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The Biggest Mistake That Promissory Note Holders Make

October 21st, 2007

The single most common mistake that a note holder makes when creating a note is they fail to check their buyer’s Credit Report. It seems so simple, but it is worth repeating “Most people fail to check the credit report of their prospective buyers!!” Can you believe this? Just by doing this one simple step can save you a bunch of money now and in the future.

How so? First and foremost by checking your potential buyers credit score can help resolve your worries of your buyer’s ability to repay their future debt to you. Heck, I don’t know of any bank that would not check the credit score of any one of their customers seeking a mortgage. So why shouldn’t you?

The second benefit of checking your buyer’s credit score is what if you should ever decide to ever sell your real estate note, trust deed, or owner financed mortgage for all cash? By knowing your buyers credit score would not only benefit you now, but it would also make your real estate note more valuable in the future.

Here’s why. The first thing a promissory note buyer/investor is going to require to sell your note is your payer’s credit score! Your buyer’s credit score is paramount to how much money you will ultimately receive for your real estate note. Of course the higher the credit score the less risky it is to a perspective promissory note buyer, thus making your note more valuable to them and ultimately you.

So, just what is an acceptable credit score concerning a real estate note? That is entirely up to you, but if it was my note I would not accept a score of less than a 550. The credit score counts for 40 percent of a total of 100 percent in rating your real estate notes value. So whether you are creating or selling your real estate note it pays to get your buyers credit score in more ways than one.

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Student Loan Debt Consolidation - Students Cannot Afford to Lose Sleep over Debts

October 8th, 2007

Studies take a back seat when debts begin to hold a prominent place in students’ finances. Guardians would find this strange, since most guardians feel that they send their wards more than enough money to meet the needs of their wards. The needs have a very narrow definition that includes not more than basic necessities. For all other needs, students have to depend on external sources like friends and moneylenders. The problem arises when debts become unmanageable because of its size. Student loan debt consolidation plays a very important role at this stage.

The features of student loans are included into debt consolidation loans to give them a distinct character, suited to the student debtors. Repayment of the student loan debt consolidation for instance, differs from the regular repayment methods. The repayment will be due only when the student graduates from studies. This means that repayment will begin only when the student begins to work and earn. Parents and guardian will appreciate this feature since this helps them shift a part of their financial burden.

It is incorrect to consider student loan debt consolidation as just another loan. As a debt consolidation loan, the student loan debt consolidation consolidates the entire debts, prepares a list of debts incurred, and then settles them through a single loan.

Do you find the task easy? That it is; as long as there is a debt settlement agency to implement the plan. Students would be advised not to embark on the debt settlement activity since this will unnecessarily take up their valuable time. Besides, there are chances that the student will not be able to settle debts in full. Being inexperienced in debt settlement, there is a probability that the loan amount will not be used optimally.

Debt settlement agencies, on the other hand, are professional in dealing with debts. Each case is studied in detail before suggesting effective debt solutions. The procedure will be helpful in deciding among the several debt management techniques available.

Students qualify for the cheapest interest rates. The interest rates and other terms of the student loan debt consolidation must be given prime importance. These contribute largely to the cost of finance. Also check for prepayment penalties. One must ensure that the option to refinance is not curbed. This is helpful when better finance opportunities come your way.

Students do have to face problems in qualifying for student loan debt consolidations. No credit history is the root cause behind most ineligibilities. For most students the student loan debt consolidation has been the first experience of credit transactions. So, how do loan providers determine credibility of borrowers? In the absence of any satisfactory method, loan providers will prefer not to lend. Some lenders place restrictive conditions on students in order to deter students from using the facility. Age restriction like upping the age of students who can use student loan debt consolidation is one such tactic.

Another point of disqualification is the lack of stable income. Stable income to enable regular payments is a prerequisite for most loans. This can be mended if the student shows that he is involved in some part time jobs. With guardians guaranteeing repayment, in case the student fails to do so, the problem is offset to a large extent.

Websites advertising their financial products have lessened the quandary significantly. The purview of search for student loan debt consolidation has widened. Students find themselves searching for student loan debt consolidation from banks and financial institutions spread far and wide. All this has been facilitated through Internet and web technology. The refusal by loan providers is not a concerted action. There will be certain loan providers who have matching deals for the students. Online search can help find the particular lender who accepts the borrower with his set of circumstances.

Student loan debt consolidation is a testing ground for students. Though it will not be wise to take an active participation in the debt consolidation process, students can supervise the process. Proper advice will be necessary to make the important decisions on student loan debt consolidation.

Alex Jonnes is associated with and has writings at http://www.easy-debt-consolidations.co.uk He is Masters in Business Administration.

Debt Consolidation or Bankruptcy

September 30th, 2007

Over the last decade Americans have accumulated excessive amounts of debt. Partially fueled by low interest rates and increased equity on houses due to real estate markets driving prices high up. Excessive spending and no financial responsibility often lead to bankruptcy of consumers. Now with the new bankruptcy law in place filing for bankruptcy has become much more difficult and much more expensive.

More and more people have now to look out for different alternatives. Debt consolidation programs can help consumer to get rid of the burden of excessive debt and may reduce a consumers monthly costs by hundreds of dollars each month. Debt consolidation experts can help consumers to assess their individual situation and make recommendations for how to approach the situation.

With the assistance of a debt consolidation professional, a consumer can work out a customized debt consolidation plan Depending on the severity of the situation the debt consolidation professional will contact the credit card companies of the consumer to negotiate a way out of the existing situation.

Debt consolidation is easy to get started. All it takes is a simple phone call or online inquiry. A consumer should research which companies have a good reputation as there are quite a few debt consolidation businesses out there that charge a lot of money and do not provide valuable service. They actually make things worse. A consumer also needs to be honest about the situation and willing to work with creditors. Hiding things will not help getting a consumer back on track.

While filing for bankruptcy might sound like the easier way out, this is not necessarily true. The damage to the credit score and the credit report is worse compared to working the way out of a big pile of debt. In the long run it also does not help. A change of how people think about these things has to be made. Filing for bankruptcy is pretty much somebody else paying for your debt. Credit Card companies and banks will move these losses over into charges and everyone will have to pay more to cover bankruptcy losses. The consumer also does not learn how to work with a budget and often bankruptcy filings are done twice or more by the same people. By biting the bullet and paying off debt a learning process is established that will help to gain more financial freedom in the long run.

About the Author

Christoph Puetz is a successful entrepreneur and international book author. Christoph lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. One of the websites he maintains can be found at Credit Repair Help.

Consolidating Student Loans Under $10,000

September 16th, 2007

Before we get to the answer, you should firstly ask yourself do I need to consolidate my student loan that’s under $10,000? Believe it or not a $10,000 student loan debt is not a very large one. If you’re still studying or going to keep studying then the best thing to do is not to consolidate your loan just yet.

When consolidating your loans you’ll reduce your monthly payments however once you’ve consolidated your loans not every lender will be happy when you want to re-consolidate your loan again. However there are ways to re-consolidate your student loans but we’ll get to that in a minute.

To answer the question, yes you can consolidate your loan if it’s under $10,000 however the lowest amount you can consolidate is around $7,500. If you’ve got anything lower than this amount it is not worth consolidating.

Suppose your still studying and are thinking of lower your repayments. The first thing you should do before consolidating is to see if you need more money first. If you have another 2 or 3 years left then you should borrow more before you consolidate.

Once you’ve figured out how much you need the next thing to do is consolidate your loan. If you consolidate your student loans with a private lender you might not be able to re-consolidate your student loan if you need more money. So make sure you ask your lender before you consolidate if they can re-consolidate your loan later in the future.

Not everyone lender will want to re-consolidate your loan so you’ll need to get around 4 student consolidation loan lenders on hand in case you can’t find a lender willing to re-consolidate your loan.

Now here’s a tip for you supposing that you already have a consolidated loan.

If you already consolidated your student loan then you should be aware of a small loop hole. However this only works if you have a federal student loan. First thing you need to do is go out and get another federal student loan. Then the next thing you should do is go to your current loan consolidator and ask them to combine your new federal loan with your existing consolidated loan.

This is technically re-consolidating your loan however it works with most lenders because you’re adding a new loan to your already consolidated loan.

To conclude the best tip I can offer you are this. Before you study, work out how much money you’ll need to borrow for your entire course. Then consolidate your loan immediately to lower your repayments. But make sure your lender allows you to add additional federal loans in the future and you’ll be set for your studies. Good luck with the rest of your studies.

Consolidate your student loans today and save up to 60% on your monthly repayments. Find out how you can start saving money and find out more about consolidate student loans.

How to Quickly and Easily Reduce Your Debt - Consolidate!

September 12th, 2007

Free Debt Consolidation Quotes

The Internet is your main source of obtaining free debt consolidation quotes. You need to furnish detailed account of your total financial history to specific debt consolidation websites to receive free debt consolidation quotes. However, there are other sources too offering such quotes. You can talk on telephone through relevant numbers available on radio and television.

Research, compare, and contrast

Different debt consolidation companies offer different free debt consolidation quotes. This sure is confusing but you need to study each quote in detail to understand relevant parameters of arriving at different quotes for the same information. Again, receiving a quote does not mean you have to take up debt consolidation plan with that particular company. You can check through different online companies first to establish their legitimacy and thereafter check on their rates.

If you feel any of the free debt consolidation quotes not suiting your needs or if charges are too high, you can flatly refuse their quotes. Debt consolidation companies could be profit-making concerns or nonprofit seeking companies. Profit seeking companies earn through their charges while nonprofit seeking concerns take a small percentage of your payments or receive some token amounts from your creditors. Hence, there is no obligation whatsoever. Alternatively, you can walk around different debt consolidation firms working from their offices and have frank discussions to get to know their plans.

If you apply online to receive free debt consolidation quotes, you should be ready to receive innumerable mails in your inbox. This is a huge task to look into every quote, compare their offers, and check on their legitimacy, etc. Therefore, you can use simple sieve of looking through quotes having accreditation of both or either of Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Again, Consumer Credit Counseling Services also offer valuable services in this field.

The best option is to look through few companies after receiving their free debt consolidation quotes, take your time to decide and choose particular quote for consolidating your debts.

Free Debt Consolidation Quotes Find Credit Counseling help and how to Raise your FICO score

Stopping Collection Agency Harassment - Your Rights

September 11th, 2007

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was passed in 1977 to protect you from abusive debt collectors. Here are rules a third-party debt collector must follow:

Contacting a debtor. A collector may contact you in person, by mail, telephone, telegram or fax. However, a debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree. A debt collector also may not contact you at work if the collector knows your employer disapproves of such contacts. Tip: If a debt collector phones you at work, inform your boss that it is disrupting your performance, and have your boss tell the collector to stop calling you at work. Drawback: If your boss learns of your debt problems, it may interfere with your promotional abilities.

Contacting a third party about your debt. If you have an attorney, the debt collector must contact the attorney rather than you. If you don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people but only to find out where you live, what your phone number is and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting such third parties more than once. In most cases the collector may not tell anyone other than you and your attorney that you owe money.

Giving written notice. Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe, the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money. Tip: Once you receive the letter, you may want to attempt a settlement with the creditor or the collection agency. A collections agency is always authorized to take something less than 100 percent, usually 50 to 60 percent. Here are tips on how to proceed:

- Whether you pay in full, negotiate for a percentage of the debt or accept a payment plan, get everything in writing before you give them any money.

- Make them stipulate they will not report anything negative to the credit bureaus regarding the debt. And have your original creditor sign off on the deal. A collection agency could offer to settle a $1,000 credit card bill for just $500. But once they’re paid, the original creditor can still come after you for the other $500.

- If you negotiate a settlement for less than you owe, you could end up paying taxes on the unpaid portion. But if the unpaid amount is less than $600, a collection agency does not have to report it to the IRS. Make this part of your written agreement.

- Always pay with paper checks, not electronic bank drafts by phone or debit cards. It’s to your advantage to have a physical record that you’ve paid, plus you control exactly what you’re paying and when.

- Be sure to get something in writing when the debt is paid. That way, if it does come up on your credit report, you have something to prove it was paid.

When a consumer doesn’t owe the money. A collector may not contact you if within 30 days after you receive the written notice, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not owe money. However, a collector can renew collection activities if you are sent proof of the debt, such as a copy of a bill for the amount owed.

No harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress or abuse you or any third party they contact. They cannot:
- Threaten violence or harm.
- Use obscene or profane language.
- Repeatedly use the telephone to annoy someone.
- Lie.
- Use any false or misleading statements when collecting a debt.
- Falsely imply that they are attorneys or government representatives.
- Falsely imply that you have committed a crime.
- Falsely represent they operate or work for a credit bureau.
- Misrepresent the amount of your debt.
- Give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit bureau.
- Send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency when it is not.
- Use a false name.

Debt collectors may not state that:
- You will be arrested if you do not pay your debt.
- They will seize, garnish, attach or sell your property or wages unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so and it is legal to do so.
- Actions, such as a lawsuit, will be taken against you when such action legally may not be taken or when they do not intend to take such action.

A debt collector may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt from you. They cannot:
- Collect any amount greater than your debt, unless your state law permits such a charge.
- Deposit a postdated check prematurely.
- Use deception to make you accept collect calls or pay for telegrams.
- Take or threaten to take your property unless this can be done legally.

Having bad debt collection harassment? Here are some extreme steps you may decide to take:

1: Don’t take the calls. You can hang up, screen calls or stop them from calling entirely with what’s known as a “cease and desist letter.” If you send a “cease and desist,” include your name, address and account number, and tell the company “do not contact me further about this debt.” Send the letter certified so that you have proof the company received it. But this move doesn’t cancel your debt. The original creditor or the collection agency may decide to sue, or the creditor can simply hire another third-party collector.

2: Keep a diary. If you do take the calls, write everything down: dates, times, names and what is said. If it’s legal in your state, tape the exchange. And if you tell them you’re taping the call; whether you are or not, they’ll be more likely to behave.

3: Negotiate to pay the debt. Once a debt goes to collections, you may be able to work out a deal to pay less than the full amount.

4: Understand the laws in your state. Garnishment, lawsuits and property seizure are illegal in some places, which gives you a little more leverage to work out a deal. To learn what is and isn’t allowed, call your state Attorney General’s office or the state consumer protection office.

But third party collectors have a choice: they can operate under the laws of your state or those of the state where the debt originated, usually interpreted as where you were living when you opened the account. Also, time may have run out on the debt. While there is no federal statute of limitations on debts, most states limit the amount of time a creditor has to collect a debt. However, that deadline varies from state to state. There is also a question of which state’s rules govern the transaction, yours or the creditor’s. That’s a very gray area. Check with your local state authority or an attorney in your state who specializes in this kind of law.

5: File a complaint. If you suspect that a collection agency has crossed the line, call the FTC and your state’s governing office and file complaints. (Yet another reason it’s good to keep a written or tape recorded diary.)

6: Sue. If a third-party collection agency violates your rights, you can sue for actual damages and punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.

Toni Phelps - EzineArticles Expert Author

Article by Toni Phelps, with resources from Credit
Federal’s Debt Negotiators and the Federal Trade Commission

Debt Management UK : Putting Back Control on your Finances

August 29th, 2007

Debt has become an integral part of our modern lifestyle. As we keep on spending we find ourselves swimming in the pool of debt. But before we proceed , did u know that, An article in The Independent on Sunday recently put the growing consumer debt burden within the UK at £1 Billion.UK residents seem to enjoy a strange relationship with debts. While they cannot do with a large debt load over their shoulders, they also cannot do without incurring them for long. Britishers are sure to rank highly when it comes to spending , often results in financial crisis.

Debt Management UK helps you to manage your funds and also protects you from the humiliation of debt struck conditions.Debt management UK is a set of techniques and processes through which an attempt is made to give a break to the reign of debts.Debt management UK is just a simple common sense method, which involves some proven steps to take care of debts in a more systematic way. Debt management UK aims to strike at the roots of debt, instead of simply countering the after effects of debts. When debts are not allowed to increase, the use of debt consolidation loans and other short-term debt management techniques like debt counseling become redundant. Debt management UK is controling and managing debt responsibly by reducing or eliminating debt and create a cash flow that keeps you out of debt. To completely control your debt you need to make a budget, reduce expenses and focus on paying debt this is the essence of debt management UK . Debt management UK requires that you keep good records and stick to your budget so debt doesn’t get out of control.Try to cut expenses and remember to always live within your means. Debt management UK is open to all:good credit people, bad credit people or people with bankruptcy,

There are various tools available for debt management UK .Debt management UK on a smaller scale is known as debt counselling.It involves various debt management techniques-expenditure should be restricted proportionately to the income. Debt management UK technique includes non formal negotiation with lenders to get your interest rates lowered, late payment penalties cancelled or suspended, and you loan may be extended so you have longer to pay it off. If there is shortage of funds at the borrowers end and he is simply not in a position to pay, then discuss it with the lender. Ask the lender for the payment options,If the situation is very tight, the borrower can explain it to the lender and he will be more than willing to help, since he is interested in recovering his amount. This will help a lot in avoiding any late payment penalties.

Another important tool for debt management UK is debt consolidation,this loan helps in consolidating the existing debts of borrower to one loan making the repayments affordable by lowering the interest rates and more manageable. another techinques for debt management UK are : debt consolidation mortgages that includes certain debts in an existing mortgage. the advantage of this method is that debts are settled at the rate of a mortgage. Home equity loans put a convenient method of debt management UK .Since home equity loan is secured, it provides cheaper finance. Whatever be the method of debt management adopted, it must be effective towards debts. The ultimate aim of debt management must be to find a long lasting solution for debts.

Debt management processes in UK are similar to those followed all over the world.A sincere effort at debt management in UK will essentially involve keeping ones finances under control, taking the right debt from the right lender, never missing any installments, avoiding any late fees and if needed, consolidating the debt in the most efficient way.

Scarlette started on a horse back and had a few falls herself. Therefore, she knows. Financial decisions are to be made after
considerable thought and backed by good financial understanding. Her articles might introduce you to financial sense without any falls. She suffers from no injuries now. To find all types of loans for unemployed UK Residents Please visit http://www.loansforunemployed.co.uk.

Debt consolidation – Can it really help those in debts?

August 21st, 2007

Debt consolidation is the act and process of taking out one loan to pay off many other loans and bills like credit card bills or student loans.

The main aim of debt consolidation is to basically reduce the total amount of loan repayment through interest rate reduction.

Many debt consolidation companies, programs and services have argued the benefits and advantages of debt consolidation when one is in cycle of debts. But the question is:

Is debt consolidation really useful in helping people get out of their debt problems?
While I agree that debt consolidation can help debtors solve their debt problems, many debtors really have much difficulty to get out of their debt problems even after they consolidate their debts.

Why is that so??
Think about it - Most of these debt consolidators are in debt problems because they spend on credit and are used to spending more than they can afford to. As such, they eventually run into debts in the long run since they are always spending more than they earn every month.

After debt consolidation – these debt consolidators will have their credit card balance clear and a single monthly loan payment (with extended repayment period).

With a lighter loan repayment amount, most of these people will begin to relax and usually over spend on their monthly budget again in the near future.

By doing so, they will eventually run into debts again. Thus, it is not surprising to see many people who have had consolidate their debts before to run into debt problems again.

How does one get out of debts?
Debt consolidation is a tool to help debtors get out of debt problems. Unfortunately, many have used it to increase their debt problems as mention above.

The only surefire way to get out of debts is really to adjust your spending habit and commit to a discipline lifestyle. If you ask me, the get out of debt formula is really simple:

It’s either to earn more money or spent less money.

Moses Wright is the webmaster of Bulletpedia.com. He provides more helpful information on debt and bill consolidation tips, personal finance credit help and personal finance loan help that you can research in the comfort of your home on his website.

Bad Debt Loans: A Four Step Program to Eliminate Debts

August 14th, 2007

Mr. Henderson would often think of times when he had a good credit history and there would be a long line of loan providers desirous of offering debt consolidation loans. Things took a sharp turn after he underwent a few defaults and CCJs. This was enough to demonstrate to loan providers that he was not credible enough to be lent on regular terms.

The differences in terms allowed on bad debt loans in contrast to regular debt consolidation are starkly noticeable. However, Mr. Henderson is not complaining. The attitude of Mr. Henderson will appear shocking to some individuals who are not aware of the risk that bad credit history brings with it. Bad credit history results because of borrower’s failure to pay debts on time. What starts as a simple default, turns into County court Judgements and bankruptcy in the worst of circumstances. The reason put forth by loan providers is that borrowers, who defaulted once, can default again. Thus, higher interest rate and stricter terms on bad debt loans are justified.

Mr. Henderson has accepted his status and is ready to pay for the differences in terms as long as they are reasonable and match with terms charged by principal banks and financial institutions for a similar set of circumstances. Mr. Henderson has not left hope of getting a good deal, though the definition of good deal may have changed a bit. Bad debt loan borrowers will be advised to have a similar point of view while searching for such loans. A relaxed attitude on bad debt loans will give lenders the freedom to further extend interest rate.

The first step in searching Bad debt loans is to check how worse is your credit score. The document is not to add to your lamentations. Nevertheless, credit report will give important details about when and where you faltered. Many a times, credit reports sport unsolicited items that you were not party to. Having them changed may result into a substantial improvement in the credit report. Borrowers can get credit report from credit reference agencies (Experian and Equifax) either for free or by paying a nominal fees. Borrowers can approach these credit rating agencies for deletion of the unsolicited items. The credit report details can be easily quoted in the application form for a more specific loan quote.

The second step will be to search loan providers who are ready to deal with borrowers with bad credit history. The process can be simplified, particularly through online lending system. Almost every loan provider has his website describing the organisation and the various financial products and services that they deal in. Loan providers who extend their services to bad credit borrowers would have it written in bold on their website. The loan providers who do not will immediately be ousted off your list. Online search for about an hour can help create a big database of lenders who deal in bad debt loans.

The third step in the process will require working on the list prepared in the second step. The aim of this step is to select one particular loan provider to affect the bad debt loan. Loan quote is an important method employed at this stage to compare the terms of different loan providers. Depending on the results of the comparison, borrowers will decide on a particular lender. It will be beneficial if borrower meets the lender in person once.

The third step ended with the final choice of lender. Henceforth, every debt settlement discussion will have the participation of the chosen lender. This is what the fourth step involves. The process of eliminating debts through bad debt loans is no different from the regular debt consolidation process. After preparing a list of debts on the borrowers account, the loan provider will undertake to settle them personally. Negotiation for a lower disbursal of debts will be a regular feature of bad credit debt consolidation loans. The fourth step is witness to the final elimination of debts.

The process of debt settlement will be incomplete without the borrower drawing lessons from the thing. Borrowers must understand that unrestrained expenses will again create a mound of debts to be cleared. Debt consolidation loans will not be the viable solution every time the debt burden increases. A more feasible solution to debts will be to control the incidence of debts. An immediate use of the advice can be made in a timely repayment of monthly repayment on bad debt loans.

James Taylor holds a Master’s degree in Commerce from JNU he is working as financial consultant for chance for loans.To find a personal loan,bad credit loans that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Benefits and Drawbacks of Bankruptcy

August 11th, 2007

Outlined below are some of the benefits and drawbacks of bankruptcy. It should be noted that bankruptcy is not to be entered into without first having sought professional advice.

There is more to bankruptcy than as a way of finally putting an end to harassing debt collectors and creditors. One big side effect of bankruptcy being that your life is likely to be subjected to intense scrutiny.

These are some of the benefits of bankruptcy:

Relieves the stress caused by dealing with numerous creditors.

Once a bankruptcy order is made, a third party takes over the administration, decision making and payment process of the debts.

Creditors forced to recognise that they must accept less money than is owed.

Debtors typically pay less with a bankruptcy order than with an Individual Voluntary Arrangement.

Once discharged, most debts are written off and creditors cannot pursue them.

Here are some of the drawbacks associated with bankruptcy:

The debtor will lose any realisable assets of value.

If the debtor owns equity in a home, this will almost certainly be sold.

If a business is owned, this could be sold and any employees dismissed.

Bank current accounts can be difficult to obtain.

It is a costly process. All fees for the insolvency service, courts and any trustee are taken out of the debtor’s assets.

If trying to obtain credit of more than £250 the debtor must disclose his status as an undischarged bankrupt.
The debtor must allow all his financial affairs to be scrutinised.

Names of those made bankrupt are published in the London Gazette and the local press and can be viewed online at the Insolvency Service website, making them accessible to anyone in the world.

Cannot hold certain public offices, such as MP, councillor or magistrate, or practice certain professions, such as solicitor and accountant.

A bankrupt may not hold office as a trustee of a charity or a pension fund.

A bankrupt is not allowed to be a company director or trade under any other name than the one used at the time of bankruptcy.

The trustee must be informed of any changes in circumstances during the bankruptcy.

Certain debts cannot be written off: fines, maintenance/child support payments, other family court orders, debts to secured creditors, debts from personal injury claims, debts incurred through fraud, debt arising from certain other orders of the criminal court.

Bankruptcy does not affect the rights of secured creditors. Where there are joint debts, creditors can still pursue the non-bankrupt debtor.

Bankrupts found to be blameworthy, culpable or dishonest can be made subject to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order which can impose the same bankruptcy restrictions, plus some additional ones, for anywhere from 2 to 15 years.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author’s biography remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.