Category: Debt & Bankruptcy

The pandemic has caused financial turmoil for many people.  Many Pennsylvanians find themselves behind on payments whether it be on their credit cards, personal loans, medical bills, or with their mortgage company.  As Pennsylvania re-opens and recovers from the pandemic, creditors will continue collection efforts to take advantage of consumers who have found themselves hurting… Continue reading Entering a Voluntary Payment Plan with Your Creditor After Being Served with a Lawsuit May Not Be Your Best Solution

Losing your job after years of employment and enjoying a steady paycheck is a shock to anyone. Unemployment compensation does not replace the regular paychecks you previously received. This may be the very situation workers at the US Foods facility in Altoona, Pennsylvania will experience with reports that its warehouse operations will soon close. When… Continue reading Job Loss Does Not Mean You Will Lose Your Home – If You Plan Carefully

It’s Not Too Late! The best way to avoid bankruptcy is with good money management, setting a budget and simply not spending more than you earn. Of course, we realize you are probably reading this article because you are already at a point of desperation. Perhaps our title should be: How to Avoid Bankruptcy When I’m… Continue reading How to Avoid Bankruptcy

Hearing from a Collection Agency Receiving a letter from a collection agency or attorney can be very intimidating. A collection letter may be written in a very friendly manner — ”Welcome to ABC Collections, we look forward to serving you and helping you determine which option works best for you to manage your debt.” Collection notices… Continue reading So, You have Received a Collection Letter

God and Debt. Is There a Christian Debt Solution? There is a belief “out there” that people in debt are bad, irresponsible, ignorant, stupid, or uncaring people. Many of those who hold this belief are the debtors themselves. Every day, we talk with people that are embarrassed and ashamed. They feel like they have let… Continue reading Should a Christian File for Bankruptcy?

How Your Credit Report Affects Your Life Your credit report has so much more to do with your life now than it used to.   For good or bad, your credit score can influence the rates of loans you are offered, security clearances, job applications, and even the cost of car insurance.  It’s more important than… Continue reading Credit Report Errors

Handling Household Expenses without Credit Cards Want to reduce your credit card debt? Try the Envelope System. Credit cards are easy to use, too easy! You swipe them, sign them, and forget them! Then you try to put those charges out of your mind until the credit card statement comes. When you open that bill… Continue reading The Envelope System

Smart Ways to Budget for Christmas The holidays are almost here! You’ve been busy all year, and now your pre-holiday panic is starting to set in. It’s time to buy gifts, plan parties, and even travel back home to be with family. What will it all cost? A happy holiday season starts with a smart… Continue reading Top 10 ways to Budget for Holiday Spending

How do you know if you have developed an unhealthy dependency on your credit cards? Do you find yourself… Saying things will get better next month. Catching up on your bills with your bonus from work. Using your tax return to pay off bills. Day dreaming that your credit cards will be paid off someday.… Continue reading Are You Dependent on Credit Cards?

How to Find a Good Debt Relief Attorney Finding a good debt relief attorney is the most important step you can take in achieving freedom from overwhelming debt. Focus your efforts on finding a lawyer who deals with your specific issue and one that will be there for you, helping you through the whole process… Continue reading How to Find a Good Debt Relief Attorney

Successful Savers & Investors Saving money and investing takes time and persistence. You need to be in control of your personal debt and living within your means. It’s not easy, and you may feel overwhelmed. To have money in your budget each month for savings and investment goals takes an ongoing financial commitment. How do… Continue reading Successful Savers & Investors

Can I Keep My Home and Car? You were thrilled when you were able to negotiate and settle one of your credit When faced with mounting debt and life changing events like Bankruptcy, it is only natural to feel overwhelmed. What if you lose your car? Will they take away your home? The Debt Negotiation… Continue reading Debt Negotiation

1099-C Cancellation of Debt Notice You were thrilled when you were able to negotiate and settle one of your credit card accounts for much less than the full balance. Your debt relief efforts were showing results! Unfortunately, that thrill turned to anxiety and indignation when you received a 1099-C Cancellation of Debt notice from your… Continue reading 1099-C – Cancellation of Debt Notice

A Monthly Budget Worksheet can Help When it comes to getting your personal debt under control, a good place to begin is with the basics of a household or personal budget. Creating a monthly budget helps you identify where you may be overspending and can also help you in developing an overall financial plan. Building… Continue reading Creating a Monthly Budget

Be Careful – You Cannot Borrow Your Way Out of Debt! If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve been researching ways to get out of debt, or to improve your financial situation with regard to debt. In this article, we’ll consider how debt consolidation works. To begin, let’s start with the basics, like the difference… Continue reading Does Debt Consolidation Work?

Don’t Qualify for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? Consider Chapter 13 Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a payment plan that allows you to pay back some, but not necessarily all, of your debt. Chapter 13 is often a good solution for people who do not qualify for Chapter 7 because their incomes are too high (i.e., above the… Continue reading Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Are You Concerned about Student Loan Debt? The student loan industry has undergone major changes and reform since 2009. While private and federal student loans still exist, most borrowers currently have federal student loans through the US Department of Education. One benefit of having federal student loans is that once you graduate from college, you… Continue reading Student Loan Debt

Being Sued – What Should You Do? When the sheriff shows up at your home to serve you with a civil lawsuit, it can be an extremely stressful event. Don’t worry, in cases of a civil lawsuit or other debt related issues, our full service debt relief law firm is ready to stand by your… Continue reading Served With a Lawsuit?

Has a Civil Action been Taken against You? Judgments are the result of a civil action filed in a court. They are usually for the collection of money owed by one party to another. Civil actions can start only within certain time limits. For example: The time limitation for a written or contract is four… Continue reading What is a Judgment?

Do You Need to Move Out of Your Home? When a sheriff appears at your door to serve you with a foreclosure notice, it can be a scary event. A foreclosure complaint & summons is the legal document you receive when a foreclosure lawsuit is filed against you. This happens when your lender sues you… Continue reading Mortgage Foreclosure

Going on Vacation? Budgeting Tips for a Great Vacation Going on vacation this year? Vacation planning is essential both to ensure that you have a good time and to keep your vacation budget under control. Don’t spoil the great memories of your get-away by ending up with higher household debt. Here are some vacation tips… Continue reading Budgeting Tips for a Great Vacation

Does Borrowing Money from Family Complicate Bankruptcy? When it comes to filing for bankruptcy, many people have first gone to family for help as their financial problems mount. If you’ve taken a family loan or otherwise received financial help by taking money from family – but your situation has only worsened – what should you… Continue reading Repaying Family Before Filing Bankruptcy

Negotiating a Settlement with Your Creditors When you find yourself overwhelmed with debt, bankruptcy is not your only option. Debt negotiation can be a powerful tool to reduce and eliminate debt over time, improve your credit rating, and get your financial situation back on course. It is often possible to negotiate a settlement for less… Continue reading What is Debt Negotiation?

Late Mortgage Payments and How to Deal with Them When you fall behind on your mortgage, staying in your home may not be possible. You may be able to avoid foreclosure, for example, but have to walk away from your home. Of course, the ideal situation is one where you are able to resolve your… Continue reading Foreclosure & Mortgage Delinquency

Struggling with a Possible Mortgage Default? It happens every day across America: people struggling to pay their home mortgage look into a modification loan to reduce their monthly payments. Ironically, the bank tells the struggling homeowner that they can’t be helped unless they fall behind on their mortgage. Once the homeowner falls behind, they often… Continue reading Mortgage Modification

When it comes to Credit Card Debt? If you have old debts, you may be wondering if a creditor is able to collect on them.It is true that debt collectors have only a limited number of years in which to take legal action and sue you to collect. This is known as the “statute of… Continue reading What is the Statute of Limitations

How Your Property can be affected by Cross-collateralization Agreements Cross-collateralization sounds like a frightening legal and financial term. What is it? Simply put, it is the use of one piece of collateral to secure more than one loan. When you apply for a new loan, then your credit union or bank may use collateral that… Continue reading Cross-Collateralization