|
Free Credit Report – Watch Out for Scams
Many people may still not be aware of an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that Congress passed last year. This amendment allows U.S. citizens to receive a copy of their credit report, for free, once per year. The plan is being...
Minimum Credit Card Payments to Rise
For years, major credit card companies have allowed cardholders to make minimum payments of 2% of the outstanding balances on their credit cards. Having customers pay the minimum doesn’t reduce the balance by very much, but when the 18-30% interest...
New Bankruptcy Law Will Not Protect You from Identity Theft
Recently passed by Congress with overwhelming support, the oddly-named Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was designed to eliminate “bankruptcy of convenience.” The perceived problem is that many compulsive gamblers, shoppers...
Understanding Structured Settlements and their Advantages
Put in simple terms, a structured settlement is merely an agreement that’s reached between a plaintiff and defendant that outlines the flow of payment that the plaintiff receives, due to injury. These payments – which are made over a specified...
Website Promotion – Where to Get Ideas for Writing Articles
Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles to free content sites in order to promote the six commercial Websites I own. The results have been both swift and dramatic, and the number of links from external Websites to my own...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Bankruptcy Legislation May Make it Harder to Find an Attorney
The recently passed Bankruptcy Abuse prevention and Consumer Protection Act will make it harder for people with problem debt to have their debt eliminated through filing for bankruptcy. This new legislation will make it harder to have debts wiped out by the courts, and will require more debtors to pay back some or all of their debts. Considered by many to be a gift from Congress to the major credit card companies, this new law has many people rightly concerned about how to best deal with their debt problems. An additional concern that few have considered is that it not only will be more difficult to file for bankruptcy, it may also be difficult to find legal assistance once the new law takes effect in October, 2005.
Under current law, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy for consumer debt is a fairly routine procedure. A Chapter 7 filing allows most debts to be eliminated once the debtor demonstrates that they cannot pay their bills. While it is and should be considered a last resort for those in debt, a Chapter 7 filing allows those who emerge from bankruptcy to have a “fresh start.” Legal costs vary for assisting with a Chapter 7 filing, but they typically involve only a few hours of billing time on the part of an attorney. Under the new legislation most filers will be forced to file for bankruptcy under the more complicated Chapter 13. A Chapter 13 filing, which requires the structuring of a repayment plan, is somewhat more
complicated and generally costs two to three times as much in legal fees. Adding to the complication is the fact that the new legislation will hold the attorneys for those filing for bankruptcy liable for paperwork issues, leaving the attorneys vulnerable to lawsuits from both bankruptcy trustees and the customers on whose behalf they file.
What this means to the consumer is that good legal help will be expensive and hard to find once the new bankruptcy law takes effect. Attorneys who specialize in bankruptcy cases will undoubtedly raise their rates significantly in order to offset their greater risk. Attorneys who seldom work on bankruptcy cases may simply stop handling them, thinking that the additional risk of a lawsuit isn’t worth their trouble. Anyone who is currently experiencing debt problems, which might require the help of a bankruptcy attorney, should probably meet with one now. It is better to find one now, even if you don’t need one, than to need one later and realize that you cannot find one.
About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding structured settlements.
|
|
|
|
|
| National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) |
| Provides structured settlements using periodic payments to resolve claims. |
| www.nssta.com |
|
| Structured Settlements |
| Setting up structured settlements for personal injury claims. |
| ilf.hartfordlife.com |
|
| Structured Settlements, Structured Annuity, Structured Settlement ... |
| Full-service plaintiff structured settlement firm since 1986, providing services and strategies for personal injury lawyers and clients during the ... |
| www.structuredsettlements.org |
|
| Structured Settlements | Annuity Purchasers |
| Structured Settlement Buyers. Purchasers specializing in structured settlements and lottery winnings. Site contains attorney, broker and investor ... |
| www.ppicash.com |
|
| Structured Settlement Cash for Structured Settlement Annuity ... |
| Annuity Transfers Homepage - Buyer of Structured Settlements · Home | Sell Your Payments | Brokers | Investors | Testimonials ... |
| www.annuitytransfers.com |
|
| EPS Structured Settlements Group: A Structured Settlements Company ... |
| EPS Settlements Group is located in Denver, Colorado and is a founder of the structured settlements industry. |
| www.epssettlements.com |
|
| Mckellar :: Structured Settlements |
| News. ... Skip Intro Always >> |
| www.mckellar.com |
|
| The Structured Settlement - What You Need To Know |
| About two thirds of states have enacted laws which restict the sale of structured settlements, and tax-free structured settlements are also subject to ... |
| www.expertlaw.com |
|
| Settlement Capital Corporation - sell structured settlements,sell ... |
| Direct purchaser of structured settlements and other annuities. |
| www.setcap.com |
|
| John Hancock Insurance and Financial Services :: Explore Our ... |
| A structured settlements annuity provides injury victims or the victim's ... John Hancock Structured Settlements and Attorney Fee Annuities are just two ... |
| www.johnhancock.com |
|
| Structured Settlements - Prudential Financial |
| Your company may become liable to pay a settlement as the result of a legal proceeding. A Structured Settlement Annuity provides ongoing periodic payments ... |
| www.prudential.com |
|
| Finance - Structured-Settlements Ezine Articles |
| EzineArticles.com allows ezine or email list publishers to upload or download free expert content that can be used within email newsletters or websites. |
| ezinearticles.com |
|
| Understanding Structured Settlements: A Novice's Guide to the ... |
| Learn what a Structured Settlement is in plain English. Find Structured Settlements company, payments, broker, annuity and loan info. |
| www.noendpress.com |
|
| structured settlements, personal injury, annuity, disability, accident |
| Structured Settlements allow income to be spread over time, which is safer ... Structured settlements are often ideal under the following circumstances: ... |
| www.structuredsettlementhelp.com |
|
| Structured settlement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Structured settlements were first utilized in Canada and the United States ... Structured settlements are now part of the statutory tort law of several ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Structured Settlement vs. Lump sum - What to do? |
| More and more claimants are choosing structured settlements. ... Most structured settlements come in the form of an annuity, which is sold by a third party, ... |
| injury.freeadvice.com |
|
| Welcome to The Halpern Group, experts in structured settlements ... |
| Offers structured settlements, consulting and negotiation services to attorneys representing injured clients. |
| www.halperngroup.com |
|
| Structured Settlements Leader J.G. Wentworth, JG Wentworth ... |
| Structured Settlements Leader JG Wentworth, JG Wentworth Settlement Funding - More than 25000 individuals have come to JG Wentworth to finance their dreams ... |
| www.jgwfunding.com |
|
| DOG BITE LAW - Structured Settlements |
| For those reasons, changes were made to the Internal Revenue Code that enable knowledgeable attorneys to create "structured settlements." ... |
| www.dogbitelaw.com |
|
| Structured Settlements Law – Lawyers, Attorneys & Free Legal ... |
| I am confused by the number of internet sites that plug offers of structured settlements, sale of structured settlement annuities, and attorneys who offer ... |
| injury-law.freeadvice.com |
|