Top 5 Bankruptcy Pitfalls

The financial crisis has grown from impending to all-inclusive-covering all industries, from banking to automotive, and all age groups from workers to retirees-in the span of one year. At the rate that unemployment rate in the U.S. is rising, when the global finance situation will pick up is anybody’s guess.

If you are luckier than those who have lost their homes and jobs, you might want to take these tips by recognizing-and avoiding-these top five bankruptcy pitfalls:

1.              Go easy on your credit card. The fact that the bank raised your credit limit doesn’t mean you can afford to pay your increased credit-card spending. Remember that the subprime crisis grew out of debtors using their home equity to pay off credit card arrears.

2.              Thinking of refinancing? Think again. Re-financing existing debts could buy you some time, but you shouldn’t assume that your personal finances will be better when the re-financed debt becomes due.

3.              Medical bills and health emergencies have caused a lot of families to file for bankruptcy. How to deal with them? Even if you have health insurance, there will still be some medical expenditure that the insurance will not cover. For these, you may want to renegotiate the payment terms. Those with no health insurance will have to proactively negotiate for most cost-effective treatment.

4.              Hold on to your home. Now is the worst time to foreclose real property to pay off debts because the value is way below. Debt-laden homeowners can avail themselves of several options to reduce their mortgage loans via bankruptcy courts.

5.              If you feel that you are up against the wall, the next good move could be to get a credit counselor who can advise you on debt priorities and legal moves.