Month: July 2013

A recent study by Fidelity showed that 70% of the class of 2013 is graduating from college with on average, $35,200 in debt. This includes federal, state and private loans along with credit card debt. When adjusting to post-college life and the accompanying expenses, here is what financial experts say to consider when prioritizing debt repayment:

1.) Create a budget: Every single dollar needs to be assigned to a spending category. Recent grads need to consider their short-term and long-term financial goals when creating this budget.
2.) Determine which debts to pay off first: If you are looking at a variety of debt including credit cards and student loans, it is important you review the interest rates. Private student loans should be a high priority, as these are often subject to variable interest rates, and unlike federal student loans, can carry greater penalties for missed payments and can impact your credit history.
3.) Paying small vs. large balances: For those college grads that want to see quick results when paying down debt, they may find the ‘debt snowball’ technique to be beneficial. This process works by paying off smaller debts as quickly as possible.
No matter how you decide to pay off your debt, it is important to continue the commitment to repay all obligations timely, without missing payments, which can negatively affect your credit score. It’s important to establish and maintain a positive credit history. A good credit score is vital to renting an apartment, setting up your utilities or even getting a cell phone plan.

Click here to read more on how to prioritize your debt repayment.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Credit cards offer great benefits with cash back rewards and travel points; however, you have to be careful to pay balances off in full to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of debt. Of all the things that can be financed with a credit card, here are the five worst:

1.) College Tuition: Many adults today can trace their debts back to their college years, when they did not fully grasp the concept of credit cards and interest rates. Rather than using credit cards for college tuition and expenses, consider low-interest student loans, scholarships and grants.
2.) Taxes: When faced with a large tax debt from the IRS, do not just automatically pay it off with a credit card with a high interest rate. First, work out a payment plan with the IRS. Interest accrued will be far less than any standard credit card’s interest rate.
3.) A Big Wedding: Plan a wedding within your financial means. Avoid financing the occasion with credit cards. Marriage is hard enough and should not be compounded with a mountain of debt.
4.) Vacations: Vacations are meant to be just that- a break from our everyday lives and reduce stress. Returning home and finding in the mailbox a mountain of debt you accrued on your trip can leave a dark cloud over your ‘vacation.’ In preparation for your trip, contribute to a vacation fund every month for one year. This will allow you to finance your trip accordingly and live within your means.
5.) Medical Bills: Insurmountable medical debt is one of the leading causes for filing bankruptcy. Work a payment plan out directly with the medical provider, hospital or doctor’s office. Oftentimes these plans have little or no interest/fees attached to them, unlike a credit card. Consider all of your options before simply pulling out your credit card.

Click here to read more on the five things you should never put on a credit card.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Recent documents show that Casey Anthony has reportedly agreed to pay $25,000 to settle a dispute in her bankruptcy case involving the rights to sell her life story. In March, trustee Stephen Meininger filed a motion seeking permission to sell ‘the exclusive worldwide rights of Anthony’s life story.’ He claims her story is property and an asset that could be sold to pay the more than $790,000 debt she owes others. Anthony’s bankruptcy attorneys are of course opposed to the motion.

Meininger says Anthony has a right to commercialize her story, which became property of the bankruptcy estate when she filed. Anthony, however, “adamantly opposes” the concept that her story is property that can be commercialized.

The parties agree the concept of selling the “alleged property interest is novel and has not been addressed by any case law that the parties have been able to discover.”

According to the filing, both parties agree the $25,000 settlement is in the best interest of the creditors in the case, and such an agreement will avoid long-term litigation. The bankruptcy judge has not issued an order on the joint request. However, the bigger question is, ‘How is Anthony going to obtain the $25,000?’

Click here to read more on the latest drama surrounding Casey Anthony’s bankruptcy filing.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Failing to pay your taxes is no laughing matter for 90’s comedian and actor, Sinbad. Recent bankruptcy filings report that he owes $375 thousand to American Express, $32 thousand to Bank of America, $2.3 million to the state of California and $8.3 million to the IRS. His total debts top $10.99 million and his total assets amount to just $130 thousand.

The government debts represent taxes owed from the years 1998 to 2006 and then again from 2009 to 2012. He reports his monthly income at $16,000 and he lists the following significant assets: A 2010 Ford F150, a 2010 Lincoln Navigator and a 2007 BMW 750i.

In Sinbad’s case, since he is filing Chapter 13 and has a monthly income of $16,000, it’s unlikely that a judge will wipe his tax debts away. The most likely scenario is that a judge will decide to garnish a significant portion of his wages indefinitely.

His money troubles first came to light in 2009, when California publicly listed him as one of the top 10 worst tax delinquents in the state. At the time, it was reported he owed $2.5 million in back taxes, interest and penalties. He attempted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2009, but his case was rejected after he failed to file the proper paperwork.

Click here to read more on the latest celebrity to file bankruptcy.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Financial freedom and independence from debt is a powerful thing. But if you are struggling on a daily basis with insurmountable debt and harassment from creditors you may be feeling less than ‘independent’ today. Many Americans face financial oppression, unable to pay their obligations, not because they do not want to, but because they have been victim to the economic downturn, having lost their job, recently became divorced or accumulated a large amount of medical debt from circumstances outside of their control.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy creates the best financial circumstance from a debt management perspective, because it erases your debt. You are no longer responsible for debt repayment and your creditors will be required by law to stop contacting you. If your credit score has suffered as a result of multiple missed payments, declaring bankruptcy may even help your credit score. Once you declare bankruptcy, your balances and records of unpaid debt are removed. All of these debts will be marked as being included in bankruptcy. You will now be able to start from scratch and given the opportunity to rebuild your credit.

As a citizen of the United States, you have the right to file bankruptcy. Do not allow the ‘bankruptcy stigma’, largely created by creditors stop you from considering bankruptcy as an option. Bankruptcy laws are designed to protect consumers, giving them the ability to come out with a clean slate, wipe out their debt and regain financial freedom.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.