Bankruptcy and Employment Credit checks

Many out-of-work job seekers are facing a double whammy when applying for a new job: a marketplace flooded with competition for the job, and more employers doing credit checks.  Many have been unlucky enough to be out of work long enough to have missed a few bill payments, sending their credit history to a new low.  This can be a negative when a prospective employer looks at it.  So, just how bad is this problem, and what can you do about it?

According to an article by Kristen McNamara in the March 16, 2010 Wall Street Journal, about 47% of employers do credit checks.  Most of those are part of a background check for jobs having to do with "fiduciary or financial responsibility, such as accounting, budgeting or those involving cash or cfredit-card information", according to the article.

Sandy Gross of Pinetum Partners in Greenwich, Conn. is quoted in the article, encouraging applicants to give a prospective employer a heads-up as to what the employer might find on a credit report, and to explain why.  "No one likes a surprise", she says.  DO be up front about your credit problems. As a general rule, DON'T refuse to consent to the credit check, since the employer may simply assume the worst. The good news is that you'll have a lot of company.  In this economy, the credit-challenged may just outnumber those with pristine reports.

There may be help on the way.    Federal legislation has been proposed calling for a prohibition on the use of credit checks "during the hiring or firing process, with certain exceptions", according to the article. A law like that couldn't arrive too soon for many who have seen their credit hit the hardest of times.

Personal Bankruptcies: Chapter 13 Filings at Record High - TIME

Personal Bankruptcies: Chapter 13 Filings at Record High - TIME

Short Sales, Foreclosures and Bankruptcy

Here's the situation: John and Mary short-sold their home a year ago.  Or maybe they couldn't quite pull that off, so it was foreclosed on.  They were sad and disappointed, but moved on.  They thought...

Fast forward: the holder of the second mortgage, in the amount of, say, $125,000, is now suing them for the entire balance owed.  Say what?  Oh, yeah.  This is one of the dirty little secrets that pretty much no one but bankruptcy lawyers is talking about.  And it's becoming a real "OMG" moment for a lot of borrowers, but it's one we've been warning clients about for years.

Worth reading is an article in April 12, 2010 Wall Street Journal, page A2, which tells of a specific case of a San Diego borrower who short sold her house .  While politicians are pressuring banks to change this practice, so far this remains a really serious risk for a homeowner who must give up their home  due to short -sale or foreclosure .  Most of the time, first-mortgage lenders are not a threat, though they can be.  It's those second mortgages that are far more dangerous for you the owner to get sued.

Bankruptcy is the only way to eliminate the threat from ALL lenders.  Some lenders will voluntarily agree not to pursue the borrowers.  Even when they do that, the borrower still risks a ginormous tax bill for "debt forgiveness."

THE BOTTOM LINE : Get legal advice before you do a short sale or get foreclosed on . Do it to make sure it is really going ot be over.

Bankruptcy information: Your 401K is it exempt ?

Most people who have come to see me have struggled with the thought of filing bankruptcy. The urban legend that people file bankruptcy because they want to take advantage of the system, it's just that an urban legend.

One of the mistakes I see is people who are struggling to hang on raid their 401K to pay their bills. Your 401(k) and some of their savings is exempt if you do decide to file bankruptcy. This is a particularly mistake for those unemployed people who who are within 10 years of retirement. Recovering your 401k savings is a 15 year time span is unlikely .It's important that you be realistic in your plans.Your retirement is going to last a lot longer than any credit score dings that will happen if you decided to file bankruptcy 

Filing for bankruptcy what to do first ?

No one ever wants to think that they are going to have to file for bankruptcy. These days, due to the economic upheaval, financial crisis, and housing bubble many good people have had to plan for bankruptcy. They had made decisions that looked sound at the time, but got caught up in a financial firestorm. If you were one of those people and feel it is time to start planning to file  bankruptcy there are a few things to keep in mind.

First is, make an appointment with a bankruptcy lawyer. I understand that this will be scary. No one wants to face this.   Making the call can feel uncomfortable and  embarrassing.  Some San Diego bankruptcy lawyers, myself included, offer a free consultation.  The purpose of your meeting is to determine if you qualify for bankruptcy.  It is to your best advantage to speak to a bankruptcy lawyer about this.  Due to the Internet and proliferation of information, clients that we speak to sometimes believe that they can determine if they qualify for bankruptcy online.  Nice thought, but it really isn’t that easy.  A bankruptcy attorney can give you the most realistic information that you need.  Not meeting with the bankruptcy attorney is never in your best interest.

When you meet at your first appointment to see a bankruptcy lawyer, bring least six months of your pay stubs. Plan ahead: before you schedule your appointment to speak to a bankruptcy attorney call your HR department and get a copy of six months of your pay stubs.  If you are married, bring your spouse.  Even if your spouse isn’t filing with you, he (or she) will still usually have to sign a waiver.  Plus, if you decide to file bankruptcy, going forward all joint credit will be affected. Keep this in mind when you call to schedule your appointment with your bankruptcy lawyer. The third thing you will need to consider when planning for bankruptcy is to stop using your credit cards for significant credit card charges. This would mean no vacations, no last hurrah :=)

 Planning for bankruptcy is something you should congratulate yourself for. You're taking the first steps in being proactive to get under control the financial firestorm you find yourself in.  It's a scary step, but will benefit your family and you

.http://www.bankruptcy-sandiego.com/calculator.html

We' re not the the only ones who have had problems with banks

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.

Thomas Jefferson, (Attributed)
3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

There's nothing to be embarrassed about when filing bankruptcy

There's nothing to be embarrassed about when filing bankruptcy