Solve your money troubles

Select an Action

Title:

Solve your money troubles

Author:

Loftsgordon, Amy, author.

O'Neill, Cara (Lawyer), author, editor.

Summary:

Conquering overwhelming debt starts with understanding your options. Loftsgordon and O'Neill give you the tools you need to get your finances back on track. They provide up-to-date legal information, as well as sample creditor letters and budgeting worksheets. -- Adapted from back cover

General Note:

"Strategies to get out of debt and stay that way"--Cover.

"Learn how to stop: collection calls, wage garnishments, foreclosures & more"--Cover.

"This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise." -- Verso.

Includes glossary and index.

Edition:

17th edition.

Contents:

How much do you owe? -- If you're married, divorced, or separated -- Create a budget and control spending -- Prioritizing your debts -- Finding money to pay your debts -- Negotiating with your creditors -- What to expect when you can't pay your debts -- Reducing mortgage payments and dealing with foreclosure -- Dealing with debt collectors -- Understanding loan and other credit documents -- Student loans -- Child support and alimony -- Lawsuits and collection of judgments -- Bankruptcy: the ultimate weapon -- Property creditors can't take -- Rebuilding your credit -- Choosing and managing credit cards -- Help beyond this book.

Physical Description:

378 pages : forms ; 23 cm

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Law for laypersons.

Subject Term:

Debtor and creditor.

Credit -- Law and legislation.

Finance, Personal -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Author(s):

O'Neill, Cara (Lawyer),

Publisher:

Nolo,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9781413326475

Publication Information:

Berkeley, California : Nolo, 2019.

Call Number:

346.077 LOFTSGORDON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Copy	Status	Item Holds
33607003431221	Adult Nonfiction	346.077 LOFTSGORDON	2019	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Struggling with debt? Find solutions here.

Conquering overwhelming debt starts with understanding your options. Solve Your Money Troubles gives you the tools you need to get your finances back on track. Learn how to:

stop debt collector harassment cold negotiate down your debt with creditors reduce your student loan payments, and create a healthy financial plan that you can live with.

But that's not all. Solve Your Money Troubles helps you handle the big issues, too. Find out how to:

stop a wage garnishment from leaving you penniless get your car back after a repossession prevent a foreclosure by applying for a workout program respond to an action if you get sued, and decide if it's time to wipe the slate clean by filing for bankruptcy.

Most importantly, you can count on getting the support you need. In addition to up-to-date legal information, you'll find practical tools, such as sample creditor letters and budgeting worksheets. And, if the law changes, you won't be left out of the loop. You'll have online access to all of the latest debt, credit, and bankruptcy developments.

Author Notes

Attorney Amy Loftsgordon has worked in the areas of debt collection and foreclosure for over 15 years. She is the author of Nolo's The Foreclosure Survival Guide and Nolo's Credit Repair.
Attorney Cara O'Neill is a legal editor with Nolo and the coauthor of Nolo's How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Before joining Nolo, she practiced in the areas of litigation and bankruptcy for over twenty years.

Your Legal Companion to Solving Your Money Troubles	p. 1
1 How Much Do You Owe?	p. 3
How Much Do You Earn?	p. 5
How Much Do You Owe?	p. 5
2 If You're Married, Divorced, or Separated	p. 9
Community Property States	p. 10
Equitable Distribution States	p. 14
Rules for Domestic Partnerships and Civil Unions	p. 16
3 Create a Budget and Control Spending	p. 19
Figure Out Where Your Money Goes	p. 20
Make a Spending Plan	p. 21
Create Good Spending Habits and Avoid Financial Pitfalls	p. 23
4 Prioritizing Your Debts	p. 25
Secured and Unsecured Debts	p. 26
High-Priority Debts	p. 28
Medium-Priority Debts	p. 31
Low-Priority Debts	p. 32
Review Your Worksheets	p. 33
5 Finding Money to Pay Your Debts	p. 35
Cut Your Expenses	p. 36
Increase Your Income	p. 39
Get Some of Your Tax Refund Early	p. 40
Get Your Tax Refund Fast	p. 40
Sell a Major Asset	p. 41
Sell Smaller Items	p. 42
Withdraw Money From a Tax-Deferred Account	p. 43
Apply for Government and Agency Help	p. 44
Consider a Home Equity Loan	p. 47
Use the Equity in Your Home If You Are 62 or Older	p. 50
Borrow the Money	p. 54
What to Avoid When You Need Money	p. 55
Avoid Payday Lender Prepaid Cards	p. 60
6 Negotiating With Your Creditors	p. 63
Prepare a Negotiating Plan	p. 64
Communicate With Your Creditors	p. 65
Tips for Negotiating With Creditors	p. 68
Rent Payments	p. 69
Mortgage Payments	p. 70
Utility and Telephone Bills	p. 70
Car Payments	p. 72
Secured Loan Payments	p. 74
Insurance Payments	p. 75
Medical, Legal, and Other Service Bills	p. 75
Child Support and Alimony Payments	p. 77
Income Taxes	p. 78
Student Loan Payments	p. 79
Credit Card Payments	p. 79
Negotiating When the Creditor Has a Judgment Against You	p. 81
Pay Offa Debt for Less Than the Full Amount	p. 81
Don't Write Postdated Checks	p. 82
Beware of the IRS If You Settle a Debt	p. 86
7 What to Expect When You Can't Pay Your Debts	p. 89
Eviction	p. 90
Repossession	p. 91
Tying Up Property Before a Lawsuit	p. 98
Lawsuits	p. 99
Lawsuits Against Third Parties Who Hold Your Assets	p. 100
Liens on Your Property	p. 100
Jail	p. 101
Bank Setoff	p. 102
Intercepting Your Tax Refund	p. 102
Loss of Insurance Coverage	p. 103
Loss of Utility Service	p. 104
8 Reducing Mortgage Payments and Dealing With Foreclosure	p. 107
Foreclosure	p. 108
Nonjudicial Foreclosure	p. 109
Judicial Foreclosures	p. 110
Right to Cure Default	p. 110
Right of Redemption	p. 112
The Sale	p. 112
Defenses to Foreclosure	p. 112
Watch Out for Deficiency Balances	p. 113
Alternatives to Foreclosure	p. 113
Federal Programs for Homeowners Facing Possible Foreclosure	p. 114
Other Mortgage Workouts	p. 117
Refinancing	p. 118
Selling Your House	p. 120
Short Sales and Deeds in Lieu of Foreclosure	p. 120
Finding Other Programs to Help Homeowners	p. 121
9 Dealing With Debt Collectors	p. 123
Creditor or Debt Collector?	p. 124
Negotiating Secured Debts	p. 126
Before Your Debt Is Sent to a Debt Collector	p. 126
When Your Debt Is Sent to a Debt Collector	p. 127
Illegal Debt Collection Practices	p. 140
How to Fight Back If a Debt Collector Violates the Law	p. 143
10 Understanding Loan and Other Credit Documents	p. 147
Credit Disclosures	p. 148
Common Terms in Credit Agreements	p. 149
11 Student Loans	p. 161
What Kind of Loan Do You Have?	p. 162
Figuring Out Who Holds or Services Your Student Loan	p. 165
Canceling Your Loan	p. 165
Postponing Payments	p. 170
Changing Your Repayment Plan	p. 171
Getting Out of Default	p. 176
Filing for Bankruptcy When You Can't Pay	p. 177
Consequences of Ignoring Student Loan Debt	p. 178
Private Student Loans	p. 179
12 Child Support and Alimony	p. 181
How Child Support Is Determined	p. 182
Modifying the Amount of Child Support	p. 184
If Paternity Is Disputed	p. 188
Enforcement of Child Support Obligations	p. 188
Alimony	p. 195
Bankruptcy and Child Support or Alimony Debt	p. 196
Taxes, Child Support, and Alimony	p. 197
13 Lawsuits and Collection of Judgments	p. 199
How a Lawsuit Begins	p. 201
Negotiate a Deal	p. 205
Alternative Dispute Resolution	p. 207
Defenses and Claims	p. 209
What to Expect While the Case Is in Court	p. 216
When the Creditor Gets a Judgment Against You	p. 217
How Creditors Collect Judgments	p. 218
How to Stop Judgment Collection Efforts	p. 228
14 Bankruptcy: The Ultimate Weapon	p. 231
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy	p. 232
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy	p. 233
The Automatic Stay	p. 235
Bankruptcy Exemptions	p. 236
Will Bankruptcy Solve Your Debt Problems?	p. 237
Getting Help With Bankruptcy	p. 238
15 Property Creditors Can't Take	p. 241
Property Subject to Collection	p. 242
Types of Exemptions	p. 246
Is Your Property Exempt?	p. 248
Claiming Exemptions	p. 255
16 Rebuilding Your Credit	p. 257
Credit Scores and Credit Reports: What's the Difference?	p. 258
Credit Reports	p. 258
Cleaning Up Your Credit Report	p. 261
Your Credit Score	p. 266
Rebuilding Credit Without Getting New Credit	p. 268
Rebuilding Credit by Getting New Credit	p. 269
Don't Use a Credit Repair Organization	p. 270
17 Choosing and Managing Credit Cards	p. 271
Avoiding Credit Card Traps	p. 273
Consumer Credit Card Rights	p. 273
Use Credit Card Disclosure Forms to Identify Traps	p. 273
Trouble Paying Your Bill	p. 280
Should You Get Rid of Unnecessary Credit Cards?	p. 280
How to Close a Credit Card Account	p. 282
Shopping for a New Card	p. 282
Using Credit Cards Wisely	p. 284
Cards You Didn't Request	p. 285
Rejected and Blocked Cards	p. 286
Liability If Your Credit Card is Lost or Stolen	p. 286
Unauthorized Use of Your Card by an Acquaintance	p. 289
To Dispute a Credit Card Bill	p. 289
Debit Cards	p. 294
Prepaid Cards	p. 295
18 Help Beyond This Book	p. 297
Looking Up the Law	p. 298
Lawyers	p. 303
Debt and Credit Counseling Agencies	p. 307
Glossary	p. 313
Appendixes
A Where to Complain	p. 317
B Contact Information for Useful Agencies, Organizations, and Other Entities	p. 321
C Worksheets	p. 325
Index	p. 345

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents