Myths & Common Misperceptions About Budgeting

Proper financial planning is the key to avoiding living from paycheck to paycheck. We are living in trying times, which greater emphasizes the importance of budgeting your money. In order for our economy to come out of the recession before it gets to deep and long, we must start with the individual. By instilling proper financial planning principles into the masses people will start realizing how and what people can do with their money. I see people all the time living from paycheck to paycheck often needing advances because they do not know how to manage their money. A very easy and efficient tool to learn and use is budgeting. Budgeting is ultimately a plan that allows you to allocate your funds anyway you wish. Budgeting allows you to tackle your goals from a financial perspective through awareness. In determining your budget you are deciding how much money goes where so that you can chalk up the rest to savings. Budgeting may get a bad rap for many people perceive being on a budget as being on a financial diet. However this is not true for your budget is customized to the way that you see fit.

There are some common myths and misperceptions about budgeting that are ultimately false and I want to take the time to clear up the air. Setting a budget means that you have is constantly sacrificing. This statement is only as true as people let it be, for every single budget is customized. Therefore a person who is trying to save up for something in a small amount of time, then yes some sacrifice will be involved. However most budgets are put in place to ensure that people are allocating their funds correctly and responsibly. If there is no financial plan that exists people will be much more susceptible to participate in impulse purchasing.

A common myth about budgeting is that it takes up too much time. Proper budgeting methods are not overly complicated or intricate that a 10 year old could compose one. Also, frankly people do not have time to not participate in budgeting. The way that you spend your money decides a lot about the type of life you are living therefore budgeting should be high on your priority list. You will be able to determine significant cost savings by just laying out your expenses versus your revenues. Things that seemed important in the short term now do no look as important.

Another misperception about budgeting is that it can cause a rift in your family. Living on a budget is not a new concept, and maybe at first your family might need some time to get used to it but overtime it will seem normal. A good way to deal with this is determine a budget on a family basis saving up for something fun for the whole family. Getting the family to bond together to achieve a common goal will not only save you money, but it will place importance on what really matters most.

Budgeting tips in thisfree series of personal finance video from our professional Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Expert: Tom Noah Bio: Tom Noah has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for over 27 years. In that time he has held positions at several companies as an accountant and a director of financial planning. Filmmaker: Drew Noah

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Correcting the Common Misconceptions About Filing Bankruptcy

While no one wants to find themselves contemplating bankruptcy, sometimes factors beyond our control make it seem unavoidable. However, there are actually several options other than filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a huge, drastic step, and should only be considered as the last option. You should first investigate all your other options thoroughly.

Remember that if bankruptcy turns out to be the best or only option available to you, you still shouldn’t go it alone. It doesn’t matter whether it’s personal bankruptcy or business bankruptcy. The counsel of a good bankruptcy lawyer is vital to understanding the laws in your state, since the bankruptcy laws are different from state to state. This person will be familiar with the process of filing a claim and will be able to help you get through the sometimes bewildering heaps of paperwork involved.

Many people assume false things about bankruptcy. Here are some common misconceptions about the process, and the real truth.

Misconception #1: When you file for bankruptcy, you’ll lose everything

There are actually several different types of bankruptcy. A qualified lawyer can help you understand the difference between them. Depending on how you choose to file, you may not lose anything at all. Many people who file for bankruptcy are actually able to retain all their property, and even get caught up on their overdue payments. Bankruptcy is a way to help you deal with your debts when it becomes impossible to do anything else. Learn about your different options and choose the one that works best for you. You may be able to retain everything you own.

Misconception #2: My bankruptcy will become public knowledge

While bankruptcy is a matter of public record, no one goes looking for these records. Therefore, the only people who’ll know about your bankruptcy are the people you choose to tell. Only your creditors will know, unless you choose to tell someone else. Your creditors are prohibited from telling anyone else. This makes your bankruptcy as public or private a matter as you choose.

Misconception #3: I won’t be able to get credit ever again

Some people think that from the moment they file bankruptcy, all purchases are cash only. This isn’t true. Filing will put a mark on your credit report that stays for seven to ten years, it’s true. However, you’ll probably find yourself inundated with secure credit card offers, and other offers to help you get your credit score back up. Be careful with them, though. They charge very high interest rates and penalties. Careful use of these kinds of offers can help get you back on your feet, credit-wise, as long as you don’t get carried away.

Misconception #4: Filing for bankruptcy is very difficult or even impossible

While recent changes to the laws have made it a lot more difficult to file for bankruptcy than it used to be, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It’s a tedious and difficult process, and a knowledgeable lawyer certainly helps. However, if you’re educated and know your options, filing for bankruptcy doesn’t have to be a horrible experience. Remember that the more you know, the more power you have over your situation. The recent laws are in place to prevent abuse, but they don’t prevent people with legitimate needs to file bankruptcy from doing so. Consult with your lawyer about any concerns you may have.

Knowing when bankruptcy is the best solution to personal finance issues.

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Some Things Worth Knowing About Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Being so much in debt that repaying your debts becomes well nigh impossible is something that many people find them facing and which leaves them with no alternative but to file bankruptcy in order to get their financial situation back on track. However, as good as it may seem that filing bankruptcy will help you out of such financial mess, it can also lead to much confusion in your mind trying to figure out what is Chapter thirteen bankruptcy and how does it differ from chapter seven bankruptcy.

Understand What Bankruptcy Is

However, before looking at what Chapter 13 bankruptcy is, it would be necessary to first understand the meaning of bankruptcy itself. Bankruptcy is a legal process filed in a law court with the intention of eliminating debts and provides the individual or business that is filing bankruptcy with relief from having to pay off the debts, and thus can make a new start in life.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy may cost you about one hundred and eighty-five dollars to file and it is commonly also referred to as reorganization bankruptcy and such a form of bankruptcy is generally filed by persons that wish to eliminate their debts in three to five year’s time. Under Chapter 13 bankruptcy, individuals can keep part of their possessions and also have a means to finance some of their day to day expenses while at the same time still have some money left over to pay off their debts.

So, when you decide on filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you will need to present your petition for bankruptcy in which you need to list your schedule of liabilities and also assets. And, following the filing of Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you need to provide a plan for repayment of debts which has already been reviewed by creditor’s to see that it does indeed satisfies their requirements.

Filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy is beneficial to you if you want to hold on to some possessions including your home, and in fact, filing for this kind of bankruptcy can, under certain circumstances, prevent foreclosure and such an instance is known as automatic stay which will give you time to catch up on your outstanding debts. It is only after you still cannot meet your debt obligations in the period of reorganization that your home will be foreclosed.

As with other bankruptcies, filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy should be done through an attorney who is an expert in bankruptcies, and even though such a form of bankruptcy has its advantages, there is no denying the fact that the price you will have to pay is high, because you will have a tarnished credit standing for at least ten years, which means that the future will not look good for you if you are considering applying for credit in that time period.

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All You Would Ever Want to Know About Personal Budgets

You just graduated college, started a new career, got married, had a child, bought a house, bought a boat, whatever the case may be budgets are used at every stage of life. Budgets are used as a planning tool to set financial goals. Budgets are used to plan for the future to be allocating the proper resources today. Setting up a budget is very uneasy and uncomplicated, there are even online tools that will do it all for you. The harder part of the equation is determining what percentage of your income goes where. There are general guidelines about personal budgets out there, but a budget can provide you with a much better comparative advantage if it is tailored directly to your finances. Personal budgets serve people to plan and see how much money they want and can spend on each sector of their life. It is up to the individual how much money they want to put where so budgets differ greatly. Some budgets can provide people with a mechanism to save up for something that they desperately want, and once they have achieved that goal their budgeting is done with. Others use budgets as a daily tool to regulate how much money they spend on each sector of their life so that their finances can be balanced with the adequate funding.

Whether people admit it or not, budgets are complied in the mind of the individual even if they do not put it on paper. Most people have an idea in their mind how much they want to spend on what but when unexpected occurrences arise they get confused and often make bad financial decision. This shows the importance of putting budgets down on paper or on the computer so you can see the ratios of where your money is being spent. Budgets also act as an indicator to see where you are over spending and overspending. You might have not been aware of it before but your entertainment budget is greater than your food budget, may you have a problem with this and maybe you do not, it is up to you. But budgets allow you to see this information and you can assess any way you want.

Personal budgets can give a person more freedom because they do not have to worry about any unexpected expenses from affecting their daily life. When setting up a budget it can be beneficial to over account for such items as food or utilities so that there are no surprises when the bills come around. Personal budgets not only act as a planning device but they also act as a regulating device. If you go over budget in one sector that means that you have to directly reduce funding in another. This means that you will never go over budget because you are manipulating your budget so that you do not. Your budgets can be flexible must you must be aware that providing to much variance can cause you to loose track of the general concept of budgets.

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Many people have countless credit cards that accrue high interest rates. By consolidating their debt into one low payment each month, they not only save money, but can also eliminate their debt, and there are many different ways to consolidate debt.

Credit card debt seems to be at an all time high. And because credit cards are so easy to obtain, more people than ever are finding themselves in a financial abyss. They have more debt than they can handle and have no idea on how to get contr

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For the benefit of those who have got no idea what this term mean, I will start by defining what exactly it is. Bankruptcy is a lawfully declared incapacity of an individual or organizations to pay their creditors or lenders at a given period of time. Creditors may file a bankruptcy plead against a debtor which is called -involuntary bankruptcy, in an effort to recover a section of what is due to them. Commonly, many bankruptcy cases, however, are initiated by the debtor called a voluntary bankruptcy that is filed by the insolvent entity or business.

Even though bankruptcy permit a debtor a way out of a violent cycle of debt, it should not be taken carelessly, and should be a means of last option. But in this particular article, I will concentrate more on the two main types of bankruptcy which is the chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcies. They are widely used for personal bankruptcy individual, a debtor surrenders his or her non-exempt property to a bankruptcy trustee who then liquidates the property and distributes the proceeds to the debtor’s unsecured creditors.

Chapter 7 type of bankruptcy as straight bankruptcy is the favorite option for people with less or no property and a batch of unsecured debt. It is a liquidation bankruptcy implicating that the court will trade any non-exempt assets you have to pay your creditors and irrespective of the quantity paid, release that debt. The debtor will not be granted a discharge if he or she is guilty of certain types of unsuitable behavior such as concealing records concerning his financial condition.

Similarly some debts such as spousal hold up, student loans, some taxes will not be discharged even though the debtor is usually discharged from his or her debt. Many individuals in financial distress own only exempt property like household goods, an older car and will not have to give up any property to the trustee. The amount of property that a debtor may let off varies from state to the other. Chapter 7 type of a bankruptcy, relief is available only once in any eight year period. Generally, the rights of secured creditors to their collateral continues even though their debt is.

Chapter 13 type of Bankruptcy, from time to time called the wage earner’s plan, or reorganization bankruptcy, is quite different from Chapter 7 bankruptcy which swab out most of your debts. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you employ your income to pay some or all of what you are obligated to your creditors over time which is proximately anywhere from three to five years, depending on the size of your debts and income.

These debts must also be non-contingent and liquidated, meaning that they must be for a certain, fixed amount and not subjected to any conditions. Secured creditors may be entitled to greater payment than unsecured creditors. When preparing to enter bankruptcy, ensure you check as many personal bankruptcy online services as likely, where you will get advice on the type of bankruptcy best suited to you. Generally there are six types of bankruptcy but these two are the key ones.

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However, when it comes to finding the best, there are several factors that have to be considered. You will be well aware of the fact that all the credit counseling programs function based on the basic principle of help the borrowers to settle their debts with smaller monthly payments. However, today with huge competition out there, the debt management firms are offering various advanced services. It is very much necessary to know the facts about the modern credit counseling services. In this article we have presented the 3 must know facts about modern credit counseling and debt management programs.

1. The Many Services Offered by the Debt Management Firms

As already said, huge competition in debt management sector has forced firms to provide unique credit counseling services. Today, services ranging from small budget counseling to debt management training for corporate companies are available with debt management firms. Hence it is always good to look for an organization that provides the ranges of credit counseling services that best fit your needs.

2. Checkout the credit counseling laws in your State

The huge demand for the credit counseling services created a sudden outbreak of a large number of scammy debt management firms. These fraudsters used to charge huge fees from the clients by offering false promises. To prevent these fraudulent companies from swindling the people money, the Government has made it mandatory to get the licensing for providing credit counseling in the States.

Separate licenses have to be obtained for different credit Counseling services. For example, if a firm provides credit counseling and Pre Filing Bankruptcy Counseling, they should have the license for both the services. Advantageccs is a debt management firm which holds the license to provide Pre Filing Bankruptcy Counseling in Alaska Arkansas, California Florida, Hawaii Indiana, Kentucky Louisiana, Nevada New Mexico, New York Ohio, Pennsylvania South Dakota, Tennessee Texas, Utah Washington and West Virginia Wyoming.

3. There are many free counseling service providers too

Most of the debt management firms offer free counseling services today. These firms offer free counseling once you join some of their debt management plans. The fac that the counseling is free doesn’t mean that it is useless. Due to the tough competition in the field, the debt management firms are providing the very best free counseling to the clients.

Debt management has seen lots of changes through the recent years. Keeping a track of the changes will help you to find the best debt management program.

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Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy are legal proceedings that are available to a person in severe financial distress. But remember, bankruptcy does have far-reaching and long-lasting effects, and should be considered only as a last resort.  Bankruptcies remain on your credit report for 7 to 10 years.  However, bankruptcy data is commonly reported incorrectly. The issue generally stems around final determinations as to which accounts are included in the bankruptcy and which accounts are excluded. A qualified credit repair professional may help you ensure that your bankruptcy, including the individual accounts, are reported correctly. 

Creditors and Bill Collectors Must Stop Contacting You
By law, all actions against a debtor must cease once bankruptcy documents are filed. Creditors cannot initiate or continue any lawsuits, wage garnishments, or even telephone calls demanding payments.  Secured creditors such as banks, holding for example, a lien on a car, may get the stay lifted if you cannot make payments.

The Effects of Bankruptcy on Your Spouse
Your wife or husband will not be affected by your bankruptcy if he/she did not sign an agreement or contract for any of your debt. Your spouse would most likely be responsible if a supplemental credit card was issued meaning you each have your own card, but jointly applied.

However, in community property states, either spouse can contract for a debt without the other spouse’s signature on anything, and still obligate the other. There are a few exceptions to that rule, such as the purchase or sale of real estate; those few exceptions do require both spouses’ signatures on contracts. But the day-to-day debts, such as credit cards, do not require both spouses to have signed. Professional advice from a qualified bankruptcy attorney in your state should be sought to determine the effects on you and your spouse.

Public Knowledge
Even though Chapter 7 filings are public records, under normal circumstances, no one other than your creditors will know you filed for Chapter 7. However, the credit bureaus will record your filing and it will remain on your credit record for 7 to 10 years.

Keeping Your Current Credit Cards
Whether a debtor keeps credit cards after filing bankruptcy is up to the credit card company. If you are discharging a credit card they will usually cancel the card unless you reaffirm the debt. Even having a zero balance, the credit card company may still choose to cancel the card.

Keeping Your Current Job
U.S.C. Sec. 525, prohibits any employer from discriminating against you because you filed bankruptcy.

Keeping Your Possessions
In a bankruptcy, assets in excess of your allowed personal exemption, or non exempt assets such as, real estate, automobiles and boats will be liquidated by the trustee. You are allowed to keep certain assets, depending on the state in which you reside.

Rebuilding Your Credit
Several banks now offer ‘secured’ credit cards. These credit cards can be obtained when a debtor deposits a certain amount of money (as little as $200) into an account to guarantee payment. Usually the credit limit is equal to the security amount given and is increased as the debtor demonstrates ability to pay the debt.

Two years after a discharge in bankruptcy, debtors are generally eligible for mortgage loans on terms as good as those of others, with the same financial profile as those who have not filed Chapter 7.  The size of your down payment and the stability of your income will be much more important than the fact you filed Chapter 7 in the past.

The fact you filed Chapter 7 or 13 stays on your credit report for 7 to 10 years becomes less significant the more time has passed since the filing.  Depending on your specific situation, you could be a better credit risk to some lenders after bankruptcy than you were before.

Costs of Filing Bankruptcy
The cost to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy varies, but is generally about $200. Keep in mind that this is only a filing fee and in most cases you should consider consulting with a qualified attorney who is licensed in your state. Bankruptcy attorneys’ fees vary considerably throughout the country. It is not uncommon for bankruptcy lawyers to offer a free initial consultation, so shop around and meet with a few lawyers who offer the free consultation and see which firm you feel would most effectively meet your needs. Also, to keep costs at a minimum, organize your financial statements before your meetings with the attorney.

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But if bankruptcy is indeed your only or best option, it is not something you should do alone or by yourself, whether personal bankruptcy or business bankruptcy. The laws differ from state to state, and you really need the advice and counsel of a good bankruptcy lawyer. This bankruptcy attorney should be local to you, should be familiar with bankruptcy in your state, and can advise you as to what your real options are, as well as helping and advising with the mountain of paperwork and forms that will be required.

There are some common misconceptions about bankruptcy. It is totally different than declaring bankruptcy in the game of Monopoly, but some of the things that people assume about bankruptcy are totally false, and we will take a look at some of those things here.

Untruth #1: I will lose everything

There are different types of bankruptcy, and again, a qualified attorney can talk with you about this. But there is no guarantee or mandate that you will lose everything, or in fact, ANYTHING. You may be in a position to actually retain the things you have, and to be conscious to get caught up on overdue payments as well as making timely payments to your creditors in the future.

Untruth #2: Everybody will know about it

Basically, this is up to you and who you tell. Yes, bankruptcy is a matter of public record, but who will go into public records to search for it? Do you regularly go to the public records database to see if any of your friends or neighbors have declared bankruptcy? Only your creditors will know, and they are prohibited from making it public knowledge.

Untruth #3: I’ll never get credit again

Some people think that after declaring bankruptcy that they will never be able to buy anything again, even with cash. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is a fact that filing bankruptcy will put a notable red mark on your credit report for the next 7 to 10 years, you will get credit again. In fact, you may even be inundated with offers for a secured credit card, which is not a bad idea to get your credit score built back up. Make sure you have learned something from your bankruptcy experience though, since these credit offers will probably come to you at exorbitant interest rates.

Untruth #4: It is difficult or impossible to file for bankruptcy

Bankruptcy laws have changed in recent years, and it is certainly not as easy as it once was. In fact, it is still a tedious and difficult process, and one that you would be well advised to work on with a bankruptcy lawyer to make sure you get all the forms right. But it is far from impossible.

Like anything else, you know to know the facts about something, and with bankruptcy, you need to know the law and your rights. Knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have, the more options you have to exercise.

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