Thursday, September 27, 2007

Bankruptcy Filing - Non-Dischargeable Debts

Contrary to what many people believe, not all debts are dischargeable regardless of your bankruptcy filing options. For debts like student loans and mortgages, a debtor must enter into some type of repayment agreement rather than have these debts completely discharged. In many cases, the court will appoint a trustee to liquidate your assets so the proceeds can be used to repay your creditors. The courts have established these guidelines as a way of preventing abuse and harm to society.

Bankruptcy filing does not solve all of a debtor's financial problems. Courts have deemed that debts which could be harmful or unproductive to the nature of society are non-dischargeable in a typical bankruptcy. The idea behind this is so that people cannot relinquish their obligations to pay child support, alimony, and other money that contributes to the good of society. This idea of non-dischargeable debts also spreads to student loans because of the amount of money granted by the government each year for college educations. Student loans are possibly the most difficult types of loans to get discharged through bankruptcy. Until recently, they were covered under the types of debt that were dischargeable under loan bankruptcy guidelines, but recent amendments to the code have changed this.

In terms of bankruptcy, business filings are often forced into a plan to repay the business's creditors. The bankruptcy courts often see completely discharging the debts of a business as detrimental to society because of the ramifications involved. With a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, business assets are typically liquidated and the company shuts down. This results in a loss of jobs that help to pump money into the economy. This is why businesses are often forced into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy because their debts can be reorganized and the creditors can be paid in installments while the business continues to operate.

For people who have fallen behind on car payments or home mortgage payments, bankruptcy filing can grant a temporary protection from their creditors. Chapter 13 is designed in such a way that homeowners or consumers with other types of secured debts can retain their property even if they have fallen behind in the payments. The debtor makes arrangements with their court-appointed trustee to make payments along with extra money to help them catch up on missed payments with this type of bankruptcy. Mortgage companies are willing to work with debtors because they would rather afford them some leeway rather than go through the trouble of court proceedings involved with foreclosures.

Contrary to what many people believe, it is possible to receive a mortgage after bankruptcy. Even if you have recently completed a bankruptcy filing, mortgage companies will often work with you to get you into a new home. Debtors who have filed for Chapter 13 have better loan opportunities than those who filed Chapter 7 because they made arrangements to repay their debts. Once you have decided to apply for a mortgage after bankruptcy discharge, choose a mortgage company that does manual underwriting so your particular situation can be evaluated on an individual basis.

People who decide to go through bankruptcy will undoubtedly experience a life changing event. Bankruptcy filing can affect a person's finances for several years following the discharge and oftentimes the debtor is still left with some debts that were not dischargeable. Unfortunately, once a person has gone through a bankruptcy, mortgage loans and other types of credit will have an unusually high interest rate attached to their repayment requirements.


http://www.credit-wz.com/bankruptcy/Bankruptcy-Filing-Non-Dischargeable-Debts.html