Tag: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Credit Card Debt

Credit Card Debt Worse for those with High Income

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Credit card debt in the U.S. has reached a high of $830 billion, making a six percent jump since last year. Next to personal loans, credit card debt is the second-fastest growing category of debt, according to a recent Experian report. It is reported that the average American consumer carries a balance of $6,200 on his or her credit card. With balances that high, it can be quite difficult for the average consumer to pay off his or her debt.

It turns out that the consumers who are carrying the most credit card debt are those with a net worth of over $100,000 or more, according to a recent study from Bankrate.  Adults who carried net worth between $100,000 and $199,999 are the most likely to carry credit card debt, followed by individuals with net worth between $200,000 and $1 million. People who had a net worth over $1 million had the least amount of credit card debt.

Credit Card Debt, Medical Debt

How to Keep Medical Debt Off Your Credit Cards

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With the cost of medical care increasing every year, many Americans are struggling to pay their medical bills. According to a recent study from NerdWallet, medical costs have increased 33 percent since 2009, while the national median household income has only increased 30 percent. To keep up with these costs, many consumers are forced to pay for their medical bills with credit cards. The problem is credit card interest rates can range anywhere from 10%-30% and come with additional fees and costs if timely payment is not made. Medical bills are expensive and paying them with your credit card will only add unnecessary interest fees to your bills.

Here are some tips that can help you avoid having to put medical bills on a credit card.

Credit Card Debt, Credit Score

Reasons to Check Your Credit Score Twice this Holiday Season

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When it comes to monitoring a credit score, it is important to pay all bills on time and not max out a credit card when relying on one for holiday spending. However, another factor, known as the credit utilization ratio, plays a major role in a consumer’s FICO score. In fact, this number accounts for 30 percent of the average consumer’s FICO score, and it is the second most important part of a person’s credit score next to paying bills on time.

To figure out what this score is, the consumer needs to add up credit limits across all his or her credit cards and then add up the outstanding balance on each card. Divide the total balance owed by the total limits and multiply that by 100 to determine the percentage or credit utilization ratio.

Bankruptcy Law

When is Filing for Bankruptcy a Good Idea for Seniors?

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When most people think of their retirement, they picture living a life of rest and relaxation. However, with credit card debt increasing for individuals over the age of 65, many are carrying this debt into retirement. Medical debt can compound the problem. When seniors face health issues, putting the additional out of pocket costs not covered by their insurance can be tempting. In fact, medical debt is the leading cause behind U.S. bankruptcy filings today.

Most senior citizens rely on a fixed income following retirement, whether it be money coming in from social security or retirement savings. This income could very well be enough to keep that person living a comfortable life. However, it only takes one major medical crisis or unexpected expense to turn a comfortable financial situation upside down.  For seniors living on a fixed income, it can force them to put these unexpected expenses on credit cards.

Medical Debt

Tips for Dealing with Medical Debt Collections

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Medical debt affects so many Americans. After suffering a serious injury or illness, it can be hard to pay the bills that will inevitably follow. In fact, more than 137 million Americans say they are struggling to pay their medical debt. According to a study published by the Journal of Internal Medicine, this many adults have faced some type of medical financial hardship in the past year.

When someone is sick or injured, it will often cause them to miss work or they may not be able to return to work ever again. Due to the loss of income and oftentimes the loss of insurance, the person will struggle to pay their medical bills when they become due.  Their financial situations can get so out of control that many of these individuals are forced to dip into their retirement savings prior to reaching retirement age to pay off some of their bills. However, pulling savings early will only help so much, which is why so many consumers end up filing for personal bankruptcy as a result. It is reported that 66.5 percent of all personal bankruptcies are related to some type of medical debt.

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief, Medical Debt

How the Insured Fall into Medical Bankruptcy

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There was a time when having health insurance was enough to assure someone that his or her medical expenses would be adequately covered and that he or she would not fall into debt due to one major medical crisis. However, today’s high deductible insurance plans and skyrocketing medical costs have made it impossible to stay out of medical debt. It is for this reason that so many American consumers are falling into what is called “medical bankruptcy” or bankruptcy due to medical debt.

According to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, 530,000 bankruptcies are filed annually due to medical debt. Even with coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act, consumers are still struggling to afford their medical bills. A lot of this has to do with the insurance coverage options and healthcare plans offered.

Bankruptcy Law, Medical Debt

Why So Many Americans Over the Age of 55 are Filing for Bankruptcy.

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Bankruptcy offers filers a fresh financial start, but for many bankruptcy petitioners, that start comes later in life. In the past three decades, the number of people over the age of 55 who have filed for bankruptcy has gone up significantly. This increase has many financial experts wondering why so many individuals nearing retirement are filing for bankruptcy.

According to a paper by Robert Lawless, the percentage of older Americans, specifically between the ages of 55 and 64, increased by 66 percent between the year 1991 and 2016. The number of bankruptcies filed by individuals between 65 and 74 increased by more than 200 percent between this time period. In fact, approximately 12 percent of all bankruptcy filers are over the age of 65.

Bankruptcy Law

Steps for Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Florida

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If someone is considering filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the path that person needs to take may not always be clear. While everyone’s situation differs in some respects, certain steps must be taken when it comes to proceeding with Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Review Your Financial Situation

Before proceeding, it is always recommended that the filer sit down with an experienced bankruptcy attorney and go over what types of debt the person has, as well as what property would be protected by Florida’s bankruptcy exemptions.

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief

How Small Business Owners Can Protect Assets in Bankruptcy

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Many business owners worry about what will happen to their companies and their business assets when facing bankruptcy or a lawsuit. It is important for any business owner that he or she creates an asset protection plan for these exact types of situations.

The first step is to develop a debt management plan for the business. Having debt is not always a bad thing. The key is to manage the debt in an intelligent manner to stay out of trouble.  Business loans will usually involve offering business assets as collateral, which means that if the business owner ends up defaulting on the loan, the lender can seize the collateral to pay the debt. Some lenders will require borrowers to sign a personal guarantee if the collateral is not enough to cover the debt.

student loan debt

Six-Figure Parent Loans and the True Cost of Parent PLUS Loans

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Parents will often do anything they need to when it comes to their children, and for many parents, that means taking on student loans for them, on top of the ones they already have left over from their own college education. These loans are normally taken on in the form of Parent PLUS Loans, and can often end up being a struggle for the parent to pay off in the end.

The Parent PLUS program was introduced in the 1980s as a means of financial support for middle- and upper-income families to help pay for their children’s college expenses. Most of the time, parents in these income classes did not qualify for other financial assistance, but the Parent PLUS program allowed them to obtain financing while keeping their liquid assets. However, since that time, the program has also become more popular among lower-income families who may not be able to pay down the loans once they are taken so easily.