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Bankruptcy Myths

Social Security Number Not Necessary for Bankruptcy

A question that’s commonly asked about New York bankruptcy is whether a debtor needs a Social Security number to file. Debtors ask because they sometimes run across the bankruptcy form title, “Your Statement About Your Social Security Numbers” (B 121), which asks debtors to list their current and prior Social Security numbers. The new bankruptcy …

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How much will a bankruptcy filing affect my FICO score?

How much does a bankruptcy filing affect your FICO score?  In the big picture, this may not be the right question to ask. In 2010 FICO made public some–not all, just some–of the information behind their mysterious, black-box credit scoring system. The answer to the bankruptcy question is:  It depends on the individual.  But it appears …

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How does debt and bankruptcy affect senior citizens?

Elderly Americans are frequently victims of debt problems and need to file bankruptcy.  Especially those on fixed incomes.  However, many senior citizens don’t realize that they also have certain advantages afforded to them under the bankruptcy laws. For example, retirement accounts and social security income are almost always protected from creditors. And many senior citizens …

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10 Years After Bankruptcy Reform: Means-Testing Doesn’t Work

The 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) changed New York bankruptcy in some dramatic ways, particularly chapter 7. It also changed New York bankruptcy lawyers’ practices: The recently revised bankruptcy forms they complete for clients are an echo of the BAPCPA. Most of the BAPCPA went into effect in October 2005, and …

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Social Security Number Not Necessary for Bankruptcy

A question that’s commonly asked about New York bankruptcy is whether a debtor needs a Social Security number to file. Debtors ask because they sometimes run across the bankruptcy form title, “Your Statement About Your Social Security Numbers” (B 121), which asks debtors to list their current and prior Social Security numbers. The new bankruptcy …

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Do Debtors Think Mandatory Financial Education Works?

That’s the question a pair of researchers raised a few years ago, and the answer might provide insights to debtors in New York bankruptcy. Since the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was passed, debtors have been required to complete a financial education course prior to discharge, which is not to be confused …

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Football Players Regularly File Bankruptcy

Some people feel discouraged from talking to a New York bankruptcy lawyer because they believe bankruptcy is something only irresponsible people do. That’s understandable, if misguided. Occasionally, however, the news provides opportunities to reassure people of the truth. For example, in April the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a paper researching “short-lived income …

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Stay in Chapter 7 by Deducting Your Health Insurance

Lacking health insurance is almost always a bad idea. People who are injured can end up borrowing large amounts of money that they can’t manage, but there’s one situation in New York bankruptcy where lacking health insurance might not be an impediment: Debtors who don’t have health insurance might still be able to deduct it …

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File Chapter 13, Live Longer

Last week I discussed an article in The New York Times‘ Dealbook blog that described banks that were failing to report bankruptcy debtors’ debts as discharged. A minor criticism that wasn’t worth raising at the time was the article’s melodramatic characterization of bankruptcy as taking a “heavy toll” on debtors. Actually, New York bankruptcy isn’t …

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