Geraci Law sponsors Day at the Speedway for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.
Geraci Law sponsored Day at the Speedway for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. Attorneys Chad Garrapy, Bridget Spears, Patrick McNulty and Lacey Faul attended. We love Indianapolis and we love the Speedway. Schedule a free consultation with Geraci Law local offices online at https://www.infotapes.com/Bankruptcy/OfficeLocator
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Below is an article written by Attorney Peter Francis Geraci regarding the hidden costs of owing. If you are worried about medical, owing medical bills could make health conditions even worse! Read more articles by Attorney Peter Francis Geraci at https://www.infotapes.com/Press.
An article in the June 2021 Men’s Health magazine brings together a number of scientific studies concluding that money problems can kill you. The article quotes the director of the Jackson Heart study as saying that financial stress is a major cause of heart disease, and money issues can cause chronic 24/7 stress that can raise blood pressure, and cause heart disease.
The U.S. Financial Health Pulse: 2020 Trends report states: “As of August 2020, more than two-thirds of people in America (approximately 167 million people) were Financially Coping or Financially Vulnerable. These individuals are struggling to spend, save, borrow, or plan in ways that allow them to be resilient and seize opportunities over time.” https://finhealthnetwork.org/research/u-s-financial-health-pulse-2020-trends-report/
Geraci Law founding member Peter Francis Geraci says that the overwhelming comments in over 30,000 five-star reviews from Geraci Law clients in the last 5 years is “stress relief”. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings eliminate the stress caused by failure to be able to meet financial obligations. Both types of consumer bankruptcy allow people to re-set their budgets and balance their income and expenses. Chapter 7 allows elimination of debt, while continuing to pay vehicles and mortgages. Chapter 13 allows consolidation of debt into a monthly or biweekly affordable payment. Both, according to Mr. Geraci, go a long way to relieving stress, which lowers blood pressure and helps overall health.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Geraci Law helping the entire state of Michigan – see Attorney Jason Kara and Rob Brynjelsen’s visit to Royal Oak!
Geraci Law is handling Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases across the entire state of Michigan! We have an office right in downtown Royal Oak. You can meet with Attorney Jason Kara or Attorney Rob Brynjelsen.
Attorney Jason Kara is a senior attorney at Geraci Law. He has extensive knowledge of complicated bankruptcy issues. Attorney Kara is responsible for reviewing over-median Chapter 7 bankruptcies.
He is originally from Cleveland and moved to the Detroit area during high school. Attorney Kara attended Law School at Michigan State University where he graduated Magna Cume Laude.
While attending law school, Attorney Kara served on the Journal of Business and Securities Law. He spends his free time with his wife and two small children. He enjoys just about any athletic activity and is active in his community.
Attorney Rob Brynjelsen
Attorney Rob Brynjelsen is a senior and supervising attorney at Geraci Law. He is responsible for managing attorneys in Wisconsin, and Indiana. Attorney Brynjelsen is licensed to practice in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign and his Juris Doctor from University of Miami.
He has advised on more than 10,000 consumer bankruptcy cases. He spends at minimum a few weeks a year visiting all of our Indiana and Wisconsin locations ensuring the Geraci Law standard throughout the Midwest.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Student Loan collections to resume in 2022 – read Geraci Law press release and PFG Article!
Geraci Law released the following press release regarding student loans. Read this release and more @ https://www.infotapes.com/Press
As of December 31, 2019, 10,347,000* borrowers were in default or 91+ days delinquent out of 44,865,000 borrowers with outstanding debt, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s April 2, 2021 press release. During COVID, federal student loan interest, and collections, were paused. Will there be a “Jubilee” of forgiveness. Not likely. But there may be relief in bankruptcy for loans over 10 years old if a bill introduced in the Senate on August 21, 2021 passes both houses of Congress. https://abi-org.s3.amazonaws.com/Newsroom/FreshStartAct.pdf
The problem with this bill is that it requires schools with a high default rate to pay to the Treasury up to 50% of the amount forgiven.
In August, the President extended to Jan. 22, 2022, the moratorium that 9 of every 10 student loan borrowers have taken advantage of. Will the forgiveness bill pass before then? Probably not, if ever. Will the moratorium get extended again. Good chance, since the Democrats want to get elected in November 2022. Will student loans disappear? Not likely. Why not? Because America’s higher education gets fat by raising tuition and have students borrow our tax money to pay for a 4 year vacation from work. So the colleges and universities are opposed to any form of student loan forgiveness that would cost them a nickel, or reduce enrollment in super-expensive post-high school education.
What to do in the meantime? Get ready to pay your student loan, since it can’t be forgiven in bankruptcy. No fresh start for you, B.A. in Philosophy!
But wait there’s more!
Attorney Peter Francis Geraci wrote an article titled, “Student Loan Forgiveness for the Permanently Disabled.” You can read this article and more @ https://www.infotapes.com/Articles.
If you are receiving Social Security Disability, the Social Security Administration has determined that you are permanently and totally disabled and cannot engage in meaningful employment. In fact, if you do engage in meaningful employment paying over $500 a month, you are then deemed to be able to work. While you are disabled, you should apply for an “administrative discharge” of any student loan obligation. A family member can help you with this. You do not need an attorney.
You should not think of filing a bankruptcy to discharge student loans, therefore, if you are receiving Social Security Disability. Just inform the student loan servicer that you are totally, permanently disabled, and ask them to forgive the loan.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
You should consider filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 if you are getting calls from private collection agencies. You may be able to stop collection action, pay the IRS ahead of other creditors, or even obtain a discharge if you filed a truthful return on taxes due more than 3 years after the April 15-18 due date for that year, and just can’t pay them.
Hot off the presses!
The IRS hired new collection agencies to chase money owed. Before you start paying the IRS, contact Geraci Law to review your Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 options. Read more Geraci Law press releases at https://www.infotapes.com/Press.
The Internal Revenue Service announced on Sept. 22, 2021, that it has awarded contracts to collect IRS Debts to three new private collection agencies:
CBE Group, Inc., Waterloo, IA
Coast Professional, Inc., Albion, NY
ConServe, Fairport, NY
According to IRS Publication 4518, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act signed by the President on December 4, 2015, requires the IRS to contract with private collection agencies to help collect certain federal tax debt. How do you know it is really someone authorized by the IRS? Not so easy. The IRS will send you a letter first, telling you who the agencies is. You will not get a phone call before you get an IRS letter.
You should consider filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 if you are getting calls from private collection agencies. You may be able to stop collection action, pay the IRS ahead of other creditors, or even obtain a discharge if you filed a truthful return on taxes due more than 3 years after the April 15-18 due date for that year, and just can’t pay them.
Geraci Law has much experience in either tax repayment, or tax discharge, so give us a call at 1-800-CALL-PFG.
Don’t answer any calls threatening you with arrest or garnishment. Private collection agencies cannot take any type of enforcement action against you to collect this debt (such as filing a notice of Federal Tax Lien or issuing a levy). Any collector claiming otherwise is a phony.
Should you give your bank account info to a collector? No. Send your payment directly to the IRS if you want to pay. The private collection agency can provide information on ways to pay or visit www. irs. gov/Payments for electronic payment options. Also see Publication 594, The IRS Collection Process, Ways to pay your taxes. Payment options include IRS Direct Pay to pay an individual tax bill directly from a checking or savings account at no cost. Also available are the following options: preauthorized Direct Debit, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), an electronic system to pay federal taxes via the Internet or by phone for free and paying by debit or credit card using an electronic payment service provider for a fee.
Private collection agencies under contract with the IRS are required to conform to the rules, regulations, and provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Specific provisions of this
Act prohibit private collection agencies from threatening or intimidating taxpayers. If you do not wish to work with an IRS assigned private collection agency to settle your overdue tax account, you must submit this request in writing to the private collection agency. However, the IRS does have the legal authority to take these types of enforcement actions to collect an overdue account.
Don’t start sending payments unless you can pay the whole debt. The IRS is tricky, they will apply your payments to the newest tax debt, not the oldest. Any payment you make, or any payment plan, also stops the statute of limitations of 3 years for bankruptcy discharge on filed tax debt.
So, if you can’t pay your tax debt, expect collection agencies to bother you, don’t send payments to anyone other than the IRS, don’t start sending payments if you can’t pay the whole debt in a reasonable time, and think about calling Geraci Law. For more info, read the Complete Book on Bankruptcy https://bankruptcybookbypeterfrancisgeraci.com/Book33.html
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
When contemplating divorce, when should I file bankruptcy?
New article from Attorney Peter Francis Geraci titled, Should I file Bankruptcy Before I get Divorced, During the Divorce or After the Divorce? Read this article and more @ https://www.infotapes.com/Articles
There are a lot of “secrets” that you certainly don’t know about when to file in relation to a bankruptcy. And believe it or not, more than a few divorce attorneys commit malpractice by failing to refer their clients to Geraci Law.
Example #1 “I am not working, I am separated and can’t pay my $60,000 in credit card debt that’s in my name only. I have been paying minimums of $1200 a month for 2 years until I lost my job making $75,000 a year. I think I will wait until after I get divorced to file a bankruptcy. My spouse and I own a condo with less than $15,000 equity, and she still makes $75,000 a year.
What to do: File Chapter 7 now, especially if you have no joint debt. If you get back to work, you make too much money. If you stay unemployed, but your spouse files for divorce, her attorney may want some provision that promises her you will pay that debt, a big error you don’t want.
Example #2 “I have $35,000 in credit card debt and want to file for divorce. My spouse has $25,000 in debt. We rent, and each make $50,000 a year, but I will have to pay support for the kids, and can’t do that and pay $800 a month on credit cards for the next 10 years. What should I do?
What to do: You are separated, so your household income is half of what it was, an ideal time to file Chapter 7. You should also talk to your spouse, who might want to eliminate her debt in a joint filing so it is not an issue in the divorce. Waiting could be very bad: I have seen divorce property settlement agreements obligating a spouse who is paying support to pay not only support, but to pay credit cards. Very bad. Get to Geraci Law right away.
Sometimes we file separate Chapter 7 for each spouse, sometimes a joint Chapter 7, sometimes a 7 for just one, sometimes a Chapter 13 for one only, etc. There are a lot of ins and outs. Sometimes both spouses file, and because the debt pressure is gone, they get back together and live happily ever after.
Geraci Law saves more marriages than a country preacher. And if we can’t, at least you aren’t fighting about debt during a divorce. It’s magic!
Again, don’t call and expect to get anything straight without a virtual or in-person consultation. You spent years getting into debt, spend an hour planning how to get out of it with an experienced Geraci Law attorney.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Only someone who has discharged a debt in bankruptcy can be “judgment proof” as to that debt.
Wait? What? Absolutely no such thing as judgment proof. Below is an article written by Attorney Peter Francis Geraci. Read more articles by PFG @ https://www.infotapes.com/Articles
“Judgment proof” THERE IS NO SUCH THING. Only someone who has discharged a debt in bankruptcy can be “judgment proof” as to that debt.
Otherwise, it is a fallacy perpetuated by the uninformed.
Even if someone has only SS and no property to be attached, a creditor may file a suit, entering a judgment, garnish, record liens, establishing citation proceedings, seeking to garnish them, etc A debtor still has to appear in court and claim an exemption or appear at a citation so it does not turn into a rule to show cause or a body attachment.
Judgments remain for 10 years and can be renewed multiple times, and there is nothing preventing a creditor from collecting on a judgment with property acquired in the future. Often, debtors do not want to deal with all of this, and that is why they file bankruptcy. It is entirely false for someone to allege a debtor does not need to file bankruptcy because they are “judgment proof.”
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Congratulations to Attorney Sharon Hunt on celebrating 20 years with Geraci Law!
Attorney Sharon Hunt celebrated her 20th year with Geraci Law joining the 20 year club with several Geraci Law attorneys. With Geraci Law you get the experience and expertise of Geraci Law attorneys!
Congratulations to Attorney Sharon Hunt!
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
Utilities, Cable, Phone Bills and Bankruptcy. With summer heat raging across the country, if you are behind on your electric bill and worried about a shut off – bankruptcy CAN help. Attorney Peter Geraci answers your questions about utilities, cable bills and those pesky cell phone balances.
Bills are Usually Dischargeable
Bills for utilities such as gas, electric, water, sewer and phone are what we call unsecured debts, and they are dischargeable under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The only exception is fraud, such as where you hooked up the gas illegally.
When to List Utility Bills in Bankruptcy
In order to make it worthwhile to list a utility bill, calculate the average month utility bill, and multiply by three. So if your average electric bill is 140, three times is $420. So if you list a $420 past due electric bill in a chapter 7, you won’t have to pay it, but you’ll most likely have to put up a deposit of three times the average bill, or $420, and now you’re back to square one.
So the three times an average bill rule applies for gas and electric. And you’ll have to put up a deposit.
Avoiding Utility Shut-offs
Filing on gas and electric doesn’t make much sense unless you have run up a huge bill, and by now you have been shut off. What happens in cold states like Wisconsin, where they don’t shut off your winter gas until April, and then we get a rush of bankruptcies because it’s still cold enough to need gas and its off.
We also get a rush with people who have lived without gas all summer, and when it gets to be Halloween I need the gas back on. Those bills are usually several thousand, so putting up of $420 deposit isn’t too bad. Filing either Chapter 7 or 13 will require the utility to turn your electric or gas back on after you put up the deposit.
Water and Sewer Bills in Bankruptcy
Water and sewer bills are a little bit different. They usually aren’t very high, and in most cities, they are a lien on the real estate. So if you have a single-family home or multi-unit that you own, and you don’t pay the water and sewer bill, not only can they shut off the water, but there is a lien on the real estate. We don’t see too many water and sewer bills in bankruptcy but there treated pretty much the same as gas and electric.
Cable and Phone Bills in Bankruptcy
Cable and phone bills are a little different. Since so many people are disconnecting from cable TV, it’s not a real big issue if you’re three months behind on the $200 cable bill, and don’t particularly care for the service anyway. Otherwise they don’t have to give you credit again. Nobody has a land-line, so you’re talking about a cell phone bill, and those bills are never included in a bankruptcy because they cut you off after two months and now you have no cell phone service, which is something we rarely see.
In Summary
So in a nutshell, for gas or electric that is more than three months behind throw it in there, and as far as water and sewer pay it. Cable and telephone, either get a cell phone with a different carrier and a different cable service, or pay them to continue service.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
There’s a ton of information about debt, financial resources and bankruptcy. The B word can be intimidating and maybe it’s time to answer the question – How does bankruptcy filing work?
Attorney Peter Francis Geraci answers this question and reviews what you can expect when filing for bankruptcy.
Organize Your Debt
1. How MUCH debt do you have? Is it around $10,000 or more in debt you can eliminate, like medical bills, lawsuits, credit cards, personal loans, repossessions? Make a list of all your debt and what it is for. You can find a form at Infotapes.com. Remember, some debts don’t appear on credit reports, so gather your bills, and even old debts can chase you for 5 or 10 years or more
2. What KIND of debt do you have? So if you have $10,000 or more in debt, is it the kind you can get rid of, or the kind you want to pay, like vehicles or credit unions, or is it just government student loans?
So, you can make a short list, using our form, you can get a free credit report to see what your creditors are reporting to credit bureaus.
Consult with a Law Firm
3. Get a free phone mini-consultation. You will need competent advice on whether Chapter 7 or 13 is right for the type and amount of debt, and also for your income level. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can pick your Chapter, because you don’t know as much as Geraci Law’s highly experience attorneys.
4. Start uploading your documents. If we decide that we can help you, we’ll give you access to the Geraci Law Client Corner, run an Experian soft-pull, get a Kelly Blue Book value on your vehicles, estimate your house value if you have one, and more. You can then upload necessary documents to our Geraci Law Client Corner client portal, such as pay stubs, bank statements, contracts, bills and tax returns.
Meet with a Bankruptcy Lawyer for Free
5. Get a virtual or in-office interview and get your options, costs, and retain us, little or no money down. Figure a payment plan, and you’ve got yourself a lawyer! We’ll refer you to take a 20 minute online finance course, which costs $25. Take the course before you file. You can take my credit counseling course online for free to see what it’s like.
Review and Sign your Bankruptcy Paperwork
6. We’ll then prepare a bankruptcy petition of about 50 pages for you to review, and assemble the necessary documents you have uploaded, and after you sign it, we’ll file it with the Court.
File your Bankruptcy in Court
7. After we file in court, we’ll post all your documents on your secure Geraci Law Client Corner portal, where you will get all your messages, instructions, documents, and even videos about your meeting of creditors and taking your second Debtor Education Course. The bankruptcy court requires you to take the second course to get a discharge. I teach it, and the Administrative office of the U.S. Trustee in bankruptcy certifies it. The court is one of the only courses actually taught by an experienced bankruptcy attorney.
Attend your Meeting of the Creditors
8. We will go with you, either by Zoom or in-person, to a brief interview with a Court appointed bankruptcy Trustee to go over your petition and approve it. If you filed Chapter 13, your plan will be confirmed and you will make the necessary monthly payment. If you filed Chapter 7, we will handle any paperwork with vehicles or mortgages you want to keep, and you will get a discharge around 4 months from date of filing.
Dial 1-800-CALL-PFG for a free phone mini-consultation, or make an appointment online 24/7 at www.infotapes.com. Bankruptcy laws are in place to help you. Who knows bankruptcy like Geraci Law? Geraci Law has 30,000 5-star reviews since November 2016!
since November 2016!
Bankruptcy Attorney News - Peter Francis Geraci Law, call us at 800 CALL PFG 