Look at the big picture. That was the point Adam Savage of the TV show Mythbusters made as the speaker at my son’s graduation as a mechanical engineer. He was talking about using engineering skills after college. But, it struck me as equally applicable to my audience of the indebted as it was to his audience of newly fledged engineers. […]
Getting Rid Of Junior Home Liens In Bankruptcy
One of Chapter 13’s superpowers is its ability to strip off mortgage liens on a home. Ordinarily, liens survive a bankruptcy discharge as a charge on the collateral; it’s the borrower’s personal liability that is wiped out. But Chapter 13 allows the elimination of voluntary liens when the lien isn’t really secured by any value […]
Business Bankruptcy Depends On Who You Are
While knowing who you are may be central to philosophy and mental health, you wouldn’t think it poses a difficult question in a business bankruptcy. You wouldn’t think the word “you” would be so challenging. Yet, small business owners find it hard to separate themselves from the business, even when that business is incorporated. After […]
Don’t Brag About What You Saved Unless It’s True
It’s a mark of our consumer economy that we use the word save in connection with our spending. I saved $15 on this blouse. That’s well and good for today. You bought something you wanted, or maybe even needed. But unless you put the savings aside for later, you did nothing more than spend somewhat […]
The Flat Wrong 1099
When her soon-to-be-ex filed bankruptcy, my client got a 1099-C for the joint credit card. The form claimed that the debt was cancelled. Therefore, she had additional income equal to the card balance. Only, none of the statements on the 1099 were true. The debt wasn’t discharged as to the non filing spouse. One spouse’s […]
Get The IRS To Feed Your Savings
Lucky enough to get a tax refund this year? Then celebrate America Saves week by telling the IRS where to put it. I mean, where to deposit it. Refund jump starts savings A tax refund is the perfect place to boost your savings. And you don’t have to choose between spending it all or saving […]
Don’t Let The IRS File A Return For You
Bankruptcy works lots of magic with tax debt, but the magic fizzles out when it comes to SFR’s. In my vocabulary, SFR is almost as doleful a phrase as KIA or DOA. Three times in 10 days, I’ve had to explain to clients that the taxes associated with an IRS Substitute For Return are […]
Will You Have Money For A Lifetime?
The financially literate manage their money for the long haul so they have money for a lifetime. In a world of biweekly paychecks and monthly billing cycles, it’s easy to let your perspective shrink to 30 day increments. But that view is incredibly short-sighted. Your working life isn’t everything Most of us don’t work for […]
Find The Lost Tax Deduction When Lender Misreports Mortgage Interest Paid
How can you pay thousands of dollars in mortgage payments in a year, and get a tax Form 1098 for a fraction of actual mortgage interest paid? That’s what my client wanted to know. His monthly mortgage payment is $2715. The loan is currently interest only. All the payments were made. And yet, the Form 1098 […]
Mortgage Lenders Stop Lurking And Start Foreclosing
I’m re-upping this post from nearly two years ago because I’ve seen a surge in foreclosure notices on old and irregular home loans. There is equity now in those homes, so they are at risk of foreclosure. They hadn’t paid the line of credit loan on their home for seven years. All was quiet […]
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