Employee Assistance Program

Financial Information:
Bankruptcy—A New World
By the National Endowment for Financial Education

Your employer downsizes and your job is gone. Your health deteriorates and you run up big medical bills. Your breadwinner spouse dies or divorces you. Your retirement nest egg disappears when the stock market drops.

For some people, these kinds of events can lead to financial disaster and, in the worst cases, possible bankruptcy. Those who seek bankruptcy generally are not spendthrifts who purchase fancy cars or cruise the Caribbean. They’re not deadbeats who run up big bills, and then duck creditors. You might say they’ve had plain bad luck.

"For most of my clients, it’s something that has happened to them," says Nancy L. Thompson, a lawyer specializing in bankruptcy in Des Moines, Iowa. "It’s not something they could have avoided or something they did wrong.’’

And bankruptcy’s not an easy choice, particularly for older people, many of whom consider being unable to pay their bills embarrassing. Both Vasquez and Thompson also cite deceptive or aggressive consumer practices as prime reasons older people eid up in financial trouble. Among the culprits: home-improvement scams, predatory mortgage lending, and aggressive solicitation of credit cards. "I’ve seen them offered cards with limits way, way beyond what they’re capable of paying," Vasquez says.

Overall cases
Total filings have jumped in 2005 as word has spread that new, stricter laws are to take effect in October 2005. "We were flooded with requests for bankruptcy," says Vasquez. "People’s perception was they have to file soon because the laws are changing."

New Law Reforms Bankruptcy
The new Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act-supported by credit card companies, banks, and other lenders-makes it more difficult to discharge debts, requires credit counseling and education for persons filing for bankruptcy, and raises the cost and complexity of a bankruptcy case. Most parts of the law will go into effect October 17, 2005, although homestead exemptions are in effect now.

The new laws maintain Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings Chapter 7, under which most individual debtors now file, allows a debtor to keep certain exempt property (defined differently among the states). Other property-when there is any—is sold and proceeds are divided among creditors. Most remaining debts are erased, giving the person a fresh start. Chapter 13 allows a debtor to keep non-exempt property-such as a home-while following a
plan to pay back creditors over three to five years. But big changes were made to bankruptcy as well:

• Means Test—There’s a new "means test" that IS designed to steer more debtors to Chapter 13’s repayment system rather than Chapter 7’s erasure of debts If the debtor’s income is below herlhis state’s median income, she can file under Chapter 7 if there is income is over the state median, a complex formula weighing income, expenses, and unsecured debt, comes into play to decide which chapter is appropriate.
• Debt Repayment—If the debtor files for Chapter 13, stricter IRS guidelines will be used to determine what sthe can afford to pay Higher Costs. Chapter 7 filing fees increase under the new laws, and attorneys predict legal fees will rise as well because the new laws require more work.
• Creditor Actions—Creditors who won’t receive any money owed in a bankruptcy case may now contest the ruling for Chapter 13 filings as well as Chapter 7 filings.
• Waiting Period—The period a person must wait to file another bankruptcy case increases from six to eight years.
• Homestead Exemptions—These exemptions allow the debtor to keep some of the equity in herlhis home safe from creditors. The amount varies from state to state. As of April, 2005, the homestead exemption is stricter.
• Retirement Accounts—Retirement accounts, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and 401(k) accounts, are protected for up to one million dollars in retirement savings per person.
• Financial Counseling—The law also requires the debtor to take an approved financial counseling course outlining alternatives to bankruptcy within six months of filing. At the end of the bankruptcy, he must also take an approved financial management course to learn the personal financial skills needed to avoid future financial problems.

Thompson doesn’t expect the new means test to affect very low-income . people because their low income will still allow them to erase their debts under Chapter. Middle-income people will see the biggest change from the new means test. "Before, bankruptcy has always been an option for persons who cannot dig out of their financial hole to start over," she says, "but now it’s going to be more difficult."

Regardless of income or age, the new law’s higher legal and filing costs will be burdens, she believes, because those filing for bankruptcy are strapped for money to begin with. If you are in a financial situation in which you are wondering if bankruptcy is your only way out, talk with a lawyer who is aware of the new legal requirements.

If you’ve just had a personal crisis that has changed your fi. ial situation dramatically, assess what next steps are best for you. If you are living paycheck to paycheck just to keep up with creditors, look for ways in which you can get off the debt treadmill. Getting credit cards and debt paid off not only saves money in fees and interest costs, it also creates a safety net should an unexpected event occur While no one can fully prepare for the most catastrophic of life events, everyone can try to prepare for a more secure financial future.

For more information call Consumer Credit Counseling at 1-800-251-2227 or contact their Web site at www.cccs.inc.org. You may also call Pacific Employee Assistance for more informaiton at 253-697-8350 or toll free at 1-877-223-7428.

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