How to Make the Best out of Bankruptcy
Some people find themselves in financial turmoil because of choices they’ve made. They might’ve been irresponsible with credit cards when they were younger or they might have mismanaged their money or overestimated their ability to pay back the money they borrowed.
In other cases, people had little to no control over their financial problems. One minute they were fine and making responsible choices and doing everything they could to properly manage their money, and the next minute everything changed. Perhaps they or a loved one found themselves facing a medical emergency or an unexpected job loss caused them to have to dig further into their savings then they imagined.
Filing for Bankruptcy is Your Choice
Regardless of what caused you to face financial struggles, bankruptcy can help. It’s possible to make the best of a negative situation and turn your life around but you need to act.
The most important thing to remember when you are considering bankruptcy?
Make sure it is your choice and that it is truly the best option based on your circumstances. Unfortunately, there are people out there who use others’ financial struggles to make money for themselves. They convince people facing a hard time to make bad decisions that make their situations worse. Or they make empty promises that never come to fruition.
Instead of letting someone else push you into bankruptcy, take control of your situation and determine if bankruptcy is truly the best tool for you.
What Pushes People into Bankruptcy?
People tend to have several reasons for filing for bankruptcy. Debts pile up and even if the problems started with one thing, struggling with money tends to snowball into something that affects several areas of your life.
However, for most people filing for bankruptcy, there will be a final straw. This is something that pushes them over the edge and makes them decide that drastic measures are needed to turn their lives around.
Some of the most common “final straws” that push people into bankruptcy include:
- Dealing with ongoing harassment by debt collectors
- Threats of a lawsuit
- Wage garnishment or bank levies
- Looming foreclosure or vehicle repossession
In many cases, people are able to tolerate missing a payment or two on their bills or receiving notice from a debt collector that an account is in arrears, but when they face the prospect of losing their homes or having others find out about their financial struggles, they opt to take drastic action.
In other cases, it’s a single event that acts as the final straw. A job loss or medical emergency is enough to put many people over the edge financially. The expense of a serious medical illness or injury or the inability to make ends meet with no income creates an immediate financial crisis and the person has no choice but to act.
For more information on why bankruptcy might be right for you or to find out if you even qualify to file for bankruptcy based on your financial situation, check out this information from The Balance.
If you feel as though life has pushed you toward bankruptcy, we can help. We’ve worked with individuals and families who are faced with a variety of financial challenges and we’ve made it easier for them to get back on their feet.
For more information or to speak to someone about how filing for bankruptcy could improve your financial situation, contact the Bankruptcy Law Office of Robert M. Geller at (813) 254-5696 to schedule a free consultation.