A law that went into effect November 1st, requires hospitals to apply discounts, and inform patients of charity care, before sending unpaid bills off for collections. It seems intuitive that hospitals would be motivated to do this, if there is an easy way for them to...
A recent study commissioned by the State Bar association showed that smaller medical debts are more likely to be pursued than larger debts. The article goes on to surmise that because they are so small, people don't fight them, and that there is a disproportionate...
The easy way to qualify financially for chapter 7 bankruptcy (i.e. without doing the means test) is by being under the median income. Despite inflation and low unemployment, the census bureau has determined that the median income for these household sizes has changed...
Chapter 13 helps provide individuals a structured way to repay their debts over time. Within Chapter 13 bankruptcy, there’s a powerful tool known as the “cramdown” that filers can take advantage of. Understanding the intricacies of cramdowns in Chapter 13 bankruptcy...
Even before recent double digit inflation and doubling of interest rates, we were starting to see seven-year car loans being the norm. For years, a reasonable car payment was $4-500, but now the average is $725. This article posits that there is a 20/4/7 rule, which...
It seems ironic that nobody needs to attend a budgeting class in order to go into debt, but in order to file bankruptcy and get out of debt, a person does need to attend a budgeting class. A recent article indicates that more and more states are now requiring...
I'm honored to again have been asked to speak before Minnesota bankruptcy attorneys at the annual bankruptcy institute, this time on the subject of avoiding common mistakes. Here is the brochure for the bankruptcy institute:...
Bankruptcy is not just for the indigent. Very typically what I see, are people who were chugging along doing fine, and then there's usually some sort of triggering event, whether it's an illness, accident, or injury, that causes them to lose their financial footing,...
A recent post explained the public outcry as it was learned that a big medical operation in the Twin Cities was denying care to people, even kids, who had unpaid medical debt. The Attorney General got involved to investigate whether this violated certain agreements...
Many of my clients have already tried various debt relief programs before realizing they need to file for bankruptcy. While there may be a few programs that work on a nonprofit basis, most of these programs are destined to fail, as they are heavily front end loaded...