California has finally created a state law exemption for cash in the bank. Californians filing bankruptcy no longer face loss of all the funds in their bank accounts when they choose California’s generous homestead, thanks to changes in exemption law. Two exemption statutes , new in 2020 , provide protection for cash in the bank […]
The Tortoise Is The Mascot Of Retirement Savings
Every campaign needs a logo. Make the logo of your retirement planning a turtle, rampant. Rampant, you say? Turtle? In the Middle Ages, knights put their ID’s on their shields in elaborate heraldry that told bystanders who he was, what his birth order was, and which side of the blanket he was born on. Heraldry featured animals, […]
Everyone gets the $1 M bankruptcy exemption
Bankruptcy exemptions vary from state to state, but everyone gets an exemption of $1.5 M for money in an IRA. It’s part of the Bankruptcy Code (section 522(n)) that applies to all filers, wherever they live. The exemption covers both classic, before-tax IRA’s and Roth IRA’s that are funded with after-tax dollars. Roll-overs into an […]
The Biggest Lie About Bankruptcy
The claim that you lose everything in bankruptcy is, flat out, the biggest lie about bankruptcy. Read anything about Chapter 7 and you get, “Your possessions are sold in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.“ It’s a liquidation proceeding and your stuff will be sold to pay creditors, the lie goes on. No wonder people are scared off […]
Women win new protections in California exemption law
New California exemption laws will expand protections for alimony and eliminated a barrier to filing for bankruptcy protection without the involvement of an estranged spouse. Although not limited to women, in the bulk of cases in my 40+ years of practice, it’s women who will most often benefit from these changes. Exemptions operate to define […]
Double Dipping On Retirement Savings
Any time you can double your retirement savings and protect your money from creditors is a good time of the year. The period between New Years and Tax Day is my favorite time of the year, just for that reason. You can make contributions to your IRA last year AND contribute to this year’s IRA […]
What Happens To Cash In Bankruptcy?
How much cash can you keep when you file bankruptcy? It’s not as though you won’t have living expenses after you file bankruptcy. You need to know how you’ll manage and what you’ll have to manage with. Funding that fresh start is what exemptions are all about. We are talking here about California because exemptions, […]
Whopping exemption for CA 529 college accounts
A substantial new California exemption snuck into law in 2021, the college savings account exemption. It protects 529 college savings accounts from the creditors of parents. The exemption applies in all California collections and to California bankruptcies when the CCP 704 exemptions are selected. The eyeopener is that a parent (or other donor) can contribute […]
Asset Protection For Free
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’s the point of asset protection. A substantial industry run by expensive professionals will scatter your money between interlocking partnerships and off-shore corporations […]
