Solve Your Money Troubles: Get Debt Collectors Off Your Back & Regain Financial Freedom

By Attorney Robin Leonard , Nolo Press

Venue:

Description:

Feeling overwhelmed by your debts? If you're ready to regain your financial freedom, this book is exactly what you need!

Step by step, Solve Your Money Troubles shows you how to:

• prioritize debts
• create a budget
• negotiate with creditors
• stop collector harassment
• challenge wage attachments
• contend with repossessions
• respond to creditor lawsuits
• qualify for a mortgage
• rebuild credit

Table of Contents

I. Being in Debt Is Not As Bad As You Think

1. Secured and Unsecured Debts

• A. Secured Debts
• B. Unsecured Debts

2. Figuring Out How Much You Owe

• A. How Much Do You Earn?
• B. How Much Do You Owe?

3. If You're Married, Divorced, or Separated

• A. Who Owes What Debts in a Community Property State?
• B. Who Owns What Property in a Community Property State?
• C. What Property Is Liable for Payment of Debts in a Community Property State?
• D. Who Owes What Debts in a Common Law State?
• F. Who Owns What Property in a Common Law State?
• F. What Property Is Liable for Debts in a Common Law State?

4. Debts You May Not Owe

• A. The Seller Breaches a Warranty
• B. Your Car Is a Lemon
• C. You Are the Victim of Fraud
• D. You Want to Cancel a Contract
• E. Canceling Goods Ordered by Mail, Phone, Computer, or Fax
• F. Canceling Goods Ordered From a Phone Solicitor
• G. Miscellaneous Remedies

5. Prioritizing Your Debts

• A. Essential Debts
• B. Nonessential Debts
• C. Review Your Lists

6. Negotiating With Your Creditors

• A. Communicate With Your Creditors
• B. Negotiating When the Creditor Has a Judgment Against You
• C. Try to Pay Off a Debt for Less Than the Full Amount
• D. Don't Write a Bad Check
• E. Writing a Postdated Check Is a Bad Idea
• F. Beware of the IRS If You Settle a Debt

7. Finding Money to Pay Your Debts

• A. Increase Your Income
• B. Sell Some Stuff
• C. Cut Your Expenses
• D. Withdraw Money From a Tax-Deferred Account
• E. Apply for Government and Agency Help
• F. Consider a Home Equity Loan
• G. Use the Equity in Your Home If You Are Elderly
• H. Borrow the Money
• I. Get Your Tax Refund Fast
• J. What to Avoid When You Need Money

8. The Consequences of Ignoring Your Debts

• A. Eviction
• B. Foreclosure
• C. Repossessing or Taking Property
• D. Prejudgment Attachment of Unsecured Property
• E. Lawsuit
• F. Lien on Your Property
• G. Jail
• H. Bank Setoff
• I. Collection of Unsecured Debts From Third Parties
• J. Interception of Your Tax Refund
• K. Loss of Insurance Coverage
• L. Loss of Utility Service
• M. Take a Deep Breath

9. When the Debt Collector Calls

• A. Original Creditor or Collection Agency?
• B. Original Creditors' Collection Efforts
• C. When Your Debt Is Sent to a Collection Agency
• D. Debt Collection Practices-Legal and Illegal

10. Credit and Debit Cards

• A. Credit Cards
• B. Cash Advances
• C. Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and Debit Cards

11. Consumer Loans

• A. Required Loan Disclosures
• B. Evaluation of Credit Applications
• C. Terms of Loan Agreements

12. Reporting Credit Violations

• A. National Banks
• B. Federal Savings and Loans and Federal Savings Banks
• C. Federal Credit Unions
• D. State Banks (Members of the Federal Reserve System)
• E. State Banks (Not Members of the Federal Reserve System)
• F. Department Stores, Gasoline Companies, Finance Companies, and Other Creditors

13. Student Loans

• A. Types of Loans
• B. Figuring Out Who Holds Your Student Loan
• C. Repaying Student Loans
• D. Strategies When You Just Can't Pay
• E. Getting Out of Default
• F. Consequences of Ignoring Student Loan Debt
• G. Where to Go for Help

14. Child Support and Alimony

• A. How Child Support Is Determined
• B. Modifying the Amount of Child Support
• C. Establishing Paternity
• D. Enforcement of Child Support Obligations
• E. Alimony
• F. Bankruptcy and Child Support/Alimony Debt

15. If You Are Sued

• A. How a Lawsuit Begins
• B. Negotiate
• C. Alternative Dispute Resolution
• D. Respond in Court
• E. What to Expect While the Case Is in Court
• F. If the Creditor Gets a Judgment Against You
• G. Stopping Judgment Collection Efforts

16. Bankruptcy: The Ultimate Weapon

• A. Don't Feel Guilty
• B. Filing for Bankruptcy Stops Your Creditors
• C. Bankruptcy Might Not Help You
• D. An Overview of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
• E. An Overview of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• F. Does Bankruptcy Make Economic Sense?

17. Property You Do-and Don't-Get to Keep

• A. Property Subject to Collection
• B. Property Subject to Bankruptcy Court's Authority
• C. Applying Exemptions
• D. Instructions for Completing Worksheet
• E. Turning Nonexempt Property Into Exempt Property

18. Rebuilding Your Credit

• A. Avoid Overspending
• B. Clean Up Your Credit File
• C. Add Positive Account Histories to Your Credit File
• D. Add Information Showing Stability to Your Credit File
• E. Build Credit in Your Own Name
• F. Ask Creditors to Consider Your Spouse's Credit History
• G. Use Existing or New Credit Cards
• H. Open Deposit Accounts
• I. Work With Local Merchants
• J. Obtain a Bank Loan
• K. Don't Use a Credit Repair Clinic

19. Credit Discrimination

• A. The ECOA and the FHA
• B. Sex Discrimination
• C. Marital Status Discrimination
• D. Race Discrimination
• E. National Origin Discrimination
• F. Age Discrimination
• G. Other Discrimination Prohibited by State Law
• H. Post bankruptcy Discrimination
• I. What to Do If a Creditor Discriminates Against You

20. Help Beyond the Book

• A. Do Your Own Legal Research
• B. Lawyers
• C. Debt and Credit Counseling Agencies

Appendixes

• 1. Glossary
• 2. State and Federal Exemption Tables

Index