Personal Bankruptcy

How to File Personal Bankruptcy

Although several alternatives to filing for bankruptcy exist, these alternatives don't work for everyone. For those in dire financial situations, filing for personal bankruptcy can provide huge relief. Depending on the type of bankruptcy, the...

How Personal Bankruptcy Works

According to Bankruptcy Action.com, the most common reasons for filing personal bankruptcy are loss of a job, credit that has become extremely overextended, divorce and health-related costs. A 2005 Harvard Study found that more than 50 percent of...

How Do I File for Personal Bankruptcy?

Filing for personal bankruptcy should be a difficult decision because of its long-term ramifications, but it has several benefits. As soon as debtors file for personal bankruptcy, their obligation to pay back some debts is temporarily suspended....

What Happens When a Person Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

Filing a chapter 7 bankruptcy is a way to liquidate non-exempt assets into cash in order to wipe out overwhelming amounts of debt. This is usually only reserved for those who are otherwise unable to pay off the debt on their own. In exchange for...

How to Refinance a Home with a Bankruptcy

To some, a bankruptcy is relief from being held down under a pile of debt. To others, it is a shameful sign of failure. Regardless of how you feel about your bankruptcy, it is not the end of the world nor is it the end of being able to qualify for...

How to Talk to Your Spouse About Bankruptcy

Discussing financial problems is never an easy subject with a spouse. Money and financial concerns are a common source of conflict in marriages. While it may appear counterintuitive, when finances are pushed to the brink, discussing the...

What Should I Know About My FICO Score?

Your FICO score reflects your credit worthiness. You cannot get a mortgage or car loan without your FICO score being scrutinized by lenders. Where your score falls in the spectrum of 300 to 850 will determine whether you qualify for a loan, your...

How to Obtain Credit After a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Carl Hartley of the Credit Repair & Debt Consolidation website explains that Chapter 7 bankruptcy can stop creditors from harassing you and give you a new start. You are usually able to keep your home and car, and you will be released from...

How to Use Credit Cards Before Bankruptcy

The time just before you file for bankruptcy protection is a stressful period. You are in debt, and creditors and collection agencies may be hounding you. For some people it is tempting to run up the credit cards right before filing in an effort...

Facts About Consumer Debt

Consumer debt can sometimes be just that: consuming. People in debt often feel alone and like no one understands what they are going through. But consumer debt affects millions of people across the United States. In fact, consumer debt is searched...

What are the Effects of a Bankruptcy on the Spouse?

In 2009, there were more than 1.25 million personal bankruptcy filings in the United States, according to the United States Courts. For married couples, each can file bankruptcy independent of the other, meaning that you can file for bankruptcy...

What Is Senior Unsecured Debt?

During a personal bankruptcy or business liquidation, debts are ranked according to repayment priority. The priority on financial obligations is generally set by the types of debt obligation and the debt priority established when the obligation...

How Does Bankruptcy Affect a Divorce?

Bankruptcy and divorce go hand in hand sometimes, and each case can affect the other. All bankruptcy cases are held in federal court, whose decisions bind all state divorce cases. While bankruptcy allows you legal protection from your creditors,...

Does Bankruptcy Affect a Spouse?

Marriage alone does not make both spouses accountable for debts incurred. However, when one spouse files for bankruptcy, the other invariably feels the impact of that action in many different ways--through financial loss, naturally, but also...

Credit Card Debt Information

Credit card debt is all too common in the United States. According to CNN Money, an increase in unemployment levels makes more people than ever fall into credit card debt. While some people go into credit card debt buying luxury items, others rack...

Economic Effects of Divorce on Women

Divorce has tremendous economic, as well as emotional implications for women. A small group of women actually see an improvement in their economic well-being after divorce, often by moving in with relatives, University of Georgia professor Teresa...

Pros & Cons of Declaring Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy isn't just for deadbeats, says MSN Money. It's an option for those who've struggled to keep on top of debt after a life-altering event, such as job loss, divorce or illness. Filing for bankruptcy may be your best bet if there's no way...

How to Get Help With Hospital Bills

Hospital bills can be a significant financial hardship for many people, especially those with inadequate or no health insurance coverage. According to a study led by Dr. David Himmelstein at the Harvard University School of Law, medical bills were...

Loss of Heath Care Coverage & Its Effects on Health

U.S. Census Bureau data showed nearly 48 million Americans were without health insurance in 2007, and nearly 7 million more people will lose their health care coverage by the end of 2010. According to Harvard Researchers, medical problems caused...

How to Fix Your Credit After Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is always viewed as a last resort option because of the damage it does to a credit report. It is not impossible to fix your credit after bankruptcy. It can be done, but it will take some work and a few years to rebuild the foundation of...

Stimulus Check & Bankruptcy

Recessions can be hard on everyone. As incomes dip and employment opportunities become scarcer, expendable income is often the first cut taken out of your budget. Stimulus payments are intended to provide some annual relief to individuals and...

Recovery From Bankruptcy

Declaring bankruptcy is an emotional event that is usually decided on reluctantly. Those who find themselves having to consider bankruptcy often have questions about how they will be able to obtain credit in the future, how their credit rating...

How to Build Credit After a Chapter 7

If you've just declared bankruptcy, odds are you're in some financial trouble. Your less-than-sterling credit rating has taken a huge hit, and you've got a bankruptcy weighing you down on your credit report for the next 10 years. Chapter 7...

How to Contact 3 Credit Bureaus

Credit bureaus create ratings or credit scores based on a given individual's credit card or loan history. The credit report displays information regarding the type of credit card, auto or mortgage or home equity loans you may have, a detailed...

How To Claim Overpayments from a Chapter 13 Payment Plan

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan permits you to pay off certain obligations owed to your creditors over a set period of time, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The bankruptcy court trustee establishes how much you pay into the Chapter 13 plan...

Pros & Cons to Filing Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding in which a person attempts to have debt reduced or eliminated. According the Oregon State Bar, there are five types of bankruptcy proceedings. Bankruptcy proceedings that are commonly referred to are Chapter 13 and...

Top Ten Non-Profit Credit Counseling Companies

Credit counseling is fraught with scam artists seeking to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. Any credit counseling company that offers you a quick solution is best to view with extreme caution. Toptenreviews.com has put together a review...

What Happens After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Discharge?

Although bankruptcy comes in many forms, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the one most commonly filed by individual debtors. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the trustee assigned to your case will sell all of your assets above certain state-exempted levels to...