Virginia residents who are experiencing financial difficulties may use bankruptcy as a way to get control over their debts. Prior to bankruptcy, courts require the filer to take a credit counseling course. Furthermore, it's necessary to take continuing education...
Roanoke Virginia Bankruptcy Law Blog
What to know about credit card balance forgiveness
When a Virginia debtor has a credit card balance forgiven, they aren't always totally in the clear. In some cases, only a portion of the balance is forgiven. Furthermore, it is possible that the forgiven debt could be treated as income by the IRS. This would make it...
How Virginia residents can gain control over medical debt
A study published in Health Affairs analyzed the 2016 credit reports of 4 million people. It found that over half of medical debts that went into collections each year were for less than $600. The study also found that those in their 20s have a greater chance of...
Survey looks at reasons for missed credit card payments
Some people in Virginia may be among the growing number of Americans who are delinquent on their credit cards. The delinquency rate has risen from 2.42 percent at the start of 2017 to 2.47 percent. Delinquency means the credit card payment is at least 30 days past...
Can filing for bankruptcy hurt my career?
Filing for bankruptcy can bring induce any number of unforeseen worries for individuals struggling to handle their debt. However, a bankruptcy filing is not a detrimental move for your financial or professional future.For an individual in Virginia who already holds a...
Generation Z already in debt
According to a survey of 2,000 people by banking and brokerage firm Charles Schwab, members of Generation Z, the generation after millennials, are already carrying debt. Young adults born between 1998 and 2002 have an average debt load of $4,343. Millennials born...
More older Americans are filing for bankruptcy
Wealth inequality is blamed for many of the social ills in Virginia and around the country, and a report from the Consumer Bankruptcy Project suggests that it may also be behind a recent surge in bankruptcy filings among older Americans. Bankruptcy petitions filed by...
Consumer debt in the United States continues to climb
Consumer debt around the country reached an all-time high of $13.2 trillion in the first quarter of 2018, which prompted many financial experts to conclude that consumers in Virginia and throughout the U.S. have not taken the lessons learned during the financial...
What happens at a section 341 meeting of creditors?
If you have filed a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy, you may feel anxiety upon hearing that you will need to attend the section 341 meeting of creditors. It is called a section 341 meeting because that is the section of the Bankruptcy Code that requires it take...
What debtors should know about Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Virginia residents and others who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy may repay their debts over three or five years. The length of time during which they must make payments depends on their income relative to the median in the state where the case is filed. To file for...