Bankruptcy is not in any way a quick fix for making poor financial decisions in the past. It is a decision that will affect your financial well-being for, at least, the next ten years. As such, the decision should not be taken lightly. Use the following tips to plan for the process and decide if it is truly, the only solution to your situation.
Get a plan in place for after your bankruptcy is over. Your debt will be forgiven, but you have to find a way to make sure that your financial picture will recover. Set definite goals so that you are always working toward a financial future that will never get you in this position again.
Make sure that you pay all of your bills on time, since this will contribute to 35 percent of what is on your credit report. This looks good if you are trying to rebuild your credit after you have had to file for bankruptcy. Making on-time payments will increase your credit score.
After your bankruptcy is finalized, you should begin re-building your credit by, obtaining copies of your credit reports. Your reports may show that you filed for bankruptcy, but it can take a lot of time for the credit bureaus to remove the original debt from your credit history. Check your reports over thoroughly, if there is debt showing that was discharged in a bankruptcy, you can contact the credit bureaus online, or in writing and request that the information be deleted.
Seek advice from a debt consultant before you file for bankruptcy. Deciding to file for bankruptcy is not something that you should do without first seeking advice from a financial expert. This is because filing for bankruptcy will seriously hinder your ability to secure credit in the coming years.
Make a detailed list. Every creditor and debt should be listed on your application. Even if your credit cards do not carry a balance at all, it should still be included. Loans for cars or recreational vehicles should also be included on your application. Full disclosure is imperative during this part of the bankruptcy process.
Never use a paralegal to guide you through the bankruptcy process. While some paralegals may have the necessary knowledge to provide all the answers you need, they cannot give legal advice legally. Because of this, you are not guaranteed in any way to receive accurate information or advice. An attorney, on the other hand, has a legal and ethical obligation to provide you with accurate information and sound advice.
Do not neglect your health. During the bankruptcy process, it can often feel like you are losing everything and many people see no reason to continue looking after their body and mind. While it is true that, during the process, you might lose your home, your car and the family jewels, you need to remember that neither your creditors nor a bankruptcy judge can take away your health.
Explore all of the options available to you before you file for bankruptcy. Filling for bankruptcy can have some serious future implications. For instance, getting a mortgage application approved when you have previously been bankrupt will be tough to say the least. Therefore, you should thoroughly investigate all of the alternatives to bankruptcy. Perhaps you could borrow money from a family member or consolidate some of your debts.
Think about any co-debtors you have prior to filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. When you file a Chapter 7, your debts will be dissolved. Sadly, this will not be the case for your co debtor. Your creditors may simply turn their attention to your hapless acquaintance.
If you have many non-dischargeable debts, filling for bankruptcy may not be very beneficial or advisable. Non-dischargeable debts include student loans, taxes, child support payments, fraudulent debts, and alimony payments. Filing for bankruptcy will not dissolve any of those debts and will only make it harder for you to secure credit in the future.
If you are going through a divorce and your ex-spouse files for bankruptcy, there are debts that cannot be discharged. Child support, alimony, many property settlement obligations, restitution, and student loans, are all not allowed to be discharged in a bankruptcy from divorce. In very rare cases, some property settlement agreements are allowed to be discharged. Consult with an attorney to find out which ones can.
Look into other options before deciding to file for bankruptcy. One option to consider is credit counseling. There are many non-profit debt counseling services available. They will work with your creditors to get your payments lowered and your interest lowered as wll. You pay the organization, and they pay creditors for you.
Read through the tips listed here as many times as it is necessary to fully understand what you need to know about bankruptcy. You should feel much more educated than you were prior to finding this article, making you better equipped to handle the magnitude of the decision you are facing.
