You mean the tax liens won’t go away when I get a bankruptcy discharge? The client was startled that the lien would live on beyond his bankruptcy. So, if all my debt doesn’t go away, what do I get from the bankruptcy discharge? he asked. I thought the tax debt went away when I filed. […]
The Most Powerful Debt Management Tool
The most powerful debt management tool isn’t a software program. It isn’t a website, nor a consulting firm. It isn’t even a calculator. The most powerful debt management tool is a letter opener. If you don’t open the mail, you don’t really know where you stand with your creditors. If you don’t open the mail, […]
10 Things Every Attorney Should Know About Bankruptcy
Financial stress is everywhere. It pops up in family law, litigation, business, and our dealings with taxing authorities. Every lawyer can better serve clients if they know a bit about bankruptcy, regardless of the focus of their practice. Here’s my list of bankruptcy basics for lawyers that every practitioner should know to guide clients to […]
10 Things Personal Finance Bloggers Need To Get Right About Bankruptcy
Too many personal finance bloggers need to sharpen their game when it comes to bankruptcy. Personal finance bloggers do so much good promoting better financial habits and deeper understanding of money. But too often they drop the ball when it comes to bankruptcy. One, they get the basic facts about bankruptcy wrong; and Two, they […]
Myth Of The Corporate Credit Card
As far as myths go, the myth of the business credit card ranks right up there with unicorns, Big Foot, and leprechauns . Every struggling small business owner who crosses the threshold of my office believes that his corporate credit card is not a personal debt. Wrong. In 41 years of bankruptcy practice, I have never seen […]
How Creditors Spread Fear Of Bankruptcy For Profit
The unknown is often fearful. My colleague Peter Orville wrote It is natural to be afraid of doing something you’ve never done before, like filing for bankruptcy protection. This is especially true if you’ve heard stories about why you shouldn’t file bankruptcy. Peter has it right. Some trepidation is natural. My beef is that […]
Why I Love Chapter 13
How do I love thee, Chapter 13? Let me count the ways. Hang on, because it’s a long list. Thirteen reasons Chapter 13 rocks. I love Chapter 13 because: 1. Debtors keep control of their assets. They run their businesses. There is no trustee tasked to sell their assets. 2. Repayment to creditors […]
The Fate of Second Homes In Bankruptcy
Homestead exemptions protect a principal residence when someone files bankruptcy. But what about second homes and rentals? Are they toast in bankruptcy? Not necessarily. Like many legal questions, it depends. Homes protected from creditors The legal system has a reverence for the home debtors live in. It recognizes the importance of shelter and stability to […]
Bills I Gotta Pay, But There’s A Pandemic Out There
I have bills I have to pay but no income. That despairing line was repeated over and over again in interviews with pandemic-furloughed workers on last night’s news. COVID-19 has ground the economy to a halt, no one’s working, and no money is flowing. Whether it’s called social distancing, shelter in place, quarantine, or lock-down, […]
IRS Pandemic Relief in Taxing Times
In normal times, this would be tax season. Not this year; these aren’t normal times. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has already had a significant effect on our personal and professional lives. Between states and localities implementing “shelter-in-place” orders, commercial activity grinding to a near halt, and the stock market seeing massive losses, the United States […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- …
- 15
- Next Page »