New York bankruptcy is much safer than taking out a payday loan to get by, but that doesn’t stop people from using them. Some regulators have taken efforts to curb the worst practices, as New York State is doing, but now it appears the federal government is getting involved. Specifically, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau …
CFPB to Propose Rules to End ‘Death-Trap’ Payday Loans Read More »
Debtors considering chapter 7 New York bankruptcy often learn that if their incomes are above their state’s median family income, they must take the means test. The consequence of failing it would be converting their cases to chapter 13 (or, less commonly, chapter 11). This isn’t true for all debtors, notably business debtors, and some …
‘Business Debts’ Might Keep Debtors in Chapter 7 Read More »
It’s one of the most important questions debtors can ask, particularly if their incomes are above the median for their state and they don’t expect to pass the means test. There are three tests the Bankruptcy Code applies to debtors’ repayment plans before they can be confirmed. A plan must pass all three tests and …
How Much Do You Need to Be Able to Pay in Chapter 13? Read More »
It’s not a phenomenon that’s affected people filing New York bankruptcy yet, but it might become one in the not-so-distant future: Some federal courts in other states are ruling that tax debts that would otherwise be dischargeable are in fact not. Here’s the background. Typically, discharging a tax debt requires the debtor to meet three …
Bankruptcy Courts Becoming Less Forgiving of Late Tax Returns Read More »
In discussing reverse mortgages and New York bankruptcy, I demurred on whether they “work as intended.” As a brief reintroduction, a reverse mortgage gives the homeowner equity payouts over time rather than the homeowner “purchasing” equity with monthly payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a report that addressed the effectiveness of reverse …
CFPB Reports on Homeowners’ Reverse Mortgage Complaints Read More »
A reverse mortgage is when a homeowner who owns a property free of any other mortgages and is at least 62 years old borrows money against the home’s equity. It’s “reverse” in the sense that the home’s equity decreases as the money is paid out to the homeowner instead of rising with each mortgage payment. …
Usually debtors in chapter 13 New York bankruptcy concern themselves with what happens to their tax refunds, which trustees will keep for the creditors, but there’s another way the tax code intersects with bankruptcy—but this time to the advantage of debtors: deductions. The reason tax deductions can make a difference for debtors in chapter 13 …
Save Money in Chapter 13 by Ferreting Out Tax Deductions From Payments Read More »
Liens on underwater junior mortgages survive chapter 7 New York bankruptcy, which means homeowners will need to keep paying them to prevent foreclosure. Often, the response is to file a chapter 13 case after the chapter 7 one to strip the lien, but there are reasons to be cautious about taking that course of action. …
Alternatives to Chapter 13 After Discharging an Underwater Mortgage Read More »
Last year, I discussed what happens to income tax refunds in New York bankruptcy, but that post doesn’t address specific concerns that chapter 13 debtors might have. Now that 2015 is here and people are looking through their tax forms (you are doing that, right?), it’s worthwhile to discuss the topic for a few reasons. …
What Happens to an Income Tax Refund in Chapter 13? Read More »
Nope, that’s not a typo. There is such a thing as a zero-percent chapter 13 plan. Although, it is a misnomer in that the debtor is actually going to make some payments on the plan. (Otherwise it would be absurd.) Consequently, a zero-percent plan isn’t the opposite of the more commonly known 100 percent chapter …
What Are the Benefits of a 0 Percent Chapter 13 Repayment Plan? Read More »
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