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 […]
Find The Right Cure for Your Debt Problems
Get-out-of-debt advice and sales pitches abound. But too few get-out-of-debt gurus tell you that you need a diagnosis of your financial ills before prescribing the cure. Is the stomach ache indigestion or appendicitis? Is it temporary upset or life threatening? The answer makes a big difference in how you treat it. No single prescription for […]
Skip Bankruptcy’s Means Test
The couple was despondent when another bankruptcy attorney told them that, despite $100,000 in old taxes, they couldn’t file Chapter 7. This fine fellow told them that the means test showed they had $3000 of disposable income per month. A Chapter 7 would be an abuse of bankruptcy under the law. Only Chapter 13 was […]
7 Keys To Keeping Your House: Chapter 13 After You File
You filed filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy to keep your house and stop the foreclosure. You’ve protected your home, for the moment. Bankruptcy gets you a sheltered legal environment to address the problems with your mortgage. You heave a sigh of relief. But the fight to keep your house isn’t over, just because there’s a stay. […]
At Risk of Repossession? How To Keep The Car & Pay Less
If you are one of the 7 million Americans late on your car payments and living in fear that your car will be repossessed, consider how Chapter 13 bankruptcy can save your wheels. Losing your car can accelerate a torrent of nasty financial consequences. No car, no way to work. No work, no income. So, […]
Bankruptcy Drives Credit Score Surprise
Bankruptcy improved my client’s credit score, almost on the spot. Before bankruptcy, a miserable credit score was no surprise. This client reported a 498 credit score before he filed. What was surprising is that, three month after he filed bankruptcy, his score was 614! That’s a 116 point increase in his score in three months. […]
When Can I File Bankruptcy Again
Remember the old high school cheer: two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Turns out, that’s not just a cheer, it’s shorthand for the rule on when you can file bankruptcy again. And it points out that when you can file again depends on what kind of bankruptcy you filed last time. Here’s how […]
Has Your Social Security Number Been Suspended?
The latest variety of tax scam picked the wrong target when they called my fellow bankruptcy lawyer Wayne Silver. Your social security number has been suspended, claimed the caller. Having no identity is scary. What’s a guy to do without a Social Security number? It’s sad that we are reduced to needing a number to validate […]
Epedemic of DIY Chapter 13s to Stop Foreclosures End in Trajedy
Warning: virulent outbreak of do-it-yourself bankruptcies all around. Symptoms: panic over prospect of foreclosure Supposed remedy: file your own skeleton Chapter 13 bankruptcy to stop foreclosure Prognosis: enjoy the stay for about 2 weeks, followed by foreclosure relapse Homeowners facing foreclosure Three different would-be clients called in a 10 day period this month, to stop […]
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