When people file for bankruptcy protection, they are allowed to protect, or “exempt” certain property. What can be protected (and what rules are used to protect the assets) depends on which state the debtor lives in. Back in 2014, the US Supreme Court ruled, in
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Going to College Soon? Money Rules!
College-Bound Juniors and Seniors in High School, and your parents—this article is for you! You filled out all of the “common-apps”, wrote the essays, and are sending off the applications to your dream schools, safety schools, and everyplace in between. Parents, you did your taxes,
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Student Loan Cheat Sheet—New Program Starting Soon!
If you are burdened by student loans, help is on the way! The U.S. Department of Education is revising the Pay as You Earn program (PAYE) to be REPAYE. (Clever, get it?). This new program, based on the President’s executive order last year, is meant
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US Dept of Education to Expand Pay as You Earn Program, and Help Borrowers
Student loan repayment can be a huge burden. The Obama Administration recently announced its plans for a Student Aid Bill of Rights, and now, it is also trying to rework and make the Pay as You Earn Program available to more students. The US Department
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Illinois Bankruptcy Court: You Can Give up your Car in a Chapter 13 Case, Even if you can’t Deliver it
A Judge in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois just ruled that you don’t have to give back a car to “surrender” it in a Chapter 13 Plan. Let’s look at the facts: A person finances a car at 24.99% interest, and
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Save Your Assets- File for Bankruptcy Protection!
This headline doesn’t make sense, does it? When most people think of bankruptcy, they think of “throwing in the towel” and losing everything. In many cases, it is just the opposite! Lately, I’ve met more and more senior citizens who run into financial troubles. It
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Still a Bankruptcy Attorney?! Why Am I Still Crazy After all These Years?
Paul Simon wrote the famous song back in the 1970s. The song does still ring true for me, and my law firm. When I started practicing law in 1991, I worked for several firms, did some divorce, real estate, and general practice work along with
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Your Money: Can You Handle the Truth?
Jack Nicholson’s most famous line in his movie career goes something like this: “You want the truth?! You can’t HANDLE the truth!” My clients come in to see me, as a bankruptcy attorney, and they want advice on how to “fix” their money problems. They
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New College Grads, Hit a Home Run with These Money Tips
Congratulations! You worked hard, studied hard, and came through in the clutch! You aced those exams, and turned in all the papers! Now, you are lining up that first job out of college! You are getting ready to really strike out on your own! But,
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Court to Mortgage Companies- File Claims on Time to Get Paid in Bankruptcy Cases!
Normally, for consumer bankruptcy lawyers and their clients, things proceed pretty smoothly. And, the how the cases go through the system are predictable. Congress only seems to pay attention to bankruptcy about every 10 years or so. And, major court decisions don’t usually get appealed
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