Bankruptcy Prof Blog

Posts Tagged ‘debt’

Times are generally tough for one group of people or another and it really doesn’t matter what the overall economic situation is in the country. Chances are, there are people out there — in Massachusetts and everywhere else — who are considering bankruptcy as an option to deal with their financial troubles. Well, in the Bay State, what to know about bankruptcy in Massachusetts can be important no matter the economy.

Keep in mind that the U. S. Congress made a number of changes (25 of them, to be exact) to the federal bankruptcy laws that govern bankruptcy throughout the nation. These changes were made in 2005, meaning that certain older practices may not now be valid. Additionally, each state has ensured that certain exemptions to the federal law have been placed on the books that also govern what most hope is a very last resort financial action taken by people.

In Massachusetts, certain classes of property are exempt from execution of a bankruptcy judgment. There’s no simple formula that a person can use to determine when he or she should file for bankruptcy, it must be said. It might depend on a variety of factors, including possible foreclosure on a home or property or maybe a job loss.

Regardless of the reason for filing, it’s wise to learn what kinds of bankruptcy can be filed for in Massachusetts and the rest of the states. Generally, there are two different kinds: Chapter 7 (sometimes known as liquidation) and Chapter 13 (which is a reorganization and is more familiarly known as “Wage Earner Bankruptcy”). Chapter 7 is the most common and is looked at as a clean slate.

Chapter 7 is the most popular (if that’s the word to use) form of bankruptcy that most people file for when they’re looking for a fresh start or a clean slate. Today, this form of bankruptcy will require a means test and a hearing to determine if the petitioner meets the criteria for Chapter 7. Once it’s approved, all but exempt assets will be sold off and then creditors paid off. Chapter 13 is a reorganization and then a set payment schedule.

Bankruptcy in Massachusetts filings begin with an official petition, a schedule and a statement of financial affairs, all of which are filed with the federal bankruptcy court. The Chapter 7 filing fee is $299 and the process can be quite intrusive in terms of personal and financial information that’ll need to be supplied. In most cases, it’s best to work with an experienced bankruptcy attorney when thinking of going this route.

Facing the prospect of filing for bankruptcy in Massachusetts can be scary. It’s critical that you have confidence in your decisions and a qualified bankruptcy attorney MA can help guide you down the right path.

Most people are unaware that how they use the credit card can impact the amount in which they owe at the end of the month and even reduce the interest which is paid to the card company, when it comes time to pay the monthly payment. Shopping smart and utilizing your card wisely, including avoiding using the card to maintain a balance from month to month can be the most effective method to reduce the interest rates that are paid on the credit card and the purchases which are done.

How long is the grace period associated with your card? The grace period for it generally varies between different banks. These amounts normally vary between 21 and twenty-eight days. Via the various ranges, consumers can take advantage of interest-free buys so long as the purchases that are done using the card are repaid within the time limit that’s linked with the so called grace period.

Finding out the grace period associated with your card is easy. You only have to contact the card company or read the contract that’s associated with it.

What are the terms that are normally associated with making purchases within the grace period of the credit card? For you to take full advantage of the grace period, the user must not retain a balance on it – simply because in this situation the payments that are being applied to the card are going to become used to the previous balance that had been accumulated to the card. Also, it’s essential to contact the bank or firm in the situation that you have any questions regarding the grace period of the credit card, as this offer isn’t accessible from all credit card firms.

Nonetheless they can provide some benefits. For example, for all those who consistently pay on time, but due to some unexpected situations late on rare occasions, can avoid a penalty for being late within the grace period and still maintain their reputation. However, for those habitual procrastinators, they may see the grace period as the actual deadline.

Therefore, if you want to be a smart consumer, taking advantage of buys that are made and paid for via the grace period of the credit card could be an effective way to ensure that you are able to create probably the most of your credit and avoid the interest rates that are associated with maintaining a balance on the credit card.

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Is your debt overwhelming? Are you afraid you will never be able to get a car loan or a mortgage? Do you need a way to consolidate your debt to lower your payments? You are not alone. Many Americans are facing this problem in today?s poor economy. Help is available but you must be very careful when considering using one of the many debt consolidation services that are available today. You should make sure that your situation will actually be improved and that you will not be worse off than you are now. This is often the only choice that some debtors have but there are other options that are better if you can qualify for them.

It is possible to find companies who will negotiate with creditors on your behalf and often they succeed in lowering your debt and negotiating for a payment that you can actually make. This tactic will not work to improve your credit rating but it may take the pressure off if you are actually able to meet all of your monthly expenses by going this route. Your day to day finances may be in better shape but the old debt will still be shown as a liability on your credit report.

Another way to lower your monthly payments and improve your credit rating at the same time is to obtain a debt consolidation loan which will pay off all of your debts in full. Of course, your credit rating must be good enough for you to qualify for one of these loans.

One consolation is that the debt consolidation loan normally comes with an interest rate which is less than what you were paying hitherto, and hence, repaying this loan over a period does not pose to be a problem. You stand to gain substantial money in this manner and your reputation dopes not suffer at the hands of those who gave you the loan.

Another good option for paying off debt is a home equity loan. If you have enough equity in your home, you can obtain a loan at a much lower interest rate than you have on your current debt and, depending on the amount borrowed, your monthly mortgage payment may not increase too much for you to be comfortable with it. This method will save you thousands of dollars in interest payments and can dramatically reduce the number of payments that you have to make each month.

Your credit score is extremely important when you want to make a major purchase such as an automobile or a home. If you can possibly afford it you should use one of the methods described above that will pay off your debt in full. This will keep your creditors happy and will ensure that you have a good credit rating. Before you make a decision on which option is available and which one best meets your needs, you should review all of the possibilities carefully.

Layla Vanderbilt is the webmaster for a leading website that offers for debt consolidation advice and guidance.

No one has solicited me but I regard the Webster’ s New International Dictionary as a true Oracle of our time. Here alone are answers, true, unmistakable. Whenever the brilliant economic minds of our nation pour forth obfuscations I retreat to my study and my beloved India paper edition with its clear print and clear thoughts.

Recently I had been poring over mountains of prospecti (plural of prospectus) and releases of many investment advisory services, all proclaiming the discovery of certain “growth” stocks. I had heard the word so many years and was so sure of its meaning that I thought I’d better check. Lo! What Webster says!

- A morbid formation…

And: “The ups and downs and growths of life…” Ups and downs is well said.

More recently at the party I was told the story of the new corporation president who was brought in to clean things up and make a fresh start. He immediately called in the company accountants with their books, dismissed the accountants and took the books home with him. Next morning he summoned the board of directors and demanded to know where the million dollars that was “reserved for depreciation” had gone to, since he couldn’t find it in any of the assets but saw it clearly indicated in the reports!

Directors were forced to resign and accountants were fired in the ensuing uproar. It took the wisdom and patience of a tolerant controller to convince the impetuous young executive that “reserves for depreciation” are merely an accountant’s device, existing nowhere but in their technical usage.

Note: Yes, I know they exist. But you get the point of the story. I can not explain them in a brief manner and I do not believe that anyone else can satisfactorily.) The fact is that, although our friends at Financial World and Forbes have done such a fine job in persuading many corporations to simplify and clarify their statements, prospecti still contain much that is quite obscure and the SEC will be happy to admit it:

For the outsider then, no matter how well informed technically, to attempt to analyze the value of a company and the offered stock from its statement or prospectus, is always risky. The only way anyone can ever really find out whether a stock is worth the going price is by consulting the company accountants as to the meaning of their figures, and then consulting a crystal ball as to the future of the company in an uncertain world.

Without even considering such obscurities the simplest mistakes are made every day by small investors in over-the-counter securities. For example a common reaction to an increase in published sales volume figures is “buy.” Recently the head of a nationwide chain of retail stores said:

“I cannot understand it. The bid and asked prices have no relation whatsoever to the business figures as I see them – and I certainly see them. Our stock has gone up three points in the past week simply because of the publication of sales volume figures which show an increase in total volume. Not only have the buyers not considered that this is a “gross” figure and that our net percentage is at an all-time low, but they have not even bothered to find out whether or not we have opened new stores recently, which we certainly have, and which explains the upped volumes”

Educate yourself before buying any financial instrument!

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Credit counseling is a means of providing education to the consumers about how to avoid incurring debts that can not be repaid. It is more a debt counseling than a function of credit education.

A credit counselor will help someone in debt by working with creditors and building a debt management plan, also known as a DMP. The DMP will list new terms for repayment to the creditors. When you agree to the DMP, there will be an additional service charge along with your new monthly payments. This can be charged as one payment or it can be a part of your monthly payments. Depending on the terms of your DMP, you will also have new interest rates on your lowered monthly payments. When you start your DMP, the credit accounts that are a part of your DMP will be closed and no changes will be allowed in the future.

When a credit counselor negotiates with your creditors, your monthly payments are consolidated into one payment. This payment will be lower than what you were paying to each creditor separately in the past. Banks and credit card companies work with debt consolidators to give you large reductions in monthly payments, usually around 10% to 20%, and sometimes up to 50%.

Almost all the credit card companies allow substantial reduction in the interest rates. Usually, default credit cards have interest rates of about 30% .But once you agree on credit counseling they lower the interest rates to 5-10%.This reduction in turn allows you to pay your debt in a period of 3-6 years which would have taken around 20 years considering the high interest rates. Credit card companies also help you maintain a current status on an otherwise delinquent account. If a consumer makes regular monthly payments then as a show of trust the credit card companies sometimes change the delinquent status of the debtor’s account to current status .Although it does not remove the prior delinquencies, it does give an opportunity to make a fresh start and build a positive credit history.

Debt consolidation began in 1951. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling was the first company to offer credit counseling, and other companies have followed suit since then. Some debt consolidation companies are for profit, while others are charitable foundations, such as the Consumer Credit Counseling Service. Credit counseling companies can be found worldwide. Even with this popularity, debt consolidation does have some drawbacks. It can hurt your credit score, even though some companies state that it will not. These companies say that they will note that you are participating in credit counseling on your credit report. Keep in mind, however, that creditors look at your debt to income ratio, which means that it can still be difficult to open more credit accounts.

All in all, consolidating your debt can help you if you are already in a lot of financial trouble. Just make sure that you know exactly what you are getting into if you are thinking about credit counseling. Do your research before agreeing to anything.

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For some people having a house means they get to, in time, remortgage or refinance. This is a process to pay off one mortgage with another. By using the same property as security, you are able to get another mortgage. Some people do this for extra money, to get a better interest rate, or to get a different lender.

Many believe that the only time you should take out a second loan is when the homeowner is in danger of losing the home. This is not always the case. Some do it to lower their interest rate, therefore causing the monthly payment to be lower. It often saves money in the long run and most of the time they use the extra cash to do upgrades and repairs to the home, making it increase in value.

There are many different reasons that someone can take a second loan on their home. It often gives them a chance to use the money on the home, consolidate bills, or to lower their monthly payment. Some people buy homes just to have the option of getting a second loan on it.

It is very important to know what you are doing when you are trying to go through this very sensitive process. Finding the right lender can be very hard. Check out what there rates are. If they will require money at closing. One of the most important things is ask for references. This will tell you if they have a good reputation.

An important thing to know is if there is going to be a penalty for switching financial lenders. Many times there is a fee when someone borrows money from one lender and pays off another. Make sure you know of all changes that are going to be made in the new contract, especially the amount paid monthly and the if there are any over hang charges.

Making the decision to take a second loan on your home to pay off the first lender should be a thought out process. Make sure you understand the rules and regulations of both lenders and your financial situation. To find out more on many programs dedicated to homeowner’s information, do a little research on line.

For some individuals having a house means they get to, timeously, remortgage or refinance. This is a process to pay off one mortgage with the help of another. More information on remortgages .