Given the economic downturn, there is a flood of Americans in search of bankruptcy advice. The creditors are calling and they are at their wit's end. Many people already have destroyed credit, so they're looking for any ounce of relief to help them start over again. Since bankruptcy law is a complex web, there are many misconceptions about it.
Bankruptcy advice has gotten more liberal over the years due to changing laws. To avoid scores of debtors flooding onto the streets with no property and nothing left to live for, the laws have changed to allow debtors to keep certain property, despite filing for bankruptcy. The debtor may keep up to $2,500 in cash, $2,400 in auto equity and unlimited 401k funds. Additionally, by law, employers cannot fire an employee who files for bankruptcy, although potential employers can choose not to hire a new employee based on that factor. Often with a filing, debtors will need to attend credit restoration and debt management courses.
When you're seeking advice about bankruptcy, be sure to double-check what can and can't be discharged. For instance, you'll still have to pay off Uncle Sam if you owe taxes for the past three years. However, if you have personal income taxes over 3 years old, then you can discharge them through bankruptcy. Fiduciary taxes cannot be discharged, nor can most student loans and liens. If you owe child support or alimony, you will still have to pay up. If you don't list debts on your bankruptcy petition, then they will not be covered. If you have debts from drunk driving or other "willful and malicious" harm, you'll still have to pay your dues. However, there are many things that can be removed when you file for bankruptcy, such as all unsecured credit card debt, wage garnishments, utility termination, fraudulent credit claims and foreclosure.
Professional bankruptcy advice says that there are several ways to determine if bankruptcy is right for repairs to your financial situation. First of all, make a monthly budget, adding up all your expenses, such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, food, gas or bus fare, clothing, car loans, etc. and all of your monthly income, including employer, benefits, food stamps, pensions, disability, etc. If your income is a lot less than your expenses, then bankruptcy may not help. If you suspect you may need credit cards to live even after filing, then you may need to get another job or cut expenses. If your debts are already a few years old, then you may want to just hang in there for several more years until they come off your report or you pay them.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Your Options When Seeking Bankruptcy Advice
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Where To Turn For Credit Debt Relief
When people find themselves at the bottom of the class in the credit score department they instantly start looking for ways to improve their position. What many may not realize is that they can have items that should not appear on their credit report removed on their own. In most cases negative information that is not true can be removed simply by notifying the credit reporting agency, along with proof of the misinformation and it will be removed. However, these bad credit debt relief solutions, are often kept from the average consumer.
Before buying in the prospect of buying bad credit debt relief repair secrets it should be understood that while the three major credit reporting agencies are private companies they are controlled by the federal government and their reporting tactics have to adhere to strict government regulations. There are also rules governing the release of bad credit debt relief repair secrets by the agencies, which most will follow to the letter of the law or risk losing their license to conduct business.
One thing that many of the bad credit debt relief repair secrets peddlers will not divulge is that any information on the report that is accurate, cannot legally be removed until the time on the information expires, usually in seven years. Anyone that claims otherwise is either misinformed or passing on bad information. One of the best known bad credit debt relief repair secrets is to keep a close eye on your credit report, and not just one, but the report maintained by all three agencies. Simply because an item is missing from one report does not mean it is not on another one. If an item appears on your report that you question, you have the right to questions its validity and if it can be proven the information is false, it has to be removed.
People and companies that claim to be able to offer a clean credit report in 30 days are probably not being honest in their presentation. Some of the bad credit debt relief repair secrets they talk about include that fact that true information cannot be removed. What they may be offering is help in getting outdated or erroneous items on the report removed, something that can take time, but something that can be done with paying someone else to do it.
More information on debt consolidation and loans can be found here Student Loan Default and also here Major Credit Card Companies
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
It Is Possible To Get A Job Today
You may or may not be aware that the job market is getting tougher, but suffice to say that the problems will flow down from urban to the rural area soon. You may have already lost your job and are looking for a new one, or you are finding a job in a new field for the very first time. Times are bad and many are looking for second job to help with their shrinking income. There are some things that you need to know when looking under such tough market.
First of all, when finding a job, you don’t necessarily have to aim lower than what you really want. Though you may have to later on, you should still try to find the jobs that you would have wanted no matter how well or how bad the economy is doing. Chances are always there and you could still land on that ideal job.
At such bad times, be open to different type of jobs. While you should look for the job you wanted, be realistic and widen your search to others. You may not have a choice when things are tight and many are finding a job right along side you. Be careful, but be smart, or you may find that you can not get any type of work at all. Things will pick up, so taking something for a short time would not hurt, but still feeds your family.
Use the same strategies you would always use when finding a job. Use the classifieds, go to recruiters, and don’t be afraid to try temp agencies. You can use channels such as online and network to look for a job. They may know of jobs that have not been advertised that are just what you are looking for. Just be aware that your hunting is going to be longer than usual.
Affordable Student Loans – What You Should Consider Before Taking Up A Student Loan
Everyone knows that nowadays the college expenses are very high. That´s why, many students ask for loans to settle their school bills and after their graduation they realize that they have to pay more money than the original amount. All this is caused by the deferment period.
This article helps you understand how the student loan deferment will affect your financial status.
Let´s start from the beginning and see what a deferment period really is.
The first payment for a student loan is made only after he quits the school or graduates. In other words, the student goes to college, receives a good education, graduates and only after he gets his first job, he starts paying back the loan.
It sound perfect but you should know that the interest is added up to the original amount during those four year of college. To be more precise, if you borrow $20,000 you will end up paying $30,000 in the end. In other words, everything in this life has a price.
Now, let´s see how a straight loan and a deferred one really work.
If you ask for a $70,000 loan for 7 years at 7% (84 payments) he´ll have to pay $301.85 per month.
If you ask for a $20,000 deferred loan at 7% for 7 years and you start paying after you graduate then you might have a problem. When you´ll start paying back you´ll realize that the original amount has changed and you´ll now have to pay back 2,6441.08. This means $399.07 per month.
So you can see how the payments will affect your life after graduation. It is recommended for you to use a student loan calculator to help you deal with the monthly payments after your 4 years of college are over.
Let´s analyze another example. You get a 10-year loan for $35,000 with a 7% interest rate and you set the first payment after you finish your college years. When the first payment is due you´ll have to pay $46,271.89 ($537.26 per month).
But things aren´t always that simple. You might have to ask for a loan in each of the four school years and that means that there´s a big chance that the deferment period won´t be the same. In the end you´ll have a $20,000 amount deferred for 4 years, $20,000 for 3 years, and so on.
To sum up all that, before asking for a student loan, you must be take into consideration the deferment period. Otherwise the final amount will be too high and it will affect its financial status for many years.
Discover how to get cheap affordable student loans online. Visit my site to learn more about federal consolidation student loans.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Consolidate Credit Cards Debt – Advantages Of Getting Credit Card Consolidation Loans
If you´re having problems with your credit card debt, you should strongly consider consolidating it into a credit card debt consolidation loan. Many people do it. It´s a viable choice in order to avoid payment penalties.
According to some experts placing all your credit card debt into a consolidation loan can be very risky but the bankruptcy laws have changed and unfortunately you might not have other choice. Now, the credit card companies are forced to double the minimum payments and that caused big problems for many business people or families.
The future is not bright at all because the financial estimations say that in the next period of time the interest rates will become even higher. Considering all that you´ll probably understand why it will be wise to place your consolidate your credit card debt that uses fixed interest rate.
If you´re looking for very low monthly payments you might want to extend the payments for 30 years. Depending on your loan and your payment period you can reduce your payments with up to 50%.
In case you miss a payment or you´re dealing with a nasty credit, you can always go to brokers or lending agencies instead of asking for a new credit card. As you can see you can increase your credit´s rating by using a consolidation loan to consolidate your credit card debt.
Before making any decisions you should take into consideration your family´s regular expenses such as: insurance, medical emergencies and even gas. You might find equity lines of credit very effective for either your family or your business.
The most commonly used equity loans will let the borrower establish fixed interest rates using a 30 years pay off schedule. This will protect you in case the interest rates will increase dramatically.
After that you can use the rest of available balance in exchange for an adjustable rate or lock it. It´s all up to you. Usually your line of credit will last for up to 10 years with a 30 year term and 5 locks.
Click here to learn more tips on credit card consolidation. Discover how to consolidate credit cards debt at my site.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Credit Card Counseling Can Help You Be Debt Free
Is credit card counseling for you? If you've exhausted all your loan options, find yourself using one card to pay off another and aren't sure how much you really owe, then you had better seek out help right away! The further behind you get with bad credit debt, the harder it will be to help you. Be sure to find a company that's legit, with a proven track record, rather than just settling on the first pop-up ad you see.
Ten years ago, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and their affiliates at Consumer Credit Counseling Services dominated the credit card counseling scene. They worked with creditors to negotiate payment plans, debt settlements and lower interest rates for people who were slipping behind. However, the rise in consumer debt prompted hundreds of start-ups who were as savvy in the world of advertising as they were credit repair scams.
Some of the competitors, which were often called "debt settlement specialists," charged big upfront fees to pay off multiple creditors for mere pennies on the dollar. Often, people would pay as much as $3,000 off-the-bat to get their accounts up-to-date, only to find that the debt settlers were not paying off their creditors at all! To find a legitimate business, it is recommended that you verify their identity through the Better Business Bureau and stick with one of the well-known, non-profit organizations, like the aforementioned NFCC and CCCS.
When dealing with credit card counseling services, investigate the company before signing up. You needn't pay exorbitant upfront fees for most legitimate companies. Consumer Credit Counseling Services, for example, only charges a 10 set-up fee. If the firm isn't affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, then it could be a scam. If you find you have delayed or missed payments within the first month of services, then get out, as they may be pocketing your money. Also, beware of false promises to settle your debts for little or no money. If you've missed multiple payments over a long period of time, then you're going to have a low credit score for the next year or two. The information will stay on your record for seven years from the initial delinquency, so patience is needed to repair your credit.
You may be able to bypass credit card counseling by working on your own to create more responsible spending habits. Limit your impulse buys and begin keeping track of where each dime gets spent. You may be surprised! Treat credit card purchases like debit, subtracting from your savings each time you use it. Don't promise yourself you'll "pay it off next month" because you won't. If you feel like you need a friend, then you may still want to look for a credit card debt reduction company.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Christian Debt Consolidation Loans – Christian Credit Counselling Services
Christians usually don´t think too highly about the money loans. According to their belief owning money must be avoided as much as possible. That´s why christian debt consolidation loan was specially developed.
If you´re a Christian in debt, then christian debt consolidation is the right way to go.
Even if they don´t actually agree with taking a loan, there are some christian firms on the financial market that offer non-profit services.
For many people owning money to another person, it´s considerate to be a sinful situation but others believe that you can use loans as long as you won´t put your family´s financial future in jeopardy.
If you go online, you will see that many Christian debt consolidation firms are willing to help you solve your financial problems offering great credit counselling. Their services are very effective and after a few sessions you´ll be able to sleep well at night without thinking about debts, loans and high rates.
Even if you can see the word "Christian" in the company´s name, people working there will provide the best help possible despite your religion. They play by the same rules as any other non profit service provider.
Contact them and ask for help and you´ll be able to consolidate your balance in a single credit debt in no time. You won´t have to worry about interest rates and payment schedules because the company will negotiate all that for you.
This process is based on faith every step of the way. When you ask for help to a Christian debt consolidation firm you´ll benefit from your creditor´s faith in your spiritual strength that will make you pay off your debt. They will even try to obtain an easier payment schedule and a lower rate of interest for you.
How can the creditors agree with all that? It´s actually quite simple. By granting you all that they make sure that you´ll be true to your word and you´ll pay them back every single penny. Otherwise you might not be able to pay those high interests and the entire situation can lead to bankruptcy and that´s not a good for anyone.
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