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How Does Your Household Budget Measure Up?

By Cathy Moran

The living expenses your paycheck has to cover go on and on. Each dollar is stretched;  each expense clamors for attention. Too often, the expenses go on long after the available money is gone. What seem like immediate needs squeeze out those necessities that only come round occasionally but in big numbers:  car repair, medical incidents, […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Managing Money Tagged With: budget, cost of living, living expenses

The Worst Reason To Choose Debt Settlement Over Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

The guy with an old debt asked if bankruptcy or debt settlement would cause greater damage to his “credit”. The money advice columnist gave the right answer to the wrong question. She got it backwards. She advised that bankruptcy was more damaging given that the nagging debts were already three years old and would drop off his […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights, Managing Money Tagged With: credit score, debt settlement

Stay At Home Doesn’t Mean Get Left Behind At Retirement

By Cathy Moran

Just because you don’t work outside the home doesn’t mean you can live on nothing in your old age. If you are married and your spouse has qualifying income, you can contribute to a spousal IRA. And you should. The IRA rules for a nonworking spouse are essentially like the rules for an employed person: […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Managing Money Tagged With: IRA, non-working spouse, retirement

Three Reasons To Divorce Your Bank Before Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

Banks do funny things when a customer files bankruptcy. Only many are not so funny. Whether your relationship with your bank has been good or not, there may be grounds for divorce before you file your bankruptcy case. Or at least consider whether there are grounds for a separation. Set off Your bank owes you […]

Filed Under: How bankruptcy works, Managing Money

Asset Protection For Free

By Cathy Moran

Before you sign up with the guy in the ad, explore free asset protection, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Everyone would like to enjoy their money without worry about creditors taking it from you. That describes asset protection. A substantial industry run by expensive professionals will scatter your money between interlocking partnerships and off-shore corporations to keep […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Managing Money Tagged With: asset protection, creditor suits

Pay Down Debt Or Save? Which Should Come First

By Cathy Moran

Pay off debt first or start saving now? It’s a debate almost as convoluted as which came first, the chicken or the egg? Experts heatedly take opposite sides. You get rid of debt faster if you put all available cash into paying off balances. BUT You have no reserves for the unexpected if you spend everything that […]

Filed Under: Featured, Managing Money Tagged With: 2016

Why Credit Cards Win Clash of Creditors

By Cathy Moran

Credit cards vanquish tax collector

In the tug o war of which creditor to pay, why is it that credit cards win over taxes and child support? I’m accustomed to clients who pay creditors rather than provide for their own health care, emergency fund, or retirement. That’s taking care of commitments to others before self. But I haven’t figured out […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Managing Money

Who To Pay When There’s Not Enough Money To Go Around

By Cathy Moran

collection calls

If you can’t pay your bills, the squeaky wheel should NOT get the oil… At least, not until you’ve assessed all the other demands for oil. That’s a quaint way of saying that your decisions about which of your creditors to pay when you can’t pay your bills should not be based on who is […]

Filed Under: Managing Money Tagged With: who to pay

Smoke, Mirrors, And Budgets: Are You Missing Where Your Money Goes

By Cathy Moran

Budget tricks keep lots of us from seeing where our money goes. If you don’t know where it’s going, you don’t know whether your spending priorities are sound. As a bankruptcy attorney, I hear this alot:I can’t save anything because it takes every dollar I make just to get by. Sound like a description of your […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Managing Money Tagged With: budgets, cost of living

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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

How To Pay For Bankruptcy When You’re Flat Broke

One of the cosmic ironies of our legal system is that it costs money to file bankruptcy. Bankruptcy gets you out of debt only if you have the money to file. The costs of bankruptcy include the filing fee collected by the court; the required credit counseling; and, if you're smart, an experienced lawyer to make sure … Read more

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