As an Indiana bankruptcy lawyer, one of the most important ways I can be of help to clients is in the decision about which type of bankruptcy to file. Personal bankruptcies fall into two categories – Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Two main factors must be considered: your income and whether you are trying to […]

One reader of my Indiana bankruptcy blogs is concerned about his unemployment benefits, asking whether creditors can garnish those benefits. The general answer to his question is “No.” Creditors cannot garnish unemployment unless it’s for child support or alimony and/or unless unemployment funds have been deposited because they then lose their protection. Creditcards.com adds that […]

Filing bankruptcy is the first step in a three-step process, which is something I’ve been saying for more than twenty years to my bankruptcy clients and which now I say in my Indiana bankruptcy blogs. Step two is saving money, and step three is rebuilding credit. Oddly enough, stress relates to all three of these […]

I’m just old enough to remember the 1977 science fiction movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.  In the film, an Indiana man’s life changes after he has an encounter with aliens in an unidentified flying object.  When I think about the awful problems that often ensue when people embark on the payday loan “trip”, […]

It’s more than ironic – three of my four Indiana bankruptcy law offices are in big college towns (Indianapolis, Bloomington, and Anderson), and yet student loan debt, a rapidly growing problem, is mostly non-dischargeable in bankruptcy! What I’ve been finding is that, while student loans seem to be the main factor driving younger and younger […]

One reader of my Indiana bankruptcy blog posed an interesting question, and the answer might be of help to other readers, I thought: How are frequent flyer points treated when the owner files personal bankruptcy? In earlier bankruptcy blog posts (see “Airline Ticket Holders Are Unsecured Creditors In Bankruptcy”), I talked about the opposite situation, […]

Back in April, I quoted a U.S. News and World Report article that advised “Mad about money? Avoid a Fight”. I explained that every day, in my bankruptcy law offices around Indiana, my colleagues and I deal with couples who are dealing with each other around money issues.  And, after almost twenty-five years of this, I […]

Mortgage modification has been a topic in some of my recent Indiana bankruptcy blog posts. As part of my bankruptcy services in Indiana, I’m quote often called upon to assist with mortgage modifications and negotiations with lenders. This process can be quite frustrating for all concerned, because, as I pointed out in former blogs, a […]

Yesterday I talked about Anderson car dealers and parts dealers, and how the government’s “Cash For Clunkers” program might have both good and harmful effects on businesses related to the automotive industry. Throughout the state of Indiana, I’ve been tracking news, good as well as not-so-good, about automobiles and automobile owners. One very positive piece of […]

With Anderson, Indiana being one of four cities where I offer bankruptcy services, I’m always on the alert for news about auto manufacturing and sales. Just last week, I discussed the new “Cash For Clunkers” program, saying I hoped that program would prove a help to Anderson auto dealers. A lot has been happening around […]