As we wave goodbye to 2019, we asked what issues grabbed you in 2019? Or, at least, what bankruptcy issues caught your attention?
So, we tallied the traffic numbers from this calendar year and assembled this list of the top 10 new posts here on Bankruptcy Soapbox in 2019.
Take a look, and see if any of the subjects surprise you.
Guest posts shine
I had more than a little help from my professional friends this year. No less than four of the top 10 new posts were guest posts from the guys I regularly brainstorm with.
They killed it.
2. Wayne Silver spoke to creditors of PGE, whose Northern California Chapter 11 touched us all.
6. Avoiding the tax on debt that you guaranteed when it tanks occupied tax lawyer Bill Purdy.
7. Bankruptcy lawyers are heroes according to mortgage broker Bob Schuman, a veteran of loans to bankruptcy debtors.
10. Bill Purdy returned with some ugly news about new taxes on consumer litigation recoveries.
Two changes in bankruptcy law
The number 1 new post in 2019 reported on new California exemptions available in bankruptcy. Dollar amounts of most exemptions are adjusted for the cost of living every three years. We got our California upgrade in April, 2019.
The feds adjust their dollar figures every three years, too. The number 3 most popular new post dealt with increases to the debt limits for Chapter 13.
Four from atop the Soapbox
The four remaining powerhouse posts dealt with the nuts and bolts of bankruptcy.
Two posts looked at issues tied to the decision to file bankruptcy.
The number 5 post addressed the dangers in do-it-yourself bankruptcy software. Although it was developed by Harvard Law grads and had a noble purpose, it flunked out when it made a fundamental error about the means test.
Number 9 on the list recalled crunching the numbers for a client in deep financial trouble who questioned why a 100% Chapter 13 plan was worth it. By my calculations, it was worth it $20,000 worth.
The final two posts in this group came in at 4 and 8 and looked at life after bankruptcy.
Number 4 revisited the duel between IRS form 1099, issued by creditors for cancelled debt, and the Bankruptcy Code. Spoiler: the Bankruptcy Code wins, and there is no income tax on debt discharged in bankruptcy.
Our final heavyweight looked at bouncing back from bankruptcy. I constructed a to-do list for those who’ve gotten their discharge and face life after bankruptcy.
Winners in order
Slicing our best-of-the-year new posts another way, here they are in order:
- New California Bankruptcy Exemptions
- What Creditors of PGE Need To Know About Bankruptcy
- Debt Limits Increase for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
- Bankruptcy Discharge Slays IRS Form 1099
- Do-It-Yourself Bankruptcy Software Is A Trap
- How Guarantors Can Escape Tax On Soured Debt
- Ordinary Heroes Deliver Second Chances With Bankruptcy
- Bouncing Back From Bankruptcy: The To-Do List
- How Chapter 13 Saves You Money
- How Consumer Remedies Were Gutted By Little Noticed Tax Code Changes
Happy New Year!
