01 Jan 2017

Filing for Bankruptcy Without an Attorney: What You Need to Know

 

Once you’ve made a decision to file bankruptcy the next thing you’ll need to do is find a bankruptcy attorney. Chances are, like most people, you’ve decided to file bankruptcy because you cannot meet your debts.

 

You may think one smart way of saving money is to avoid hiring a bankruptcy attorney, after all, it’s just a bunch of forms to fill out and present to the court, right? No, you’re wrong and you could be jeopardizing your financial future if you opt to file on your own – which is known as “pro se”.

 

The Odds are Against You 

California residents and businesses file more petitions annually pro se than any other state in the country. According to some studies, if you’re considering a reorganization petition, the odds are not in your (more…)

23 Feb 2017

6 Quick and Clever Ways to Save on Groceries

If you are currently going through a financial crisis, saving money is probably at the forefront of your mind. After all, we all know that every little bit helps, especially when you are attempting to work your way out of a tough financial situation.

When finding places to trim the budget, most people are quick to blame—and cut—the little splurges and treats they may be indulging in. While this is definitely a good first step, it doesn’t have to stop there. There are actually a number of ways to save money that require very little to no sacrifice whatsoever. For instance, setting your thermostat a (more…)

01 Feb 2017

3 Reasons to Ditch the Credit Cards in the New Year

The new year is a time to start over with a blank slate. It’s an ideal
time to rid yourself of negativity and give yourself a fresh new outlook on life.

Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do with debt hanging over your head. In fact, waking up to find yourself in deep—and ever increasing—debt can make it hard to focus on much of anything.

Fortunately, there is a way out of debt, even when it is deep and seemingly endless. Although it will likely be a journey, there are plenty of others who have traveled the same road to help you out along the way. Best of all, the freedom from debt found at the end of the road is well worth all of your hard work.

The first step on your journey to debt-free living is to ditch the credit cards. Don’t toss them out entirely until they are paid off, but do freeze them in a large block of ice, hand them over to a trustworthy family member to keep out of your reach, or hide them from yourself in a place that is very inconvenient to get to. This will keep you from using them without a lot of thought first. (more…)

24 Jan 2017

6 Things You Should NOT Do If You’re Considering Bankruptcy

Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a difficult financial situation caused by high medical bills and loss of income, or a recent divorce. Your debts are piling up, and there’s simply not enough money to pay your creditors what you owe them. If you have come to the conclusion that your only option is filing for bankruptcy to eliminate your debts, be very careful. There are some detrimental financial moves that can hurt your bankruptcy case. It’s important that you avoid these mistakes so that your bankruptcy filing is a smoother process, rather than one fraught with challenges from your creditors, or the bankruptcy trustee.

Transferring Property or Money

People often believe that if they transfer assets, such as houses, cars and cash to relatives or others that those assets will be safe from the bankruptcy proceedings. This is a complete fallacy, and in fact, transferring assets does little to protect your assets. Worse yet, these attempts can be construed as fraudulent by the court, even if you had no intention of concealing the assets.

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13 Jan 2017

Start Fresh in 2017: Financial Resolutions

The new year is here and if you haven’t already, it’s time to set your financial goals for 2017!

Maybe you are hoping to pay off all of your debt, or perhaps you’d like to start a savings account for a particular purpose. Whatever it is you’ve been considering doing with your money, now is the time to resolve to do it and take steps towards getting it done.

Even if you are all for setting new goals and working toward becoming more financially secure, you may be wondering how to get started on your 2017 financial journey. After all, money is often a big and intimidating topic that you may try to avoid.

For this reason, we have taken the time to put together a series of guidelines for setting and meeting your 2017 money goals.

Look at Your Situation

Before making any enormous resolutions, you must take an honest look at where you currently stand. If you find that you are deep in debt and/or on the verge of bankruptcy, setting a goal to save for a cruise vacation is probably not the best choice. (more…)