Category archive for ‘Consumer Alerts’ 
Sorry But That’s Not a Short Sale!
by John O'Connor on 8/30/10 | 0 Comment(s)
A few days ago I had a conversation with a realtor friend about the state of the housing market. Inevitably, the subject of short sales came up. My friend said that while overall sales continue to be slow, he has seen quite a few “short sales” recently. This peeked my interest and we got to [...]
State of our economy – what should you do now?
by Richard West on 8/29/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I just read an economic survey indicating that there probably never was an economic recovery and this is not an ordinary recession. The article indicated that despite the amount of time, taxpayer dollars, and governmental effort pumped into our economy, the results are just not there. The mortgage modification program is a complete disaster, despite [...]
Consumer Bankruptcy Law Board Certification-Is it Important ?
by John Rogers on 8/25/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I am often asked if it is important for attorneys to be Board Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification. There is no requirement by any bankruptcy court that you be board certified to practice in that court. In fact, it is very likely that most attorneys that do practice bankruptcy law [...]
Who’s watching out for your rights? Why “Elizabeth Warren” should be your choice.
by Tara Gaschler on 7/28/10 | 1 Comment(s)
I just got my evening email update for consumer bankruptcy issues. The lead story is about whether the President will appoint Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While this is admittedly, a bit “off-topic” for a bankruptcy blog, whoever is appointed to head the CFPB has the potential to significantly improve the [...]
Health Care Reform Has Some Help For Small Businesses
by John C. Colwell on 7/20/10 | 0 Comment(s)
It was of particular interest to me, since my business likely qualifies for this tax credit. My office is comprised of 3 locations, with 4 attorneys and 6 support staff. According to this article, the tax credit will apply to business of 25 employees or less, along with other requirements. We happily provide Kaiser-Permanente health HMO to our employees, and it appears that our firm will enjoy a 35% deduction of our health care premiums by way of a tax credit this year, and each year, until 2014, when the tax credit is increased.
Credit Scores and Bankruptcy Bump
by John C. Colwell on 7/13/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Today, the AP is reporting a general downturn in the all important FICO score, which score is used primarily to determine loan eligibility. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g74qg6iCDzFlCHhjsiBGFIHAiJPQD9GT9T580 Many, if not all of our clients will, at some point, consider the impact an impending bankruptcy will have upon this score. Oddly enough, credit scores after bankruptcy, notwithstanding this report, [...]
A cheaper bankruptcy attorney is a better bankruptcy attorney, right?
by John C. Colwell on 7/02/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Shopping for an attorney by price is a ‘loss leader’ in our view.Sure, you may ‘save’ a few hundred here or there, but at what actual cost?
The incredible short sightedness of ending unemployment benefits.
by John C. Colwell on 6/29/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Just today, I received an inquiry from a gentleman who has been unemployed since 2008. He explained that his benefits had now just ended upon the failure of our ‘leaders’ in passing the much needed extension. He went on to explain that he was able to pay his credit card debt ‘alright’ up until the time the benefits were cutoff. Let me emphasize this, he was paying his credit card payments with his unemployment benefits!
Avoid Debt Settlement Companies
by Jacob on 6/19/10 | 0 Comment(s)
We have all heard debt settlement companies advertise on television, and they all promise the same thing: to settle your debt for pennies on the dollar. And for a lot of people, this sounds like a great deal. After all, most people want to avoid filing for bankruptcy. They think they are a failure if [...]
Beware Of Trial Mortgage Modification Programs
by Moderator on 6/18/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Quite a bit of attention has been given on this forum to the difficulty of getting a mortgage modified. A few of the posts have suggested alternative paths to mortgage modification and of course second and third mortgages can be “stripped” or removed through chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, many Americans are still pursuing the traditional path [...]
