Tag: Miami Bankruptcy

student loan debt, Student Loans

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Student Loan Cancellation

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The U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing arguments this week over two legal challenges brought against President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. The decision from these challenges could make or break Biden’s overall plan for loan forgiveness, affecting tens of millions of American borrowers.

Since President Biden made his initial announcement regarding his loan forgiveness plan, his policy has faced six legal challenges. The two challenges before the high court now have consolidated these suits. One legal challenge has been brought by six states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina. The other challenge has been backed by the Job Creators Network Foundation, a conservative-based advocacy group.

Consumer Bankruptcy, Tax Debt

Best Types of Bankruptcy for Tax Debt

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Tax debt is one of the few forms of debt that is not always easily erased in a consumer bankruptcy case. While it is true that discharging tax debt can be difficult in a bankruptcy case, it is not impossible. Ultimately, it depends on the type of bankruptcy being pursued and the type of debt involved as to how it is handled.

While a bankruptcy filing normally puts an immediate halt to all collection actions on debt through the automatic stay, tax debt is treated differently.

Credit Card Debt

U.S. Cities with the Least-Sustainable Credit Card Debt

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High interest rates and high inflation are making it harder than ever to pay down credit card debt. American consumers started the year with over $1 trillion in outstanding credit card debt.

According to a recent study, the average U.S. household has over $8,900 in credit card debt, which is up 4.5 percent (4.5%) from last year. Consumers in certain cities seem to struggle more than others. This fact was recently documented in a study produced by personal finance website, WalletHub, listing which American cities had the least sustainable credit card debt.

student loan debt, Student Loans

Uncertainty Surrounding Debt Relief Leads to Increased Student Loan Scams

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Many student loan borrowers seeking relief from their student debt burden prior to payments resuming in 2022 have found themselves on the receiving end of student loan scams. In fact, a number of consumer protection firms across the U.S. have issued warnings regarding the increase of certain student loan debt relief scams.  It is important that all consumers are aware of what red flags to look for when being offered financial assistance towards their student loan debt.

Borrowers were given some relief during the COVID-19 pandemic with federal student loan repayments being paused since March 2020, along with federal student loan interest being halted during this time. However, federal student loan payments are scheduled to resume in February 2022, meaning that millions of borrowers will be required to pay on their student loan debt for the first time in over a year. This fact has many borrowers panicking and trying to figure out how to either continue paying on their debt or find relief wherever they can find it.

Student loan relief scams are nothing new. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued millions of dollars in refunds to individuals who fell victim to student debt scams. As of 2017, it is estimated that $95 million has been paid to student loan fraud victims. As a result, financial experts predict that even more fraud reports will be coming in 2022.

One of the biggest warning signs borrowers should look for when communicating with an entity claiming to provide debt relief to student loan borrowers is when the person on the other end of the phone requests the caller’s student loan login information or his or her Social Security number. While their request may seem legitimate, providing this information could open the consumer up to having their student loan accounts hacked, also allowing the scammer to create falsified documents with this information and defraud the consumer even further.

The information being requested is often referred to as personal identifiable information or PII, and it can include the consumer’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, banking information, and credit card numbers. Providing this information allows the scammer to hack the consumer’s identity.

Another sign of a scam occurs when the alleged debt relief company requests money up front before providing a service. If a company is requesting the person pay a fee before even beginning the process of negotiating on a debt, this is a major red flag that indicates the company may not be legitimate.

Additionally, if the student loan debt relief company advertises their services on social media or reaches out to the consumer directly through cold calling, this could be another sign of a potential scam. If a consumer speaks with a company who has contacted him or her directly regarding debt relief, it is imperative that he or she does the proper research to ensure that the company is legitimate. A general Internet search of the company on reputable sources should be able to help the person ascertain whether a scam is involved.

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For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available.  Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. There are ways to file for bankruptcy with student loan debt.  It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all 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 McMaken 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 McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

student loan debt, Student Loans

First Wave of Public Servants Awarded Student Loan Forgiveness Through Temporary Program

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The Biden administration recently announced the introduction of a temporary expansion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The program cancels outstanding student debt for public servants.

In order to be eligible, debt holders must have made 120 payments toward their federal student debt on-time for at least 10 years. The loans must have been made through the federal government and payments must have been made through repayment plans, most of which are based upon income. They must also work for the government or one of the non-profit organizations specified by the program. Many teachers, public defenders, Peace Corps workers, and law enforcement officers may qualify for forgiveness.

Housing Market Trends

Mortgage Affordability Lowest in 13 Years

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Record home prices and slow growing incomes are two of the driving factors affecting mortgage affordability for so many today.

A median household would need to spend 32.1 percent of its income on mortgage payments for a median-priced home, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. That marks the highest percentage since November 2008, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Debt Collection, Debt Relief

Understanding Zombie Debt and the Statute of Limitations

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Consumer debts have what is called a statute of limitations. This is the amount of time the creditor can use the court to force a consumer to pay a debt. After the statute of limitations has expired on a debt, it is no longer legally enforceable. Occasionally, however, a consumer may be contacted regarding an old debt by a collector who hopes the consumer will ‘restart the statute of limitations.’

Zombie debt is debt that the consumer thinks is “dead,” meaning it is past the statute of limitations that the debt collector is now trying to bring back to life. While the debt collector cannot take the consumer to court to collect on the debt, there are no laws saying they cannot continue to contact the consumer to collect what is owed. Many times, debt collection agencies will purchase expired debt to turn a profit. Since the cost to buy expired debt is exceptionally low, even if they collect on a handful of accounts, they are still earning a profit.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit Score

When Can I Apply for a Credit Card after Bankruptcy?

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The type of bankruptcy can affect how soon someone can apply for a credit card after bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy case allows the consumer’s debts to be discharged fairly quickly, within a few months, after non-exempt assets are liquidated and used to pay off the filer’s debts.

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy case takes longer than a Chapter 7 case since it involves a three-to-five-year long repayment plan where the consumer works with the bankruptcy trustee on paying down qualifying debts while discharging what is left at the end of the repayment period.

Debt Collection, Debt Relief

Stopping a Wage Garnishment Once It Has Started

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When dealing with a collection on a debt, the last thing a consumer wants is to face a garnishment of his or her wages to satisfy the debt. Many times, once the wage garnishment process has started, consumers fear that it is too late to do anything to stop it. It can be stopped, however, with quick action and the right steps taken.

Contact an Attorney.

The laws surrounding how to properly object to a wage garnishment can be complicated, and unless the individual is savvy with the legal system, costly mistakes can be made. Even if the person’s wages have already been garnished, consulting with an attorney is still advisable. The key is to act quickly since the law only allows a short window of time for a person to object to a legal proceeding.

student loan debt, Student Loans

What Borrowers Need to Know About the New Executive Order- “Continued Student Loan Payment Relief During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

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A new executive order signed by President Trump is expected to give additional relief to student loan borrowers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is important that all student loan borrowers be aware of what these changes entail and how they can affect their outstanding student loan balances.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, that included relief effort for numerous aspects of the economy. The CARES Act paused all federal student loan payments and stopped interest from being incurred on federal student loans. Additionally, the stimulus bill put a stop to all federal student loan collection efforts. However, this bill was passed at the beginning of the pandemic with the thought that relief would no longer be needed through the end of 2020 with the hopes that the COVID-19 crisis would eventually be subsiding. Given the fact that numbers of positive cases are growing, and states are struggling to manage the crisis, it has quickly become clear that additional relief was needed. The original relief offered through the CARES Act was set to expire on September 30, 2020.