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Filing For Bankruptcy Should Only Be a Last-Case Scenario

Staff Writer — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:44:45 +0000

There are various ways for individuals to eliminate debt on their own or utilizing a third party. Filing for personal bankruptcy should be viewed as a worst-case scenario, or last resort. Though it is the most comprehensive way to eliminate debt, it has several major negative repercussions. It is important for those in debt to understand these before making a decision to declare bankruptcy.

Filing for bankruptcy impacts the credit report negatively for a period of seven to ten years. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the two main types of personal bankruptcy. When individuals file for either of these, they receive a discharge, which is a court order stating that specific debts need not be repaid. This information is placed on the credit report for seven to ten years.

Under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, all assets not exempt from the filing are subject to liquidation. The property may either be turned over to creditors or sold. Under Chapter 13, individuals with steady incomes may keep real property like their home or car, which could be subject to seizure under Chapter 7. Both types of bankruptcy may serve to stop garnishments, repossessions, and foreclosures but barring a debt repayment plan under Chapter 13, property may not be kept if the mortgage is unpaid or the dwelling has a security lien.

The belief that bankruptcy wipes away all the debt is false. Even those who file for personal bankruptcy are required to repay as much of the debt as they can afford. By filing, they may lose their car, home, and other assets with liquidity.

The fact that bankruptcy does not wipe out all the debt or fix the situation makes it a final resort. The negative mark it leaves on the credit report may last for ten years. This will impact the individual’s ability to borrow money, obtain a reasonable rate of interest, or even get a job.

People In Debt Aren’t Dangerous

Staff Writer — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:17:58 +0000

It sounds kind of funny to say but people in debt aren’t dangerous. Perhaps we should qualify this to say that they are not dangerous to anyone other than themselves. Though some debt is due to no fault of the individual, other forms of debt are self-created. However, the logic still goes that those in debt are not as dangerous as those with little to no debt.

Dangerous is a very vague word so let’s get a bit more specific. Someone who does not have a huge amount of debt looming over his or her head is more likely to take financial risks. This person will not be forced to take a 9 to 5 office job chained to a desk just to make enough money to pay off the debt with no consideration for happiness.

Those who live relatively debt-free are more easily able to have careers as entrepreneurs or engage in freelancing work. The person may even have a nice little nest egg saved in case these opportunities do not work out. No harm, no foul, and the individual goes back to life in the corporate world.

People usually need to take out a start-up loan to get their businesses off the ground. Getting approved for this loan requires having good credit. Those who are nearly debt free and have a good credit score do not have to worry about the loan approval process. They can focus on developing a business plan that will dazzle the lenders.

There is freedom in not having debt and it extends to more than just the day-to-day lifestyle. It can open up an entirely new world but it is a risky and dangerous realm. Some people prefer to remain in their tiny world of debt where it is safe and everything is known. However, is there really any fun in that when what is known is the amount of past-due bills?

A Few Thoughts On Getting Out of Debt

Shaun Connell — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:43:45 +0000

Getting out of debt can be one of the most challenging and difficult things to do. As long as you stay focused and maintain a strong dedication your efforts will be rewarded. There are many things that one could do to get out of debt. More and more people seem to be getting into credit card debt more than any other debt. One of the best ways to eliminate this kind of debt is of course to cut up your cards. That way you cannot use them for anything.

You may consider though keeping one for the times that there is an extreme emergency and you need access to some cash. You could then consider calling your creditor and canceling the credit lines associated with the cards that were cut up. Explain to them that you are trying to get out of debt and ask if they could help by lowering your interest rate.

Another thing with credit card debt that one may try doing, is to transfer all your balances to a card that has the lowest interest rate. If this does not seem like something that can be done, you may consider going to a bank and getting a debt consolidation loan. This will help you get a lower rate on your bills along with one affordable monthly payment.

Some money experts have given the advice to use cash for all of your purposes. That way when you go to purchase something, you are going to know what you can or cannot afford.

You should commit yourself to paying off all your debts, whether they are all done at once. You should make sure that you are paying all the loans and credit cards that have the highest interest rates first and then proceed to pay the smaller ones. After paying off one debt, add the payment that was being made on that debt to another payment to get that debt payed of quicker and so forth until all the other debts are fully paid off.

When you think about it, getting out of debt really is not that hard, especially with a debt consolidation loan. It just takes time and dedication to get achieve the results that you are looking for. More and more people are having a hard time dealing with debts and have turned to credit counseling and it really has helped them pay off their debts in a great way along with help them understand how to use their money wisely. You shouldn’t wait until you are ready for bankruptcy, take care of your debt as soon as you notice something is going wrong.