Tennessee residents whose credit scores have been negatively impacted by their substantial debt may not see a significant impact on their scores if they file for bankruptcy. However, depending on the type of bankruptcy that is filed, it may be 7 to 10 years before they may be approved for new credit accounts such as a home loan.
How to recover quickly form bankruptcy
According to a report from Lending Tree, 43 percent of Americans who filed for bankruptcy had a credit score of 640 or higher a year after their filing. That number increased to 65 percent for those who were two years removed from a bankruptcy. One of the most effective ways to rebound after a bankruptcy is to pay bills on time. It shows lenders that a person has learned from his or her mistakes.
Bankruptcy's real impact on loan pricing
When people in Tennessee are struggling with insurmountable debt, they may consider personal bankruptcy as an option to find relief and escape from a crushing financial situation. However, they may also be concerned about the impact of bankruptcy on their credit and ability to borrow in the future. While 700,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy in 2017, there can be serious impacts, including a reduction in one's credit score.
When bankruptcy is a good choice
Residents of Tennessee might consider bankruptcy to be a last resort solution to debt. However, in some cases, bankruptcy could actually be a smart choice. The stigma associated with bankruptcy often causes people to avoid it by taking other steps to pay off debts. But some of those, experts say, could be more harmful than bankruptcy, like using retirement savings to pay bills.
How tax debt is treated in bankruptcy
The rules associated with filing for bankruptcy in Tennessee can be complicated. For example, a tax debt can be discharged in a bankruptcy under certain circumstances. However, this depends on the type of taxes owed, the priority the debt is given and how old the debt is. As a general rule, a person cannot discharge tax debt if it is in an effort to evade taxes owed.
Effective tips to getting past a bankruptcy
While nobody wants to file for bankruptcy, it can be a way to help a person overcome financial issues such as a medical expense or job loss. Those in Tennessee or elsewhere who need to file should work with a financial adviser to make a plan that will help them get through the bankruptcy. Acknowledging that a filing is necessary can be better than allowing money problems to get worse.
Overcoming the barriers to bankruptcy
The number of people who file for bankruptcy in Tennessee and throughout the country tends to increase in March and April. Reportedly, this is because those who have thought about bankruptcy finally have the money they need to hire an attorney. While it is possible to file on a pro se basis, individuals who have legal representation generally obtain a better result in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.
How putting off Chapter 7 could be costing you thousands
Unsecured debt can grow into a serious problem in a matter of months. Very often the triggering event is a job loss, a divorce, an illness or another very expensive problem that busts your budget and creates a financial crisis, seemingly overnight.
Credit card debt, quicksand and escaping through Chapter 7
Credit card debt can feel a lot like quicksand, a volatile blend of sand and water that exists in real life, not just in old TV shows and movies. Quicksand looks harmless on the surface, but once you've fallen in, it can be very difficult to get out; asphyxiation, thrombosis, fatigue, heat and dehydration end up killing many victims. As watchers of 1970s television can attest, the panicked struggle to escape makes you sink deeper.
Bankruptcy trustees ask for passwords to online accounts
Tennessee debtors who file for bankruptcy might be asked about various assets, but they are normally not asked to provide passwords to online accounts. However, two Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees in Maryland have requested that debtors turn over their passwords to eBay, PayPal and Amazon Prime accounts, a move bankruptcy attorneys say is needlessly intrusive. The paperwork also says that the passwords cannot be changed for 10 days and the accounts cannot be closed.
