Weekly Posts

After Bankruptcy, are you getting your mortgage statements?

05/15/21

After Bankruptcy, are you getting your mortgage statements? After you file bankruptcy, you are still supposed to keep getting your mortgage statements.  But, are you? This question came up at the 29th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.  (I’m at that meeting this week, which was supposed to be in Orlando, […]

[more]

For most people bankruptcy works. For most people, debt settlement doesn’t.

05/09/21

For most people, bankruptcy works. For most people “debt settlement” doesn’t work. One reason.  The debt settlement people charge enormous fees–FDR and NDR charge at least $6,000 to “settle” $40,000 in credit cards (and you still have to pay the settlement). Plus, they usually don’t work . See this email I got this email today […]

[more]

The three toughest questions at your bankruptcy hearing

02/07/21

The three toughest questions at your bankruptcy hearing. The three toughest bankruptcy hearing questions are NOT what most people expect.  The bankruptcy trustee does NOT ask you to explain how you got into this mess. They are not asking about your plans for the future.  And the creditors are NOT there demanding their money. Have […]

[more]

File Bankruptcy and Sleep Better

01/31/21

People who file bankruptcy sleep better. Ninety four percent of people surveyed said they slept better after filing bankruptcy. That’s the result of a 2019-2020 study taken through SurveyMonkey.com of former clients who filed bankruptcy with us three or four years before.  One hundred four people participated in the survey.      Getting good sleep […]

[more]

Forbearance Might Not Mean Deferment

01/31/21

A Mortgage Forbearance Might Not Get You a Mortgage Deferment A mortgage forbearance under the CARES Act is NOT the same as a deferment. At the end of a mortgage forbearance, you are behind by the exact number of payments they allowed you to skip.  A deferment means you are not behind. Mortgage companies are […]

[more]

We’re Zooming Virtual Bankruptcy Consultations

01/24/21

We’re Zooming Virtual Bankruptcy Consultations We’ve been Zooming–doing virtual bankruptcy consultations–since April 2020. We’ll continue through 2021. We stopped in-office consultations with the March 2020 pandemic lock down.  (I first heard of Zoom when my church started using it. We’re a small congregation and can see everybody on screen.)  Since April 2020 I’ve Zoomed bankruptcy […]

[more]

“Have You Sent Us a Bank Statement for Every Account?”

12/18/20

The Hardest Question You’ll Get Asked at Your Bankruptcy Hearing Like most people, you will be stressed when you get ready for your bankruptcy hearing. People are worried they’ll be asked “How did you get into this mess?” Actually, that almost never comes  up. The hardest question that always comes up is this one: “Have […]

[more]

Chapter 7 Trustee Janet Meiburger

12/14/20

Chapter 7 Trustee Janet Meiburger Janet Meiburger is one of the four Chapter 7 trustees in the Alexandria Virginia Bankruptcy court. When you file a bankruptcy case in Alexandria, the computer assigns you to one of the four trustees. Lawyers are appointed Chapter 7 trustees as a part-time assignment.  Janet Meiburger has her own law […]

[more]

Until the Buffalo Squeals

12/10/20

Hold on to the Nickel until the Buffalo Squeals They stopped making the Buffalo nickel in 1938, long before I was born. But I saw plenty of them when I was young.  I also heard plenty about them from older folks who had lived through the Depression. “Hold on to the nickel until the buffalo […]

[more]

Chapter 7 Trustee Jason Gold

12/05/20

Chapter 7 Trustee Jason Gold Jason Gold is one of the four Chapter 7 trustees in the Alexandria Virginia Bankruptcy court. When you file a bankruptcy case in Alexandria, the computer assigns you to one of the four trustees.   Being a Chapter 7 Trustee is a part time job for lawyers. Gold is a partner […]

[more]