Personal Bankruptcy: Use These Tips To Help You Get Through It
Personal Bankruptcy: Use These Tips To Help You Get Through It
Many debtors have the common misconception that filing for personal bankruptcy is the worst thing that they can do to their credit score. This is not the case. Your score will be substantially lower, if you continue to juggle payments that you cannot afford. The late payments on multiple accounts will cause more damage than bankruptcy. Read on for more tips concerning bankruptcy.
In any personal bankruptcy filing, it is essential to make certain to list all elements of your financial life in your petition and other paperwork. Failing to include all income sources or omitting individual debts and accounts can lead to substantial problems down the road that can limit the dischargeability of some of your most substantial obligations.
If you are planning to file for bankruptcy, you do not need to lose your home, car or other items that you have loans for. If you wish to keep them, however, you must make the payments on a timely basis in order to avoid repossession. If the payments are too much to handle, your bankruptcy attorney may be able to arrange for an evaluation of your loan and negotiate a lower monthly payment. In the case of a home, you may look into a loan modification or refinance to reduce your payment amount.
Make sure that you know which,or your assets you will lose when you declare yourself bankrupt. While filing for bankruptcy may seem like a great way to clear the slate and start again with your finances, you need to understand that most of your assets will be seized during the process.
Locate an online support forum for those who have filed for bankruptcy. This way, you can ask other people questions and find out things that you may not know. There are a lot of forums on the internet, but there are also, some offline groups you can join, if you prefer being offline. Because these people know what you're going through, they can make you feel better about the situation.
If you are unsure about the paperwork that you need to bring with you when you meet with an attorney, ask. Also, inquire as to whether the lawyer you are meeting with offers free consultations. You do not want to be surprised by a large fee just for them taking a look at your case.
There are differences between Chapter 13 bankruptcy and Chapter 7; be sure to familiarize yourself with both. Investigate the benefits and pitfalls of both. Online resources may be able to provide all the information you need. Before making any decisions, discuss the information you have learned with your lawyer.
Remember that your Chapter 7 filing may affect other people in your life as well. Once you complete a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you will be free of any responsibility of debt, which could put all responsibility on someone close to you. However, if you had a co-debtor, they will be required to pay the debt.
Now that you know some of the facts regarding personal bankruptcy, you should have a better idea if it is the best financial move to make. Carefully consider the amount of debt-to-income that you have. Use the calculation, as well as, how many late payments you face each month, as a guide to decide.