If you have considered filing for bankruptcy, you are probably stressed out and upset. It can be hard to figure out what to do and what steps you should take. Here are some smart tips that you can use to guide you through this difficult time and take the actions that are right for you.
Prepare for life after bankruptcy by taking a seminar, class or workshop, in budgeting. Use the skills that you acquire to manage new debts that you incur, as well as, your day-to-day finances. Ideally, these skills will enable you to save money, repair your credit and avoid future bankruptcy declarations.
When filing for bankruptcy, spend plenty of quality time with friends and family. When your financial life is in a state of upheaval, it is easy to become completely overwhelmed with stress and worry. Making time for enjoyable activities can help relieve some of emotional turmoil created by the bankruptcy process.
As tempting as it may be, do not run up credit cards right before filing for bankruptcy. Many times, people purchase expensive items, like jewelry, appliances and furniture right before they know they are going to file for bankruptcy. Most of the time, they are still going to be responsible for paying back this debt.
Explore all of the options available to you before you file for bankruptcy. Filling for bankruptcy can have some serious future implications. For instance, getting a mortgage application approved when you have previously been bankrupt will be tough to say the least. Therefore, you should thoroughly investigate all of the alternatives to bankruptcy. Perhaps you could borrow money from a family member or consolidate some of your debts.
When it comes to personal bankruptcy, be sure that you know that your credit is not necessarily ruined for ten years. While this is commonly mentioned, there are many lenders who understand that there are good people with poor credit and can help people re-establish their credit in other ways.
Make sure to list all creditors and debts on the bankruptcy application. This includes all credit cards, even if you do not currently have a balance on it or intend to keep the account active post-bankruptcy. Failing to provide this information is a mistake that can cause the court to dismiss your filing, which often means that you cannot re-list any of the same assets on future filings.
If you are sure that you are going to file for bankruptcy, you should stop making any payments towards debts, that will be discharged during the bankruptcy process. Since you will not be liable for these debts in the near future, it is of little benefit to you to keep making payments towards them. It would be more beneficial for you to save any spare cash, that you have for future needs.
Clean up your credit record after ten years. When you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, it remains on your credit report for ten years. However, the credit bureaus are not required to remove the information. In order to get rid of the bankruptcy record, write a letter to the credit reporting agencies, along with a copy of your discharge notice. Follow this up with a phone call to make sure that they have removed the bankruptcy record.
Now that you have read this article, you know that there are things you can do to ensure your financial well-being, even if you should choose to file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can be stressful and upsetting, but now that you have the information to make smart decisions about your actions, you can start to rebuild your financial life.