Filing for bankruptcy comes with some benefits By: Darrell Castle Roughly one-third of all Americans have a debt in collections reported on their credit. This figure, from the Urban Institute, implies what we already know – that many people are harassed by debt collectors on a regular basis. “I’m not a deadbeat – it kind of sounds like I am – but I just got ill, and that was a long time ago, and I’m barely staying afloat. I wasn’t able to pay other bills either, and then I had no credit. I know that I’m getting close to losing it, which would mean going to a hospital and, you know, a recovery period.” The quote above was from a
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hat a bankruptcy can do for you By: Darrell Castle “Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you freedom.” Do you agree with that quote? I do! Money DOESN’T buy you happiness. I’ve heard many stories of people pursuing careers in order to become rich, but they chose work over the people they love and ended up regretting the life they’d lead. Now, that’s not to say there’s something wrong with having money – a lot or a little. After all, money is essential to living – it serves as trade for our necessities of shelter and food. But, it’s when money starts to control your life that you can lose control of your happiness. When you have
By: Darrell Castle Are you in debt this holiday season? Well, you aren’t alone. In total, American consumers owe over $11 trillion in debt. That seems stressful to me. As a bankruptcy attorney, I’ve had plenty of conversations with people who are struggling with debt and the inability to pay their bills. I’ve heard their stories and seen their cries. They’re stressed out. Christmas is supposed to be a time full of joy and peace – not a time of stress and fear. There’s a way to relieve yourself of that debt that’s eating away at your life and enjoy your holidays with the comfort of financial stability. By filing for bankruptcy, you can discharge all of your dischargeable debt
By: Darrell Castle You may see commercials on TV or hear radio ads while driving about car accident attorneys who can help you when you’re injured in a car accident. What does that mean exactly? How do you know if you REALLY have a car accident case? Let’s say Tom was driving down Poplar one day to grab lunch. As he drove through the intersection at White Station, another car ran a red light and slammed into his car. Tom suffered a broken shoulder and had to be taken to the ER. He also had to have surgery and recovery time, which cost him some lost wages — or lost vacation days — at work. Should Tom be liable for
By: Darrell Castle RED ALERT! Contact a bankruptcy attorney now! You’ll never get a notification like that telling you it’s time to file for bankruptcy. However, there are signs you can look for that WILL alert you that it’s time to think about contacting a bankruptcy attorney. Red Alert Signs Again, no “red alert” will notify you that it’s time, but these signs SHOULD be treated as “red alerts” when they occur. 1. Your home is about to be foreclosed on. 2. Your car is about to be repossessed. 3. Your wages are about to be garnished. If one – or all – of those three things happen to you, contact a bankruptcy attorney IMMEDIATELY. You don’t have to lose
Take control of student loans before they take control of you and your family By: Darrell Castle Student loan debt is a prison for the whole family, not just the students. Let me tell you a story that I’ve seen play out a few times – Rachel’s parents save no money for her college education, assuming their present earnings will cover the expenses. Then, Rachel gets accepted into an expensive private school offering no financial aid and chooses it over the affordable public school offering her academic scholarships. Then, what do the parents do? They sign for Rachel’s student loans, making her promise she’ll repay them after she graduates (hint- they hardly ever do). Rachel then can’t afford her
Be practical to stay out debt By: Darrell Castle As we grow older, we need to become real with ourselves and our position in life. We need to change our values and become more practical with our finances because we have less time to recover. Basically what I’m saying is – we don’t need to spend the end of our life in debt. This week’s Miller’s Money Weekly was a good piece on our society’s obsession with having a nice car. Having the newest and nicest car is fine and all, but if you’re facing retirement and want to do so richly and comfortably, it’s probably time to give up that obsession. What is a car really other than the
By: Darrell Castle So, they say that bankruptcy will ruin your credit, huh? Tell them that Darrell told you they’re wrong. Well, don’t tell them they’re wrong, but just tell them they’re “misinformed.” You’ll be informed after reading this though. A bankruptcy DOES NOT ruin your credit score. And that’s not the right way to look at bankruptcy in the first place. Why do people file for bankruptcy? It’s because they’re behind on their bills and in debt. That means they’ve missed important payments. What’s one of the main contributing factors to your credit score? On-time payments. Therefore one would conclude that if you’re in debt, meaning you’ve missed important payments, then you’d ALREADY have a less than stellar credit
By: Darrell Castle Applying for Social Security Disability is a complex process made so much easier by hiring an attorney. If you’re medically unable then you should apply for Social Security Disability benefits. We’d love to help you with that. Call (901) 327-1212 today for a FREE appointment. Or you can fill out the form to the right to have someone from our office contact YOU.Video TranscriptDo you need an attorney to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance? Hi, I’m Darrell Castle and I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee, and the answer to that question is YES. And that is not just a self-serving answer on my part. Applying for Social Security Disability benefits