When You Have to File for Bankruptcy: Step-by-step Instructions to Take Control of Your Financial Future | 
 enlarge | Author: Matt Pelc
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $15.00
You Save: $9.95 (40%)
New (3) Used (2) from $15.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 477313
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 160138209X
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.750973
EAN: 9781601382092
ASIN: 160138209X
Publication Date: July 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: new
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
According to the United States Bankruptcy Courts, the number of bankruptcies filed each year is on the rise. People file bankruptcy for a variety of reasons, such as preventing foreclosure on their homes, preventing repossession of property, loss of employment, or reducing or eliminating debts. The most common types of bankruptcy for which individuals file are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 involves the surrender of property to pay debts, while a Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows for the retention of property but requires payments over the next three to five years. This book is divided into three sections: evaluating your need to file for bankruptcy, how to file for bankruptcy, and what to do after you have filed. In the first section, you will be provided with evaluation tools, determine your eligibility, learn how to check your credit report for accuracy, and learn about the different types of bankruptcy for which you can file. In the second section, you will learn about the major changes in bankruptcy law, bankruptcy lawyers, alternatives to filing for bankruptcy, bankruptcy code, collection agencies, exempt property, nondischargeable debts, what bankruptcy can and cannot accomplish, the automatic stay provision, foreclosure, tax levies, bankruptcy fees, the 341 meeting, bankruptcy myths, the initial consultation with your lawyer, and bankruptcy timelines. You will learn the answers to some of the most common questions about bankruptcy, such as: Will creditors stop harassing me? Will my spouse be affected? Who will know about my filing? Will I ever get credit again? What does it cost? The final section will provide a brief overview of what to do after you have gone through the bankruptcy process. We will address the issues of how to get car loans and home loans and how to build credit after bankruptcy. Whether you are filing for bankruptcy for the first time or, unfortunately, you have been through it before, When You Have to File for Bankruptcy will provide insight into the complex and burdensome process.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Answers questions you may be afraid to ask... September 17, 2008
In today's consumer, debt-based economy, more than ever, working Americans are having difficulty managing the turbulent financial atmosphere with its rising gas and utility costs, and foreclosure rates at an all-time high. This book can help to find the correct avenues for those in financial distress. It consistently offers positive encouragement for facing matters and taking steps to rectify one's financial situation. Author Matt Pelc points out that often filing for bankruptcy is the result of a separate stress-inducing, life-changing event, and bankruptcy is not a cause for shame or blame. When you have to file for bankruptcy explains the ins-and-outs, pros and cons, and alternative means of declaring bankruptcy.
Author Pelc, writing with years of experience working for bankruptcy trustee's offices, strongly suggests bankruptcy should not be undertaken without a specialist attorney and his text is in no way a self-filing guide for debtors. His book does help to answer the reader's initial questions and explores in detail the revisions, changes and consequences of the 2005 bankruptcy bill, the BAPCPA (Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act of 2005).
The text, in clear, concise language, provides a framework for the emotionally difficult process of bankruptcy and guides the reader from the initial decision to file through to the methods to manage finances after discharge.
Successfully staying positive about a difficult situation, When you have to file for bankruptcy will certainly make the process less intimidating for filers. Additional encouragement is provided by the case studies highlighting real world advice from consumers who have experienced the process of bankruptcy and from persons in the bankruptcy profession.
Unquestionably feel better about bankruptcy process September 15, 2008
Bankruptcy is considered one of the more frightening words in the English language, implying financial ruin and personal failure to an extent that few people would dare to approach it unless they had no other hope. Matt Pelc's "When You Have to File for Bankruptcy" does a remarkable job of taking that fear away from its readers, working past the mythos of the process and providing some genuinely practical advice.
Pelc's book is a step-by-step analysis of the bankruptcy proceedings, beginning with a look at how you found yourself in this situation and asking if this is the right course of action. If it is, he then takes you through the paperwork you will need to collect before speaking to an attorney and the extensive forms a case requires. He encourages that you have access to the Internet while reading, and there are several helpful links available if you want to use his book as the manual for your own filing.
The most noticeable aspect of this book is the almost comforting tone Pelc takes. He seems aware that anyone who picks up this book is likely in serious financial trouble, repeatedly assuring them that he is not going to point any fingers at them for being in the situation. He also doesn't try to overwhelm with the steps for rebuilding your life after the case is complete, breaking it into sections and offering simple suggestions such as changing your grocery habits and charting your daily expenses. Alternatives to bankruptcy are suggested, but he makes sure to point out that nothing is a cure-all and the problems cannot simply disappear by shuffling your assets around.
No one ever wants to go through the bankruptcy procedure, but if you find yourself in a bind "When You Have to File for Bankruptcy" serves as an invaluable reference to get it started. It educates you without making you feel stupid and makes a very conscious effort to separate the process from the natural tension and fear it produces.
 helpful, easy read September 9, 2008
"When You Have to File For Bankruptcy," by Matt Pelc, is a helpful, easy read. It's a book that pertains to a variety of readers-- from those of us who are simply in credit card debt to those who are in complete financial disparity. The greatest part of this book is how it caters to its readers. A reader has easy access to the chapter he or she needs and can go straight to filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy if they wish.The book is simple and concise for a few reasons. It is set up to take you through the steps of evaluating your debt, considering filing, actually filing and recovering from filing. It explains confusing legal terms and ideas like the difference between chapters 7 and 13. I also found some very helpful tools in the book, like a Web site to retrieve your free credit report. Pelc uses the "Johnson" family and others as sample people filing for bankruptcy to make it simpler. He shows their fake income and fake debt that can be complicated and relative to everyday debtors. In my opinion, the best part of the book is the chapter that describes the different types of bankruptcy in layman's terms. Pelc does a good job of making an unfamiliar and unpleasant subject easier to deal with. He also does a good job of letting the reader know that bankruptcy is common-- in 2007 over 800,000 people declared bankruptcy. The last part of the book was wordy and possibly could've been a single chapter on rebuilding credit and recovering. Overall I give the book four out of 5 stars because I found it very helpful and easy to read.
Good pacing and concise, complete information. September 9, 2008
If it were possible to actually want to read a book on filing for bankruptcy, When You Have to File for Bankruptcy would be the one to choose. Author Matt Pelc clearly and compassionately navigates the bewildering world of bankruptcy through a well-balanced combination of surprisingly engaging anecdotes, concisely stated facts, and precisely the kind of no-nonsense inspiration that someone who is considering declaring bankruptcy would need.
In addition to being a pragmatic how-to guide, When You Have to File for Bankruptcy also contains up-to-date resources outlining the recent and often confusing changes in the complex world of bankruptcy law. Whil Pelc strongly advises the reader to enlist the help of a qualified attorney, those determined to go it alone will find this book an invaluable resource.
The book moves at a pace that is manageable without offending the average person's intellect, and offers the added (albeit unnecessary) benefit of mildly amusing photographs and a vaguely pertinent quote at the start of each chapter. Pelc starts the book off with guidelines designed to help the reader to decide whether or not to actually declare bankruptcy, and then moves on through the various steps involved in necessarily painstaking detail. While Pelc's style does not distinguish itself for its literary merit, it does accomplish the task of making the entire bankruptcy process accessible in layman's terms.
Complete Guide! August 27, 2008
Rating: 4.7/5.0
"When you have to file for Bankruptcy" is in simple words - a great guide. Matt Pelc has written this book with experienced insight and has superbly covered the bankruptcy process. The bankruptcy process is a long and trying process. The person reading this book for the first time might be overwhelmed by the information and process detailed in the book but Matt Pelc is very good at nudging us to understand the procedure of bankruptcy and guiding the reader to clearly understand the course of action needed.
The book includes many examples to help the reader clearly understand what Matt Pelc is trying to explain. The case studies are a great resource to further comprehend the bankruptcy process. I especially like the part where Matt Pelc discusses how we can ensure we do not land in the same situation a few years later by guiding us as to where to cut expenses and what to watch out for.
The book has some dry spells but the bankruptcy procedure, itself, is a long drawn out process. Matt Pelc, as simply as possible, details the entire bankruptcy, explaining the law, the various forms that need to be filled, the obstacles involved while strongly urging the services of a lawyer.
|
|
|
