When Bankruptcy Is the Responsible Thing to Do
The best New Year’s resolution for improving your life: Find out your legal options for tackling your debts, and then act on what you learn.
“Asset” and “No Asset” Closed-Business Chapter 7 Cases
When the sole proprietor of a just-closed business files a personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the trustee may or may not have assets to liquidate and distribute to the creditors. If not, the case will more likely be finished faster. But if the trustee does collect some assets, there can be some bigger advantages in […]
Advantages of Paying Your 2012 Income Tax through Chapter 13
If you expect to owe 2012 income tax, you may be able to take care of it simply by paying less to your other creditors.
Keeping It Simple in a Closed-Business Chapter 7 Case
Using a Chapter 7 case to clean up after closing down your business will be easy or not depending largely on three factors: business assets, taxes, and other nondischargeable debts. These three will usually also determine if you should be in a Chapter 7 case or instead in a Chapter 13 one. Once you’ve closed […]
Paying Your 2012 Income Taxes on the Backs of Your Other Creditors
If you expect to owe 2012 income taxes, and you file bankruptcy after December 31, that tax can be “included” in your case.
Defeating Creditors’ Accusations That You Misused Their Credit to Pay for the Holidays
The risk that creditors will not allow you to discharge some of their debts can be minimized through smart timing of your bankruptcy.
Getting a Fresh Financial Start After Closing Down Your Small Business
Closing down a business can be messy. A bankruptcy filed to deal with the financial fallout of a business closure is often more complicated than a normal consumer bankruptcy case. But not necessarily. In one respect at least, a business bankruptcy can actually be much easier than a consumer one. If you’ve owned a small […]
Americans Still Think the Same about Why the Rich Are Rich
The headline story: many more Americans now believe that strong conflict exists between the rich and the poor. The surprising backstory: our attitude has NOT changed about how the rich got to be that way. This follows up on my recent blog about the report by the Pew Research Center titled “Rising Share of Americans […]
The Honest Christmas
Your abundant love for your children, spouse, and others is not defined by an (over)abundance of holiday gifts.
“Converting” Your Chapter 13 Case into a Chapter 7 One
When you start a Chapter 13 plan, it’s good to have Chapter 7 available as a backup plan.