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How Long Can You Stay in Your Home if You Surrender it in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

Moving day

If you're deep in debt and behind on your mortgage, you may be scrambling for solutions. Chapter 7 is an answer to many debt dilemmas and can even help you sort out a mess with your house. One of the options that many people ...

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What Is a Motion for Relief and What Does It Mean When a Creditor Files One Against You?

Filing

When you're filing for bankruptcy, you're focused on yourself and getting debt-free (and you should be). But there are other parties involved in the process – those you owe. Most of the time, creditors accept a bankruptcy filing and don't try and fight it. But ...

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Debt and I Do's: 5 Things to Consider When Marrying Someone Who Filed Bankruptcy

Wedding

If you've found Mister or Ms Right and are ready to commit to happily ever after, that's great. But what if the love of your life has had money troubles and recently filed bankruptcy? This takes some serious thinking, not because bankruptcy itself is a ...

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5 Things to Avoid Doing Before You File Bankruptcy

No, no, no

If your finances are out of control and you just can't pay your bills and debts, you may be looking for alternatives to get you out of this difficulty. Bankruptcy is one of those possible solutions. Depending on how much you earn, the type of ...

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Celebrity Bankruptcy: Real Housewives of New Jersey Jacqueline Laurita's Messy Finances and Possible Fraud

RHONJ Jacqueline Laurita

Love them or hate them, the Real Housewives franchise are hit shows. The Real Housewives of New Jersey show, though, has spawned two very controversial celebrity bankruptcy cases – that of Teresa Giudice and now Jacqueline Laurita. We've written here before about Giudice's bankruptcy case ...

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Bankruptcy Court Lets Illinois Woman Keep $10,000 Bible Against Trustee Wishes

Old Bible

One of the major concerns of most people considering bankruptcy is what will happen to their stuff. We get this question from clients all the time. Most normal people who have standard assets – a home with a modest amount of equity, a reasonable car ...

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How a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Can Help You Get Rid of a Tax Lien

Death and taxes

Debt is bad enough but debt owed to the IRS can be downright terrifying. The IRS isn't one to call you on the phone and make threats – they just send letters detailing all the powers they have to take your money. And one of ...

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4 Ways to Rebuild Your Credit After Bankruptcy

Four things

There's no denying that filing bankruptcy will lower your credit score, but for those behind on their bills, taking the hit should allow you to recover faster financially and begin rebuilding your credit. Continuing to drown in debt you can't afford will see your credit ...

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3 Debts That Can't Be Discharged in Bankruptcy (Usually)

Three

Bankruptcy can offer meaningful solutions to those that are overwhelmed by their debts and can't afford to pay what they owe. Of the two types of bankruptcy filed by individuals or couples, chapter 7 offers the most complete debt relief for those that qualify. In ...

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New Study Shows Filing Bankruptcy Can Literally Save Your Life

Mortality

Many people use the word literally incorrectly (it's a pet peeve of mine). Literally means truly, honestly, actually. As in, my eyes literally popped out of my head would mean my optical orbs physically sprang from their spot on my face. Needless to say, it's ...

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