Bankruptcy 101

In this episode we talk about how residential leases are dealt with in chapter 7 and chapter 13 as well as how you and your landlord may be affected.  

In this short episode we talk about some basic strategies to increase your credit score after you've filed a bankruptcy and how long the bankruptcy will be reported on your credit report.  

In this episode we talk about how the fees are paid in a chapter 7 and a chapter 13 and how to make sure you're paying a fair price. 

In this episode we talk about what happens to your tax debt in a chapter 7 and chapter 13 case and what tax debt qualifies for a discharge when you file a bankruptcy.  

In this episode, we discuss what an adversary proceeding is, who files them, and some of the more common reasons they are filed.  

In this episode I talk about how you can go about getting a mortgage loan after you've filed a bankruptcy.  I talk about the different types of mortgages and the waiting periods for getting a loan, depending on what chapter of bankruptcy you've filed.  I also give some helpful hints on how to build your credit after filing bankruptcy.  

In this episode I'll explain some of the ramifications and options if you leave a creditor out of your bankruptcy and why it matters whether you've filed a chapter 7 or chapter 13.  

In this episode I explore some of the more common issues that come up when a couple divorces and one or both of them need to file a bankruptcy.  I'll talk about the timing of  those cases along with how they are affected in chapter 7 and chapter 13.  

In this episode I'll either bore you or confuse you with the concept of what we call The Means Test, which applies in every consumer bankruptcy case.  You can't get away from it, so you may as well learn more about it and embrace this wonderful form that Congress created in 2005.  Boo, Hiss!  There is no explicit language in this podcast, but the Means Test will make you want to swear!

In this episode we talk about how a chapter 7 trustee administers your estate.  You'll learn how a trustee views your assets and values those assets and then makes a determination as to whether the trustee will require you to turn over certain assets.  

In this episode we talk about what types of debt are typically discharged in a bankruptcy and some of the debts are not dischargeable, or, at least more difficult to discharge.  We also talk about the myths of not being able to discharge tax debt and student loans.  

In this episode we discuss what the meeting of creditors, or "341" is, who attends, how to answer questions by the trustee, and what you can expect when you attend. 

In this episode we talk about section 362 of the bankruptcy code, called the Automatic Stay and how that provision keeps creditors from collecting after you've filed for bankruptcy.   It also talks about when a creditor can continue to collect and what the punishments are if a creditor violates the Automatic Stay.  

In this episode we talk about what property  may  be considered property of your bankruptcy estate and then we talk about how to protect that property through Exemption Laws.  

In this episode we talk about some of the basic things you should do and should not do before, and during the filing of your bankruptcy.  

In this episode we talk about things you should be looking for in a bankruptcy attorney and the red flags that should be aware of when making a decision on whom to hire.  

In this episode we discuss some of the basic reasons people file for bankruptcy as well as the most common chapters of bankruptcy available to consumers.  We discuss the differences in chapter 7 and chapter 13 and how each case generally works.