bankruptcy

Sued? Fear Not!

07/27/12

Often, the final trigger leading a client to call me is getting suedfor a credit card. Fear !! Scarlet Letters!! Branded For Life!! The suit can be a good thing. You have defenses, and now you start planning for your financial fresh start instead of being hunkered down in your sweat box. Even though there’s not enough money for a bankruptcy filing just yet.

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Passing “The Means Test” Can Still Mean Chapter 7 Dismissal

07/24/12

Back when the bankruptcy laws were changed in 2005, a hard calculation was implemented, based on household income and household size, to determine whether or not a bankruptcy filer was making a “decent” living, and should be disqualified from discharging debts completely in Chapter 7 without repayment. This hard calculation has been dubbed The Means [...]

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Massachusetts Protections of Cash Value Life Insurance

07/07/12

The Massachusetts laws protecting cash value life insurance might as well be written in Middle English. They simply cannot be understood by any except the most persistent of us. Lucky for us, some recent court decisions help us find our way.

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What the Heck is a Notice of Payment Change?

07/05/12

Mortgage

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After Bankruptcy: What If I Win the Lottery

06/27/12

People often ask me, what happens after bankruptcy if I . . .

Get a big raise…

Start a business…

Get a big tax refund in future years…

Become a reality star…

Win the lottery…

How does that affect my bankruptcy?

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Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Plan Payments Can be Lowered if Your Income Decreases

06/26/12

When a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan gets confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the monthly payments you are supposed to pay to the trustee are set by the confirmation order. But they are not always set in stone.

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Dealing With a Financial Surprise

05/24/12

There are two typical types of financial setbacks that lead to bankruptcy for most people: a huge surprise, and a slow and steady increase in debt. If you are on the surprise side of things, as many of us are from time to time, it is important to follow several important steps. If you just [...]

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