Baffled by California community property? Think it makes you personally liable for the debts of your spouse? Lots of people do. But it doesn’t. California has been a community property state since it became a state in 1850. You would think we’d have gotten the hang of it long ago. But the community property system […]
Debt Settlement Is A Dud
Debt settlement is often dangled in front of the financially challenged as an alternative to bankruptcy. Sounds good: making a deal with your creditors has enormous appeal when you can’t pay everything that you owe. And debt settlement companies count on it. The pitch for “settling your debts” touches a nerve. Almost everyone WANTS to […]
The Tax Deductions That Hide In Chapter 13
It’s tax time: don’t overlook tax deductions in Chapter 13 bankruptcy case. Tax deductions lurk in the most unlikely places. If your Chapter 13 plan is catching up home loan arrears, there’s a deduction hiding in the trustee’s disbursement records. Most likely, the lender’s filed proof of claim in the bankruptcy case is full of […]
What Happens To Cash In Bankruptcy?
How much cash can you keep when you file bankruptcy? It’s not as though you won’t have living expenses after you file bankruptcy. You need to know how you’ll manage and what you’ll have to manage with. Funding that fresh start is what exemptions are all about. We are talking here about California because exemptions, […]
Planning For Bankruptcy: Keep Your Tax Refund
Getting a tax refund check from the government is usually a great thing. Or at least, if you ignore that the government is returning YOUR money as a tax refund. You’ve struggled without the money for a year while Uncle Sam used it without interest. But if you’ve filed bankruptcy during the tax year, the […]
Bankruptcy Discharge Slays IRS Form 1099
In a duel between a tax Form 1099 and a bankruptcy discharge, bankruptcy wins every time. The prize? no tax on debt discharged in bankruptcy. So, if you’ve already gotten your discharge, the creditor’s 1099, with your social security number on it, is no threat. But you do need to file another form to secure […]
Your Business Partnership Needs A Prenup
Financial partnerships are at least as challenging as marriages. And business deals don’t have love to smooth the rough spots in the relationship. The traditional marriage service ends with the charge that what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. That’s great with love, but not so great with money. Something will likely asunder […]
California Homestead Exemption: The Truth Isn’t What You Think
“They can’t take my house, whatever happens. Right?” The young man in my office “knew” how the California homestead works: he insisted that his home was exempt as a California homestead, even if he filed bankruptcy. He “knew” that credit card debt was dischargeable. And that “knowledge” lead to his conviction that , in bankruptcy, […]
The Essential Step To Get Your Day In Court
When you’re sued on an old debt, it’s easy to imagine appearing on the court date to tell the judge your side of the story. You imagine the judge considering your argument and challenging the other side to prove otherwise. It’s a comforting image, but it will never happen if you haven’t taken the first […]
Your Tax Refund Is Exposed In Bankruptcy, Unless…
The prospect of a tax refund makes most of us light up even when we haven’t even calculated what the refund might be. But if you’re thinking of filing bankruptcy before you actually see Uncle Sam’s check, take a minute to plan. Your right to that refund is property of your bankruptcy estate even if […]
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