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Best Of 2017: Reader Favorites On Bankruptcy Soapbox

By Cathy Moran

best of 2017

I tallied up reader favorites from the 2017 posts on Bankruptcy Soapbox.  The balloting is a bit unfair, since the fall and winter posts haven’t had the same exposure that posts from earlier in the year.

But take note:  the runner up is only about 8 weeks old.

Your favorites, in reverse order:

student loan discharge legislation10.  Making Student Loan Debt Dischargeable

A bill that would change bankruptcy law to make student loans dischargeable after the passage of time was introduced in Congress with bi partisan sponsors.  I predict it will take time, persistance, perhaps an economic crisis, and a change in the composition of Congress to make this happen.  But here’s to a foot in the door.

loan modification battles9.  The Trouble With Loan Modifications

Mortgage lawyer Bill Purdy hit this one out of the park with a catalog of the roadblocks and gamesmanship that mortgage servicers employ against homeowners.  With lots of real world experience and impassioned language, Bill provides a manual on  how to fight back.

credit report after bankruptcy8.  Credit Reporting On Your Home Loan Is Allowed After Chapter 13

When the mortgage servicer says they can’t report on your loan payments after Chapter 13, they are lying.  (Bill Purdy says I can say that: see above.)  Long terms loans aren’t discharged in Chapter 13, so credit reporting doesn’t violate your discharge.  See why.

Chapter 13 alarm7.  How To Lose Both Your House And Your Chapter 13 Discharge

Bankruptcy judges are dismissing completed Chapter 13 cases when the plan provided that the debtor make the post filing mortgage payments directly.  When you don’t make the payment on your home loan, as the plan provided, you may be in material  breach of the plan.  Breach the plan, lose your discharge.  See your attorney ASAP.

EQUIFAX data breach6.  Protect Your Credit

The Equifax data theft caught readers’ eye, as the news broke that information on almost half of the American population was stolen.  I gathered up the best information available on what you should do to figure out if your identity was stolen and to minimize the damage.

bankruptcy stay5.   Third Time Is NOT The Charm In Bankruptcy

The true story of a couple who lost their house right after filing bankruptcy because there is no automatic stay in a third bankruptcy filing within a calendar year.  They thought to save money by filing without a lawyer;  instead they lost their home.

joint accounts bankruptcy4.  Joint Bank Accounts Risk Everything When One Accountholder Files Bankruptcy

The most widely used technique to manage an elder’s money can backfire, big time, if the non-elder files bankruptcy.  Bankruptcy trustees claim that if you can spend the money in the account, it’s available for your creditors.  There’s a fix in California law.

MORTAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION3.  How To Claim A Mortgage Interest Deduction Without A Form 1098

I’ve long campaigned for Chapter 13 debtors to claim deductions for payments made by the trustee.  Here I walk you through how to calculate the mortgage interest paid from your Chapter 13 payments so you can claim the deduction without a 1098.

reasons to file bankruptcy2.  The Only Three Situations Where Bankruptcy Is The Right Move

Everyone I meet with debt problems asks if bankruptcy is really right for them.  I’ve distilled the three fact patterns where bankruptcy is not only right, it’s righteous.  Do any of these describe your predicament?

beat a bank levy 1.  When Your Bank Account Is Seized:  A California Action Plan

The most read new post for 2017 addressed your options when your bank account is seized.  I walked readers through the immediate steps you need to take, then looked at the long-term questions about how this happened and what to do next.

Look back at last year’s reader favorites

My favorites from 2017

More from the Soapbox

  • Find The Hidden Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction In BankruptcyFind The Hidden Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction In Bankruptcy
  • No House, No Discharge When Chapter 13 Goes Off ScriptNo House, No Discharge When Chapter 13 Goes Off Script
  • Why File Bankruptcy? It’s Your Life ExpectancyWhy File Bankruptcy? It’s Your Life Expectancy
  • Bankruptcy Busts Taxes If The Timing Is RightBankruptcy Busts Taxes If The Timing Is Right
  • Your Right To Credit Reporting After BankruptcyYour Right To Credit Reporting After Bankruptcy

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 2017

About Cathy Moran

I'm a veteran bankruptcy lawyer and consumer advocate in California's Silicon Valley. I write, teach, and speak in the hopes of expanding understanding of how bankruptcy can make life better in a family's future.

Bankruptcy Basics

About The Soapbox

You’ve arrived at the Bankruptcy Soapbox, a resource of bankruptcy information and consumer law.

Soapbox is a companion site to Bankruptcy in Brief, where I try to be largely explanatory and even handed (Note I said “try”).

Here, I allow myself to tell stories and express strong opinions. We dig deeper into how to consider bankruptcy and navigate a bankruptcy case.

Moran Law Group
Bankruptcy specialists for individuals and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area

How Bankruptcy Works

What Happens To Your Bank Account in Chapter 13

Those considering filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy worry about "what happens to my bank account?" Will the trustee take all the money? How do I pay my living expenses after I file? The short answer is: nothing changes. The account remains yours and available for all the expenses of day to day living. Because, … Read more

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