Answers to Your Questions

More Information on Personal Finance, Financial Planning, Debt Management and More

I will do my best to answer your questions about financial planning, debt and credit issues.

I cannot give legal advice, but I can try to steer you in the right direction. Laws can be different from state to state, so most of the information I will be able to supply will just apply to the principles involved or common law, rather than to any specific statute.

Please click on the "Contact" button on the bottom of the page to send me your questions.

Click on any title to be taken directly to the question.

Bankruptcy

[Note: Bankruptcy reform has made filing more complex than ever. I highly recommend you have a lawyer on your side. Find a local bankruptcy attorney to represent you at these hearings by clicking the link.]

Bankruptcy Property Exemptions
Property exemptions vary from state to state.

Chapter Seven Filing Procedure
How to file for a Chapter Seven Bankruptcy.

Chapter Seven Bankruptcy and Your IRA's
Are self funded retirement plans exempt from Bankruptcy proceedings?

Credit Card Debt after Bankruptcy Reform
Bankruptcy reform does not prevent discharge of credit card debt.

Is it Time to File for Bankruptcy?
Is this couple's only option bankruptcy?

Life After Bankruptcy
What to expect after a bankruptcy discharge.

Bankruptcy Fallout
Why bankruptcy is not always a good idea.

The Unpleasant Effects of Bankruptcy
Coping with the aftermath of a bankruptcy discharge.

The Effects of Bankruptcy
How things will change after bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy and Marriage
Does a pre-marriage bankruptcy affect your new spouse's credit score?

Bankruptcy and Marriage - Part Two
How one spouses bankruptcy filing effects the other.

Debt Collection after Bankruptcy
Can a lender try to collect on a bill discharged in bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy and Taxes
How a bankrutcy can affect your tax refunds.

Canadian Credit Scoring
Applying for a Canadian mortgage after a bankruptcy discharge.

Co-Signer's Obligations
A co-signer is still responsible for the debt even if the primary borrower goes bankrupt.

Hospital Bill Bankruptcy
Dealing with a deceased spouse's unpaid final expenses.

Negotiating with Lenders
You have to realistic when renegotiating mortgage terms with lenders.

Notice of Hearing from Bankruptcy Trustee
Why would an ex-spouse receive a notice of creditors meeting from a bankruptcy trustee?

Filing After Bankruptcy Reform
How bankrupctcy reform has changed the filing process.

Buying a House After Bankruptcy
How bankruptcy affects mortgage interest rates.

On The Brink of Bankruptcy
Sometimes bankruptcy is the only option.

Bills & Bill Collection

Abusive Debt Collection
Ways to combat abusive debt collection practices.

Abusive Debt Collection - Part Two
Another abusive debt collection tactic.

Debt Charge Off
How debt charge offs effect your credit report for years.

Debt Collection
Dealing with an overzealous creditor.

Divorce, Bankruptcy and a Charge Off
How to erase a charge off created by an ex-spouse's failure to comply with a court order.

Divorce Decree and Bills
Who is responsible for the bills after a divorce?

Debt and Marriage
What happens when one party brings a large debt to a marriage?

Charge Off Resurrected
How to deal with a reinstated charge off.

Law Suit Settlement
Who is responsible for unpaid medical bills after a law suit is settled?

Medical Expenses Due to Mesothelioma
How to deal with the devastating financial effects of mesothelioma.

Removing Erroneous Charge Offs
How to remove erroneous charge off items from your credit report.

Coping with a Charge Off
How to try to get a charge off removed from your credit report.

Should You Pay a Charged Off Debt?
Does it help your credit score to pay a charged off debt?

Unfair Debt Collection
Is there any way to combat unfair bill collection tactics?

Unpaid Hospital Bills
Tips on dealing with unpaid hospital bills.

Old Unpaid Hospital Bills
How to handle old bills.

Unaffordable Hospital Bills
Dealing with unaffordable bills.

Over Your Head in Debt
What to do when you're drowning in debt.

Privacy in Legal Matters
Once your case moves into court, you lose a lot of privacy.

Partial Debt Repayments
Try to get concessions from your creditors if making a partial repayment on a debt in collection.

Renegotiating Old Bills
How to handle old debt.

Reposession and Charge Offs
How does a repossession affect the amount of a debt charge off?

Stale Bill
How to handle an bill received several years after the service took place.

Three Solutions to Overwhelming Debt
Ways to get a handle on debt.

"Zombie" Debt Collectors
What to do if a zombie calls.

The Return of the "Zombie" Bill Collectors
The zombies are popping up all over.

Zombie Bill Collectors, Jurisdiction & More
Where does jurisdiction lie when the zombie bill collectors come calling?

Credit Counseling

Auto Lease Termination Problems
Don't take the leasing company's word for it, read your lease contract and figure out what you really owe.

Can Can Credit Counseling Really Help?
Can credit counseling really help you when you're drowning in debt?

Co-signer's Obligations After Divorce
Can a divorce decree extinguish a co-signer's obligations?

Debt Management Advice
Advice for a mother struggling with debts.

Debt Renegotiation Help
Trying to renegotiate debt when not in default.

Making Do After Divorce
Some advice for a beleagured ex-wife.

Grants for Debt Relief?
This is a scam to avoid.

Lemon Laws
Lemon Laws are a viable alterntive to abandoning a defective car.

Loan Troubles
Loans, predatory lending, bankruptcy and more.

Payday Loan Trap
How to get out of payday loan hell?

PayDay Loan Woes
Some ideas on how to get out of a payday loan ordeal.

Predatory Lending Lawsuits
What's the statute of limitations in a predatory lending suit?

Rebuilding Credit
How to start rebuilding credit.

Stopping Foreclosure
Ways to stop or, at least delay, foreclosure.

Uninsured Motorist Fund
What can you do if a state uninsured motorist fund tries to subrogate its claim 17 years after the accident?

Credit Cards, Reports & Scores

Authorized Credit Card Holders
Who is responsible for charges made by authorized credit card holders?

Bad Credit Car Loans
Getting a car if you have bad credit.

Credit Card Addiction
Can a parent do anything about a grown child's misuse of credit cards?

Credit Problems
Is your credit score affected by identity theft?

Is Credit Repair Always Possible?
Can you have negative items removed from your credit report once the statute of limitations on bill collection has run?

Credit Report Repair
Can you repair a credit report that contains no factual errors?

Common Ways to Repair Credit
How to restore your credit standing.

Credit Scores and Mortgage Rates
The effect of low scores on mortgage rates.

Credit Score Factors
Things that affect your credit score.

Debt Help
Some advice on how to pull yourself out of debt.

Is There a Correlation Between Low Credit Scores and Bankruptcy?
Do you need to file for bankruptcy if you have a low credit score?

More on Debt Termination Scams
More reasons to avoid debt termination programs.

Financial Planning

Earning Money
Basic tips on how to make money.

Self Employment
How to approach self employment.

Subrogation Claims
An insurance company can sue the party responsible for damages it is forced to pay to its insured.

Mortgages

Finding the Best Mortgage
Is your bank asking for too high an interest rate?

Mortgage or Cash?
If you have enough money to buy a house for cash, do you need a mortgage for tax benefits?

Negotiating with Lenders
You have to realistic when renegotiating mortgage terms with lenders.

Refinance as a Financial Planning Tool
Should you refinance to pay off credit card debt?

Saving and Investing
Advice for a young investor.

Student Loans

Co-signers, Student Loans & Charge Offs
A way a co-signer can handle a student loan charge off.

Student Loan Repayment Problems
What to do if you don't get the deferment you're entitled to.

More Student Loan Repayment Problems
Tips on how to repay student loans if you're not making enough money.

Student Loans After Bankruptcy
What happens if you can't repay student loans after a bankruptcy discharge.

Student Loans and Chapter Seven
Will you be able to discharge student loans in bankruptcy?

When You Can't Repay Your Student Loans
Advice for those in trouble because of student loans.

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