Bankruptcy should only be a choice when you find yourself
in debt to a point where repaying your obligations is not
a possibility. If you have reached this point, however,
it may be your only recourse.
If you are considering filing bankruptcy, you should not
do so without giving it carefully consideration, or
without researching other possible avenues to relieve your
debt. Once you have filed bankruptcy, you will no longer
have any credit available to you. You won't be able to
get a credit card for any purpose, such as buying a house
or a car because borrowing money will be off limits to you.
Not only that, bankruptcy will have a negative impact on
you credit for several years. Some employers won't even
hire you if you have a bankruptcy on you credit report.
Every state and country has its own bankruptcy laws that
govern what is allowed. You should always consult a
professional, such as a bankruptcy attorney or banking
official in order to get the most accurate and up-to-date
information.
The purpose of bankruptcy is to discharge debts that
cannot be paid back and requires a court proceeding in
order to do so.
However, there are a few things that are
not dischargeable.
Some of these are:
* child support or alimony;
* unpaid state or federal taxes;
* fines imposed by a criminal court;
* and debts incurred from a prior bankruptcy proceeding.
If you file bankruptcy for property you have borrowed
against, you may be required, or the creditors may take
action, to have the property returned to them.
While you may be able to get some credit, after claiming
bankruptcy, you will probably have to pay very high
interest rates, especially on credit cards.
If you have had financial troubles, it's a good idea to
get some debt counseling from a professional. Doing so
may help you avoid getting into another difficult
situation with your finances.
Sometimes people work about how a bankruptcy will affect
their employment, or their criminal record. Neither of
these is cause for concern, because bankruptcy is not a
criminal offence. It will not send you to jail or show up
on your criminal record.
Unless your employer is a
creditor, they won't know that you have filed bankruptcy
and it is against the law to discriminate against someone
for having done so.
It is always better to avoid filing bankruptcy, whenever
possible. Credit counseling may help you do this. There
are some professional organizations that can help in this,
or you could visit your banker.
Some things that may help
are to eliminate some of your debt by selling your house
or downsizing your car, or other assets. Bankruptcy
should be a last resort. Harold Yahrling is the webmaster and developer of HLG Bankruptcy, a useful resource for Bankruptcy information. To get our Bankruptcy ezine, go to http://www.hlgbankruptcy.com/.
By: Harold Yahrling
