WARNING

Tax refunds are pledged to the Chapter 13 Plan in all orders confirming plans, and you must give your federal and state tax returns to the Chapter 13 Trustee each and every year you are in Chapter 13. So they know what you refund is and will demand it. ...

I have lots of clients who only owe credit card debt to the big banks and pay them for years, and when it snowballs beyond their ability to pay from current earnings, they dip into their savings and retirement instead of even considering bankruptcy. They do so mainly to avoid feelings of guilt. ...

You fall behind on your debts. You’ve always paid your debts, so you’re worried. Finally, the calls start coming. Anxiety knaws at your intestines and your shoulders tense when the caller identifies himself or herself as the embodiment of your fears, and pulls at the strings of shame that have been left on the fringes of your tattered finances. ...

The prospect of a consumer protection agency being debated in Congress that protects consumers from predatory lending practices is a very welcome development in my view and experience. The world of finance has because more and more complex and the public has understandably not kept up with these developments. As long as one believes that the government should protect citizens health and wealth as it does by funding police, ...