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Filing for bankruptcy is a drastic step in regaining your financial health, and the impacts are long-lasting. It is not something to be done lightly, or without weighing out all of your available options. If you are drowning in debt, however, bankruptcy can be a valuable first step in rebuilding your financial future.

GetFreeOfBills.com notes that bankruptcy comes in two forms: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. While Chapter 7 allows you to discharge most debts, Chapter 13 requires you to follow a structured plan to repay your debts under more favorable terms. Depending on the amount of disposable income you have, you might be required to file Chapter 13. Regardless of which type you file, however, the pros and cons are generally the same.

Pros

• Clean slate: A bankruptcy provides a clean slate. It effectively resets your credit to zero, except for the debts that cannot be discharged such as student loans, recent back taxes, and child support. It provides you with the opportunity to stop making costly payments and provides you with more money to live on each month.

• Opportunity to rebuild: Some people believe that bankruptcy prevents you from ever having credit again, but this is not the case. Many people manage to build new lines of credit shortly after their bankruptcy, and it gets easier as time passes. While it is true that bankruptcy remains on your credit report for 10 years, its effects gradually lessen.

• Stopping adverse collections actions: If you are being hounded by creditors, facing foreclosure, or afraid that your wages will be garnished, bankruptcy can be a psychological relief. When you file for bankruptcy, you will receive an automatic stay from the court. This forces your creditors to cease all adverse collections activities against you. If you have a bankruptcy attorney, he or she will also act as a shield, handling creditors on your behalf.

• Exemption laws: Your home and car are generally exempt from bankruptcy, as long as you continue to meet your payment obligations. You are also entitled to a cash value for personal possessions. If you have a significant number of luxury possessions, you might be required to sell some, but the exemptions are generally high enough to let most people keep their personal items.

• Job protection: Although some employers will not hire applicants with a bankruptcy on their credit report, the job you already have is protected. It is illegal for an employee to be fired for declaring bankruptcy.

Cons

• Damaged credit: Bankruptcy is a major hit on your credit report. In the immediate aftermath of the bankruptcy, you might be unable to get any new credit at all. Although it usually does not take long to get new offers, you will fall into a high risk category for lenders. Expect to pay interest rates that are significantly higher than the ones you had prior to your bankruptcy. However, if you are in the position of filing for bankruptcy, your credit is probably already damaged. Some people find that the credit hit is much less significant than they anticipated.

• Filing costs: Filing for bankruptcy typically costs a few hundred dollars, depending on your location. Attorney’s fees are billed on top of that. However, in most cases you can make a payment arrangement if you can prove that paying a lump sum would present a financial hardship.

• Embarrassment: Although it is surprisingly common, filing for bankruptcy still carries a certain stigma. Some people worry that their loved ones will find out and ultimately think less of them for their decision. However, bankruptcy typically comes at the end of a long journey through mounting debt. Most people understand that sometimes life happens, and do not judge their friends and relatives for making a tough financial decision. Besides, having your home foreclosed or your car repossessed is not exactly a less embarrassing option. When taken seriously and only as a last resort, bankruptcy can actually be the smartest choice for some situations.

• Exempted debts: Some debts cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy, including recent back taxes, child support, and student loans. In addition, most people choose to keep their mortgage and car loan, if applicable. However, discharging your other debts will create more available money each month, which can then be diverted toward paying your remaining obligations.

Bankruptcy is not for everyone, but it is the best solution for many people. Attorney David M. Often of Get Free of Bills understands the complex decision-making process that is involved in determining whether bankruptcy is the right choice for you. Contact his office today for professional advice on how to proceed along your journey to financial freedom.

The key aspect for maintaining an excellent investment portfolio is investment analysis and monitoring. These processes are generally defined by the portfolio valuation service, which may also cater to fund managers, shareholders, limited partners, beneficiaries or holding companies.

All stakeholders are very demanding these days and they are constantly requesting for reports on the development of the portfolio companies. This often includes sporadic assessments and NAV (net asset value) calculations. When you are selecting a valuation service, you will have to check out their frequency of checking the NAV. Some services may offer monthly analysis, whereas others may offer quarterly or annual NAVs. There is an urgent need to identify the best valuation service because there are many services that may not give the desired reports in the manner that you need them. Independent and trusted analysis is the need of the hour these days—mainly in the corporate world. When you are investing your money in various companies through a fund manager, you will find that they can be biased in their valuation. In such instances, getting the valuation done by third-party services is really a good idea.

Monitoring the portfolio is always based on the analysis and evaluation of the different portfolio companies. There are two key aspects that a valuation service should look out for — the financial aspects and the soft factors. The financial aspects of the valuation are important, but the soft factors or the qualitative factors are also equally important. During monitoring or evaluation of the portfolio, you may have come across some very important terms such as the market environment, which generally comes under soft factors or the qualitative factors. When you sit face-to-face with the valuation service executive for the very first time, you will have to make sure that you are interested in the product.

Valuation and reporting go hand in hand, but there are different methods used for valuation and reporting. Look out for portfolio valuation services that provide your quarterly and annual reviews. They should also be providing you with summaries and overviews of evaluated companies. Valuations generally follow strict guidelines so that there is no ambiguity what so ever. Typically, the valuation follows the IPEV valuation guidelines. IPEV stands for International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines. Some valuation services may also adhere to the AIFM Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive guidelines. When the valuation firm adheres to the IPEV and the AIFM guidelines, the company will surely meet all independent valuation needs.

Since valuation is a very important process, selecting the right valuation company or individual is paramount. There are thousands of valuation companies and individuals, but all of them may not have the expertise and experience. For most valuation companies, efficiency and competitiveness go hand in hand. So, you will find that rates are very competitive these days. Valuation experts who have decades of experience in valuation are always preferred to do the valuation of your portfolio. Also, valuation experts who provide an entire gamut of valuation under one roof are always selected these days.

In October 2014, the personal saving rate, the ratio of personal income saved to personal net disposable income, was only five percent in the United States. Americans are not known for being savers; the all-time high for personal saving ratio was 14.60 percent in 1975 which is lower than many developing countries.

The truth is, life happens and it can often be expensive. By building your savings into a nest egg, you will be better prepared for these developments.

A Nation of Spenders

Almost half of American households (44 percent) have no more than three months of expenses in a savings account, leaving them unprepared for medical, legal, or other emergencies. Many rely on credit which accumulates expenses through interest rates and in some unfortunate circumstances, late or missed payments.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling conducts a survey every year on consumer financial literacy. According to the latest survey, 16 percent indicated that their emergency fund was insufficient. The same percentage also admitted to not having enough in savings to retire.

Saving Is Necessary

Relying on credit instead of stashing away money is a risky game. As your balances rise, so do interest rates and fees. Many people file bankruptcy because they do not keep up with servicing their debt.

As this pattern continues, credit scores drop but life does not stop happening. If a car needs brakes, a water heater blows up, or you get sued or face legal charges and need to pay criminal defense lawyer fees, this means having to find money quickly. A household that is liquid asset poor is also vulnerable to predatory lending that only deepens financial insecurity.

Get Started

The economy is unpredictable and only a healthy savings account ensures stability. The time to develop this habit is now. Here are suggestions to get started:

• Start Small. Even if you only transfer $5.00 from every paycheck into savings account, it is better than nothing. The trick is to make this a habit and putting aside a small amount will accomplish that. You will likely increase this amount later, due to the satisfaction of saving.

• Set a Goal. A $1,000 emergency fund covers most every day emergencies like car or home repairs. While legal fees and medical bills could easily wipe out a fund of this size, $1,000 is a good goal to start saving. Break it into two $500 goals if that seems more feasible.

• Schedule Automatic Transfers. Some employers offering direct deposit will allow you to split your paycheck into two accounts. If that is possible, arrange a certain amount for your savings account. Otherwise, set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings at each pay period so the saving process occurs despite any lapses in discipline.

A nest egg means an emergency becomes an inconvenience instead of a disaster. If you are relying on credit or living between paychecks, take it as a sign to change your financial habits. Rather than mull over your mistakes, take action today to start a good savings plan.

How often have you stared at something at whatever store, feeling that you want it, but you kept telling yourself ‘no ‘because the price is a bit too steep? You don‘t need the item, per se, but you‘d definitely purchase it if it didn‘t cost so much or if the budget at your disposal would be with a few more zeros. Quite a lot, I imagine. As a student, that happens to me a lot, and I‘ve heard other people complain about the same problems. Things are just too pricey nowadays, and there‘s nothing we can do to change that. Sometimes we just have to let go of something we want.

Though, I have a remedy for that. Ever hear about Overstock? Yeah, that place that‘s literally overstocked with awesome stuff? Well, it has these things called overstock coupons which will definitely make your day a bit brighter. Just picture this with me for a second – you‘re staring at let‘s say a new laptop. You have a laptop already, but the thing‘s so slow you feel like years pass by before your operating system loads, hence why you‘d love to get that hardware upgraded to something more recent. Alas, you figure the price is too high to invest in something you don‘t necessarily need. But oh, wait, a bright light starts shining from the ceiling on you like it‘s the Martians trying to abduct you. Yeah, Mars Attacks never gets old. Yet, suddenly and totally randomly, a 20% off overstock coupon appears in the palm of your hand. Huh, maybe now you can afford to buy the laptop after all.

Overstock has a large assortment of things that can prove to be useful in one way or another, and what makes the deal even more approachable are the available overstock deals at your disposal. Saving financially is something that matters quite a lot, especially if you‘re someone who has to support not only yourself, but others like relatives or family. You can‘t just put yourself in a position where you buy something for yourself and end up not being able to buy diapers for your kid. People depend on you. However, there are in fact loopholes to this, like the deals I mentioned. Buy what you want, and you‘ll have money to spare for others! Pampering yourself once in a while is always a good thing.

With Christmas and the New Years approaching, you might as well grab one or two overstock promo codes to buy those presents for your kids and wife (or husband). You don‘t want your wallet to be empty after the holidays, do you? And you surely don‘t want to buy something small and be called cheap by your colleagues or friends. Remember what I said about pampering yourself? Well, buying something extra special for your family works wonders too! Your son‘s in college, and he‘s about to rip his hair out of his head in frustration because his laptop is slower than a snail. Save him the trouble – buy him a new one. College is hard enough as it is without having to worry about a slow computer.

Self-employed workers may be extremely focused and have an entrepreneurial spirit that will lead to business success but they are also notorious for being disorganized when it comes to paperwork. It really is not possible to be an excellent businessperson and an office administrator. Unfortunately, administration is the backbone of every business and it absolutely must be carried out on time and accurately for a business to maximize its profits.

Many self-employed workers or contractors actually find the financial side of their business intimidating and confusing. There are so many ways to set up a company and manage its finances, and many rules concerning the filing of company accounts and record-keeping.

A small business whose financial side is not managed correctly may find that it loses money and this can hit profit margins hard. Sometimes money is lost simply because a business forgets to invoice for work carried out, or because it undercharges. Suppliers and subcontractors will rarely chase up a late invoice.

Ask any accountant and they will tell stories about entrepreneurs who have months of receipts and invoices piled on their desk, check payments with no details of what the payment was for and receipts of funds into their bank accounts with no note of why they were paid. Couple this with the need to file tax returns correctly and on time and the result is an extremely chaotic office that acts as an anchor weighing down the whole business.

Taxation is one of the most complex areas for any size of business and keeping accurate records of all set-up and ongoing costs is vital to allow you to submit an accurate tax return after your first year of trading. Poorly-managed accounts often result in paying more tax than you should – you cannot claim expenses if you lose your paperwork.

Many employee benefits are tax-deductible such as life insurance and pensions. In fact, all HSA contributions are tax-deductible. Self-employed workers can also deduct from their tax bill the cost of disability and dental insurance premiums along with legal and liability cover. Few self-employed workers manage to claim all these expenses correctly.

Efficient business finance management requires both time and excellent organizational skills. There are several areas of financial administration where self-employed workers repeatedly fail, such as chasing invoices, pricing services and keeping up with tax matters. It’s especially easy to fall behind and get into debt when taking part in an MLM. Check out mlm scam reports to see how you could be in danger of losing lots of money if you aren’t careful.

Fortunately, there are many accountants that offer specific tax advice for contractors and some provide business administration as well as accountancy services. These are called umbrella companies and they provide a way for contractors and self-employed workers to receive help from qualified accountants with the financial and tax aspects of running their business.

An umbrella company essentially acts as an operating company for an entrepreneur, contractor or small business. The umbrella company manages all business finances from daily accounting and administration tasks through to the filing of annual accounts and management reports. The umbrella company manages all the accounts and pays you a salary so that you can focus on what you do best – running a great business.