We have a lien on your name. Not your property, your name. That’s what the county tax collector told my client, years after he got his bankruptcy discharge. And that multi-thousand dollar lien claim threatened to sink the refinance of his house. Eventually, we got the county straightened out without going back to bankruptcy court. […]
Credit Scores Trend Upward After Bankruptcy
After bankruptcy, credit scores go steadily up, says a 17 year study released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Got that? Go UP. Every year. Importantly, credit scores start improving the same year that the bankruptcy is filed. Think on that for a moment. Creditors and their shills shout that bankruptcy trashes your credit score; […]
Your Bankruptcy Discharge Has Teeth: Bite Back
Your bankruptcy discharge is more than a piece of paper. It’s a federal court order prohibiting action to collect the discharged debt from you. And it has teeth. When creditors ignore a federal court order, it has unpleasant consequences. Or should have consequences. So, my call to debtors is to stop being prey to unscrupulous debt collectors. […]
4 Easy Tips To Prepare For Bankruptcy And Beyond
Ready for life after bankruptcy? Even before your case is filed, you can start preparing for your life after bankruptcy. These four steps will probably make the bankruptcy case be smoother, too. Change banks Your money on deposit in “your” bank may not be solely yours. If you have a loan or other debt to your […]
Forgiveness Starts At Home
The need for forgiveness in bankruptcy extends beyond forgiving debts. Self-care requires that you forgive yourself. Kansas City bankruptcy lawyer Rachel Foley wrote about forgiveness in the bankruptcy context. She wasn’t talking about the forgiveness of debt, but about the negative emotions that can eat you up. Shed the anger at others who threaten your […]
Tax Liens Live On After Bankruptcy, Unless….
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. […]
Ten Debts That Follow You After Bankruptcy
Some debts just follow you out of bankruptcy. Not many but a few. These debts continue to be collectible even after a Chapter 7 discharge. The discharge in Chapter 13 is different and broader: just another reason to choose Chapter 13. 1. Family support Regardless of what it’s called, court ordered payments for support […]
Credit Reporting Agency Is All Wrong About Bankruptcy
Found a mistake in your credit report after bankruptcy? Happens all too frequently. But a major credit reporting agency is flat wrong on its advice on how to debts discharged in bankruptcy reported properly. The cynical side of me is not surprised. They get so little else right, why do I expect them to write truthfully […]
Couple Beats Big Banks Who Ignored Bankruptcy Discharge
A couple of banks found out that it’s expensive to ignore the bankruptcy discharge. For a change, money will flow from banks to my clients. Because even a bank can’t just do business as usual when their borrower files bankruptcy. Equally important, the judge recognized, in dollars, the emotional costs to debtors when their discharge is ignored. […]
Essential Tasks After Bankruptcy To Maximize Your Fresh Start
Got your bankruptcy discharge recently? The end of the bankruptcy case is the start of your new financial life. Now, you’ve got work to do to maximize that fresh start. Save your bankruptcy papers The bankruptcy schedules listed everyone you owed money to when you filed. Those creditors got notice of your case. The […]
