember, the debt you take on could become your first steps towards new financial troubles, so be careful.
- Use cash and avoid credit cards when making purchases. While credit card use may be “easy” and convenient when you’re holiday shopping, it can also be very expensive in the long-term. First of all, using a credit card will make you purchase more than you would if you were using cash. Second, it’s not likely that you will pay it all off before accruing interest. So avoid any credit card mess by leaving the plastic at home.
- Liquidate assets. Sell unused clothes, shoes, books or other items that are collecting dust in storage. Be friends with E-Bay or garage sales. If it is in storage, you probably will never use them. It’s time to let go. Look for part-time side work. Every bit counts
- Consider layaway plans. Layaway allows consumers to purchase items without paying for it first and still avoid debt. How it works? The consumer places their purchases in storage at the store while making payments on the purchases over time free of interest. Some stores do charge a small fee, which is nominal compared to the interest the post-bankruptcy debtor could rack up if they use a credit card for their holiday shopping.
- The last resort should be credit cards. They are for you to borrow money short term you don’t have and usually carry with it a ridiculous APR. (Annual Percentage Rate. If you must use the credit option, use a low interest rate card and try to pay the balance in full at the end of the month so you are only paying back the exact amount you borrowed! Always know how you are going to repay the credit card in full in less than 2 months. Remember for Short Term Use only.
- Of course, borrowers who do take on new holiday debt may be able to discharge that debt in Chapter 7 bankruptcy if they are unable to repay it. That being said, I hope you enjoy your holidays. Don’t let the stress of finances bog you down! Times are hard.
Happy Holidays!
Steven P. Taylor, [email protected]
Law Office of Steven P. Taylor PC
Serving Central and Northern Indiana
1-800-966-8447
Filed under: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy 
Prospective Chapter 7 Bankruptcy all across the state of Oregon should be cheered by the news that it is now going to be a little bit easier to qualify. The US Trustee recently divulged that the median income in Oregon for purposes of the means test have been adjusted upwards for most families
Here you can see the difference:
New Means Test Numbers
OREGON
Family of One
$44,779
Family of Two
$55,568
Family of Three
$60,693
Family of Four
$70,812
Old Means Test Numbers
OREGON
Family of One
$43,160
Family of Two
$55,057
Family of Three
$62,202
Family of Four
$67,315
What this means for Oregonians looking to obtain bankruptcy relief is that it you can now make a little more and still qualify for Chapter 7. The numbers are also good news to prospective Chapter 13 Bankruptcy filers as more of them will now qualify for three year rather than five year Chapter 13 Plans.
Remember that the median income levels, for purposes of the means test, are just the starting point to determining whether you qualify for Chapter 7 or in determining the length of your Chapter 13 Plan. , or what the requirements of the Chapter 13 plan will be. Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions at all at 503-232-5303.
The original post is titled Means Test Good News for Oregon Bankruptcy Filers , and it came from Oregon Bankruptcy Lawyer | Portland, Salem, and Vancouver, Wa .
Think back to a time when you didn’t have any credit cards.
Life was simpler, wasn’t it? Buy something and pay for it once, never worrying about interest charges or falling behind.
It can be that way again. All you need to do is approach the world with the same level of rationality as you did in the past.
Here’s how.
Use A Debit Card For Hotels, Airfare And Rental Cars
My clients always use travel as a major reason why life is terrible without credit cards.
They’re shocked when I let them know that I routinely use a debit card for all of my travel-related expenses. Airline tickets and hotel rooms are particularly easy when it comes to debit cards, and even car rental companies have come around in the past few years.
One thing to know, however, is that the car rental company or hotel may place a hold on several hundred dollars’ of your checking account funds.
Some car rental companies that accept debit cards are:
- Dollar Rent-A-Car
- Budget
- Thrifty
- Payless
- Avis
Layaway For Retail Purchases
Layaway is the process by which you pay for a product over time, giving money to the retailer little by little. The retailer holds the product for you until it’s paid in full.
The benefit of layaway is that there’s usually very little cost associated with it. As opposed to credit cards that charge interest until the entire balance is paid off, the cost of buying something on layaway is usually less than $10.
Retailers offering layaway include:
- Kmart
- Sears
- Burlington Coat Factory
- Walmart
- Marshall’s
- TJ Maxx
- Toys R Us
Love Your Debit Card
I’m a big fan of using a debit card for smaller purchases because it’s easier and more convenient than going to the bank to withdraw cash all the time.
If you’re worried about account security and unauthorized charges, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act limits your liability.
Related:
Budget By Planning Ahead
In the old days, Christmas Club and Vacation Club accounts were used heavily by people who wanted to engage in short-term savings for a defined purpose. As credit card use grew, however, these accounts fell largely out of favor.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use the same idea for your own savings goals.
If you’re looking to make a major purchase and don’t have the cash, just open up a savings account and attach it to your main checking account. Have your bank automatically transfer a small amount – even as little as $10 each week – into the savings account.
In no time at all, you’ll have the money saved for your purchase.
A Little Planning Goes A Long Way
All of the tactics for living without credit cards require that you go through your life with a certain level of planning.
Impulse purchases made without having cash at the ready are more difficult, and spur-of-the-moment vacations happen only when the bank account is fat.
If it keeps you out of debt and worry-free when it comes to money, I think it’s well worth it.
What happens when a creditor has a judgment against you? Some debtors make the mistake of ignoring the summons and experience a rude awakening when their wages or their bank account gets garnished. You have a certain amount of time to answer the judgment before further legal action is taken against you. If you fail [...]
Ever forget where you put your keys? This clunky mass of metal and plastic, a critical piece of your day-to-day life, just goes missing.
Frustrating, but it happens. And most of the time, you’ll eventually find them sticking out of the lock of the front door or buried under a pile of mail on the table.
The fact that you can forget something so important makes it easier to understand how you can forget a particular creditor when compiling information for your bankruptcy case.
Fortunately, there is a simple step-by-step process involved in getting the problem fixed.
Your Schedules Can Be Amended While The Case Is Proceeding
So long as the bankruptcy case is still open (in other words, there’s been no discharge issued) you have the absolute right to amend your schedules at any time.
There’s a Florida bankruptcy case that says you give up the right to amend if you wait too long, but the case doesn’t hold weight in either New York or California – the two places where I practice law.
Related:
6 Steps For Amending Schedules To Add A Creditor
If you need to add a creditor to your schedules, here’s what to do:
- add the creditor to Schedule F;
- complete a cover sheet for the amendment (note that there is no cover sheet requirement in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York);
- file with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court;
- pay the filing fee of $30 to amend the schedule;
- serve the new schedule and cover sheet on the U.S. Trustee, your bankruptcy trustee, and all affected creditors; and
- file the certificate of service with the bankruptcy court.
Related:
- Amended Schedule(s) And/Or Statement(s) Cover Sheet (Central District of California)
- Affidavit Pursuant To Local Rule 1009-1 (Eastern District of New York)
Why You Need To Act Fast
If you file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy and do not list a creditor before the time for that creditor to file a proof of claim expires, then then the debt won’t be paid through the Plan. At the end of the case, it won’t be discharged.
If you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the rules are slightly more complicated. Depending on the circumstances involved, the debt may or may not be discharged at the end of the case.
Either way, it’s a good idea to amend your bankruptcy schedules as fast as you can. No sense in leaving loose ends hanging around when it comes to your bankruptcy case.
In Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory, everyone was hunting for the Golden Ticket so they could get a tour of the chocolate factory. The Golden Ticket in every chapter 7 bankruptcy in Fresno, and everywhere else, is the Discharge Order.
A bankruptcy discharge releases the debtor from personal liability for certain specified types of debts, like credit cards, medical bills, and missed payments. In other words, the debtor is no longer legally required to pay any debts that are discharged. The discharge is a permanent order! No creditor of the debtor is allowed to make any collection effort with the debtor, including lawsuits, wage garnishments, telephone calls, letters, and personal contacts.
Unfortunately, the Golden Ticket, "Discharge Order", does not erase valid liens such as property mortgage liens, car liens, or even dishwasher liens if you bought them from Home Depot. Therefore, a secured creditor may enforce the lien to recover the property secured by the lien. They are allowed to repo the car, the Kirby vacuum cleaner, and foreclose on the house.
WHEN DOES THE DISCHARGE OCCUR?
In a chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court usually grants the discharge promptly on expiration of the time fixed for filing a complaint objecting to discharge and the time fixed for filing a motion to dismiss the case for substantial abuse (60 days following the first date set for the 341 meeting). Typically, this occurs about four months after the date the debtor files the petition with the clerk of the bankruptcy court.
HOW DOES THE DEBTOR GET A DISCHARGE?
Unless a lawsuit is filed in the Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the debtor automatically receives a discharge. The debtor does not have to do anything, except wait by the mailbox. A copy of the discharge order also is mailed to all creditors named in the bankruptcy petition. The notice informs creditors generally that the debts owed to them have been discharged and that they should not attempt any further collection.
They are cautioned in the notice that continuing collection efforts could subject them to punishment for contempt.
Photo credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/
Debtors may be under the impression they are unable to get student loan debt discharged. While this may be the case for some, others may qualify to have this debt eliminated but don’t bother asking their attorney about it. When you file you are expected to list debt obligations you have outstanding, including those that [...]
Most people have a vision of debt settlement that doesn’t match up with reality.
I started seeing debt settlement ads on television and the radio when I first began practicing law in 1995.
What originated as a small industry became a behemoth seemingly overnight as the economy tanked and everyone started realizing they couldn’t possibly pay all their debts.
And as with so many consumer finance industries, information given to the public has long been at odds with the truth.
Time to set the record straight.
You May Be Able To Settle Your Debts – But Not By Much
Debt settlement is real occurs when you and a creditor mutually agree to reduce the balance due and treat it as payment in full.
There are laws regulating the business practices of debt settlement companies, including the disclosures they’re required to make and the fees that can charge.
That said, a 2010 letter to the Federal Trade Commission by The Association of Settlement Companies indicated that the average debt was settled for $0.88 per $1.00 owed. In other words, the average person settled for 88.1% of the balance due.
Related:
You Don’t Need Someone To Help You Settle Debts
Debt settlement involves sitting down across the proverbial table from someone else and working out a deal to repay your debt for less than you owe.
There are no courts involved, nor any judges or arbitrators.
You are not required to hire someone else to negotiate on your behalf. In fact, I’ve always been of the opinion that you’ve got a better chance at claiming poverty when you’re not paying someone to help you settle the debt.
Debt Settlement Can Result In A Tax Liability
Under the tax laws, creditors and debt collectors that agree to accept at least $600 less than the original balance are required by law to file 1099-C forms with the IRS.
You will receive a copy of the Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, and must include the canceled amount in your gross income unless you meet an exclusion or exception.
Debt Settlement Will Harm Your Credit Score
Whenever you fail to make timely payments to a creditor, your credit score will go down.
Settling a debt for less than the full balance due will also harm your credit score.
That means not only that debt settlement will lower your credit score, but also that your score will decrease while you’re trying to negotiate a settlement with your creditor.
The More Creditors You Have, The Less Likely It Is To Work
It’s a matter of simple logic – the more times you need to negotiate, the more likely it is that you won’t be successful.
If you’ve got to negotiate with one creditor then you may be able to work out a deal. Add a few more creditors to the pile, however, and it may not work out quite as well.
Statistics bear out this logic – debt settlement rarely works out as well as you may hope.
A 2009 survey of U.S. debt settlement companies found that 34.4% of enrollees had 75 percent or more of their debt settled within three years.
Related:
Creditors Can’t Be Forced To Settle
As I already said, there’s no court or judge involved in debt settlement. It all comes down to negotiation between you and the creditor.
They don’t have to accept a settlement from you. And if they propose one, it need not be one you like.
You can argue that it makes sense for a creditor to settle a debt you’re not paying, and you may be right. But just because it makes sense from your point of view to settle doesn’t mean that’s true for the creditor’s side of the table.
Creditors That Don’t Settle Can Still Sue You
You can try to settle before a lawsuit is filed against you, but if negotiations break down then the creditor can still look to the court system.
If Everyone Doesn’t Settle, You’ve Got Trouble
Remember when I said that it’s more difficult to settle when you have many accounts?
And when I just told you that a creditor can decide to sue you if negotiations fall through?
Think about it – you could conceivably have 8 outstanding accounts and successfully settle 6 of them. The last two don’t settle but choose to sue you.
Now you’ve got a few choices. You can pay the judgment voluntarily, risk your bank account being frozen and your income seized in a wage garnishment, or file for bankruptcy.
All that, after working so hard to settle the debts.
How To Avoid The Pitfalls
If you’re thinking about debt settlement, beware of the risks.
Recognize the chances of success get smaller as your debt situation becomes more complicated.
Look into your options, then move ahead with your eyes open.
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan can help you get your finances back in order. As a court-approved repayment plan that restructures debts, you may be able to make reduced payments on obligations based on your income ability. Yet, there are certain debts you are required to pay as part of the agreement, including secured debts [...]
If you need to file for bankruptcy, Chapter 13 should be your first choice whenever possible.
There are, for the most part, two types of bankruptcy cases that people file when they want to get out of debt – Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
Chapter 7 is deceptively simple, involving just a few months in the court system and a quick exit to a (mostly) debt-free life.
Chapter 13 seems more difficult, with repayment plans lasting 3-5 years before you get to claim freedom from debt.
Indeed, most people who file for bankruptcy opt for the Chapter 7 route. It’s less expensive and less time-consuming.
But dig deeper into the debt-relief process and you may find that what appears simple is the less attractive option.
- You Can Leave Chapter 13 – But Not Chapter 7. Let’s say you file for bankruptcy and incur more debt due to an illness or job loss. If you’re in Chapter 13, you can dismiss your case and refile to include the new debt. But if you’re in Chapter 7, you’re stuck – and will walk out owing that fresh debt.
- Chapter 13 Is A Hedge Against Future Debt Problems. If you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you can’t do it again for the better part of a decade. But file a Chapter 13 and you get your choice of bankruptcy far sooner if need be.
- Chapter 13 Means You Keep Everything. When you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy you need to worry about losing nonexempt assets and cash. If you own real estate that rapidly increases in value before the end of your case, you could find yourself packing your bags rather than being able to keep the property. No so in Chapter 13, which allows you to repay a portion of your debts in exchange for keeping all of your assets.
- Chapter 13 Repayment Can Be Tiny. When you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, you’re paying back creditors based on your income and the value of your assets. For many people, that means repayments can be as low as $150 per month or less.
- Chapter 13 Is Totally Voluntary. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy case can be freely dismissed. Your repayment plan can be modified based on a change in your financial circumstances. You’re in 100% control over your life.
- Catch Up On The Mortgage Or Car Loan. Lots of people use Chapter 13 as a tool to catch up on arrears. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can’t do that.
- Lower Your Car Loan Interest Rate In Chapter 13. When you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, there’s a way to lower your automobile loan’s interest rate. That means you can reduce your monthly car expenses without losing the vehicle or trying to refinance.
- Wipe Out Underwater Second Mortgages In Chapter 13. If you own real estate and are upside down on your second mortgage, you may be able to eliminate it by filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
- Pay Tax Debts Without Interest Or Penalties. If you owe money to the government for tax debts, you can pay them off over 3-5 years without a dime of additional interest or penalties. That could save you thousands of dollars over the life of your Chapter 13 bankruptcy case.
- Pay Your Legal Fees Over Time, Not Up Front. Yes, Chapter 13 bankruptcy fees are somewhat higher than what you’ll pay for a Chapter 7 case. But when you file for Chapter 7 you’re going to need to pay your legal fees in full before the case is filed. In Chapter 13, you can file your case more quickly because your legal fees can be paid through the repayment plan.
Still not convinced? Give me a call – maybe you’re the exception to the rule.
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