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If you were treated for Covid-19, and the medical bills have started rolling in it’s especially important to be aware of your rights and how to best handle bills that you can’t pay immediately. If you were diagnosed with and treated for Covid-19, make sure you understand how the specific laws enacted could help.

By Ronald C. Sykstus

Anyone who holds a security clearance is aware that the “renewal” for the clearance is every ten years for a secret and every five years for a top secret. I wrote previously about the big and new change regarding the use of artificial intelligence and continuous evaluations of security clearance holders.

It’s never fun to consider declaring bankruptcy. But, believe it or not, bankruptcy can be a smart financial decision in certain situations. Bankruptcy is designed to give people a fresh start when they need one. And if you file for bankruptcy, you’re taking a big step towards getting your finances under control. That’s always a responsible goal.

When Covid-19 hit the economy, most debt collectors gave borrowers a break, cutting back on lawsuits amid lockdowns, closed courts, and loan-forbearance initiatives. For some, this has given a little breathing room to get themselves on top of their finances and in a better position when we come out of the pandemic.

A forbearance is a workout option available to homeowners having a financial hardship. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on and strains Americans’ finances, 3.4 million homeowners were in forbearance in September of 2020. The typical terms of a mortgage forbearance are payments can be “skipped” for 90, 180, up to 360 days for those that are affected by COVID-19.

As a rule, most tax debts can’t be wiped out in bankruptcy—you’ll continue to owe them at the end of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case or have to repay them in full in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy repayment plan. However, with any rule, there are always exceptions.

You’ll hear a lot of people impulsively say: “bankruptcy is bad.”

That is because they have not given much thought to it and their response is based on F.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real.

The last big bankruptcy reform in the United States—the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) that took effect in 2005—was bad for consumers. The law changes, which included the pre-filing credit counseling requirement, the means test for Chapter 7, and an increase in the required wait time between bankruptcies, was largely crafted by consumer lenders.

The events of the past year have turned a bright spotlight on racial inequities. But, the disparity in the consumer bankruptcy arena isn’t fresh news. Back in 2017, ProPublica conducted an in-depth study of race and bankruptcy. The news was discouraging, but unsurprising to seasoned bankruptcy attorneys.

Bankruptcy Filings by Race

The study data revealed that:

“Financial crisis” can mean many things. For an individual, a financial crisis might occur after a job loss or divorce. A serious illness or injury can trigger a financial crisis. Or, simple mistakes may snowball into a crisis, as interest and late fees mount and payments become unmanageable.