Bankruptcy Means Test: Why It Matters?

11 November 2020

Bankruptcy means a test is done to determine who can file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. The means test considers everything while determining your current position to pay your debt to the creditors. It goes through your income, expenditure, assets, and family members.

The means test was designed to reduce the number of debtors willing to get their debts erased. It has been seen that most of the debtors who have applied for the means test have passed.

Those people who cannot qualify for chapter 7 or want to keep their assets to themselves can apply for chapter 13 bankruptcy.

How Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Works?

Applying for chapter 7 can be an expensive and lengthy process. The means test helps the government clarify who is eligible for chapter 7. The Means Test has two parts. Both parts are designed to see through your income and assets and determine the current financial standing.

You have to apply for the Means Test only for the primary consumer debts like medical debt or credit card debts. You do not have to apply for this test if your debt is related to business loans.

First Part

The part of the Means Test determines whether your house income is below the state’s median income. The means test starts gathering information about your income, expenses, and assets. These data are mostly collected from the past six months. However, there have been cases where this six months time duration can be changed.

After all the reports, if it is being found out that your income is below the median income, you will qualify the Means Test. In a report made by the US government in 2013, more than 12% of the debtors were able to qualify the Means test in the first stage.

Second Part

The second part consists of going through all your expenses. These expenses consist of everything you pay for, starting from paying your utility bills, grocery bills to the travel expenses and education expenses. Out of all the expenses, only the allowable expenses are considered to be used by you. Other expenses that are not necessary are used to pay off your debts.

While you document the list of expenses, be thorough about the things you add to the list. Remember, those expenses will decide whether your petition will be accepted or not.

Allowable expenses are based on the local and national standards used by the IRS. The national list covers items like food and clothing, and local items cover housing expenses and car payments. You need to work carefully to ensure that all your expenses are thoroughly documented.

What’s Next After You Qualify for the Means Test?

Passing the means test means you have the green light to apply a petition for chapter 7 bankruptcy. Once your petition is accepted, most of the unsecured debts will be forgiven. That does not mean that this will be the best route for you.

There are also chapter 13 bankruptcy that might give more advantage over chapter 7 in many cases. Chapter 13 will help you put a hold on all your debts, mortgages, overdue loans, and bank taxes.

What Will Happen After You Fail The Test?

Once you fail the Means Test, there are no more appeals for a certain period. You can apply for the chapter, or you can wait for the cooldown time to apply again for the means test.

We have already mentioned that the Means Test goes through all your financial income and expenditure in the last six months. That means, after a failed attempt at the Means Test, you can apply again after six months.

However, if you do not intend to apply for the Means Test again in the future, you will be restricted to chapter 13 and will have to pay off your debt based on the chapter 13 provision.

The Bottom Line

Is it really hard to apply for a loan after bankruptcy? Well, you can say more than hard; it is more complex. You first need to qualify the Means Test, and then only you can apply for chapter 7. It is better to have an attorney while you are managing legal documentation.

Read Also:

8 Simple Tips To Pay Off Your Loans Faster
5 Must-Have Long-Term Goals for A Secure Future
What are the types of debt that can be discharged in bankruptcy?
Using Short-Term Loans to Help Rebuild Your Credit Score

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There is A Way To Save Yourself From Student Loans in 2021

Student loans can be helpful. You take out a loan to enroll in higher education, which can land you in better job opportunities, increasing your income. But of course, it can be a bit tough to save while you repay your student loans. Regardless, there are ways to save yourself from student loans, especially if you can manage the interest loans and pay more than the minimum. Here are effective ways to save yourself from student loans and pursue your dream job. 1. Pay Off Your Student Debt Faster The easiest way to get rid of your student loans is to pay faster. If you can, send massive payments to your loan servicer every month and do so ahead of schedule. Another method is to make half payments every two weeks instead of the full monthly payment. When that happens, you send the equivalent of an additional payment every year. Of course, you may not have the discretionary income to make the extra payments. However, you can get a side job and earn extra income on the side to increase your income. You have the power to do so. Here’s a little bit of motivation: consider how increasing your monthly or weekly payments can help you become debt-free faster. You can even save interest costs on top of that. You can use a student loan repayment calculator to show you how the smallest payments affect your student loans. 2. Find Out The Type Of Student Loans You Have It's essential to know the type of student loans you have and develop a repayment plan that helps you. If you have federal student loans, visit the National Student Loan Data System. You can check your student loans there. There are four broad categories of student loans: graduated, standard, extended, or income-driven repayment. Let’s go through them. Standard plan: Your loan servicer will divide the total amount of money you owe with the standard plan and spread it over ten years. If you pay the same amount for the next ten years, you'll finish paying your student loans. Graduated plan: Just like the standard plan, this plan lasts for ten years. However, you start your monthly payments by paying less. Your payment for each month increases every two years. This option is ideal for borrowers who are sure that their income will increase in the future. Extended plan: With this plan, you pay a lower amount over a long period. Income-driven repayment (IDR) plan: The IDR plan lets you pay off your student loans for the next 20 or 25 years, depending on your chosen plan. But the payments will always be what you can manage every month. After 20 or 25 years, any amount you haven't paid yet will be forgiven. If you choose this plan, you'll have to certify your income annually. There are limited private student loan forgiveness options available for student loans. You’ll have to call your loan servicer to find out any available options for you. 3. Make Extra Payments, But Do It The Right Way There's no penalty whatsoever when you pay more than the minimum or pay your student loans early. However, the prepayment comes with a caveat: loan lenders may apply the additional amount to the next month's payment. When the student loan servicers do that, it pushes your due date forward, but it won't help pay off your student loans faster. What you need to do is to instruct your lender, either through the mail, phone, or online, to apply any extra payments to your current balance. In addition, remind them to keep next month's due date the same. You can make additional payments any time in the month. Another way is to make a lump-sum loan payment on the due date. Whichever you choose, you can save lots of money. 4. Refinance If You Have Good Credit And A Good Job Refinancing your student loans can help you get rid of your loan debts faster, and you don’t have to make additional payments. When you refinance, it replaces several student loans with one private loan, usually at a lower interest rate. If you want to make faster repayments, choose a new loan term that’s less compared to what you have left in your current student loans. Going in for a shorter loan term may increase your payments each month. However, it’ll help you clear off your student loans faster and save money on interest. Final Thoughts The strategies explained above can help you pay back your student loans and save money. But not all the repayment methods can help you do that. Some repayments are designed to help you manage your debts, such as income-based repayment plans. These plans can help you clear off your debt on time and in full. Now, even though it can help you today, you'll end up paying more money in interest charges over your loan life. It is worth mentioning, some educational institutes like Navient were forced to close due to fraudulent activities. These institutions are to compensate students who are affected. Check to see if you apply to these compensations If you don’t have a clear solution, you may need to talk to a student loan expert. Read Also: Understanding the Steps in Debt Collection How to Reduce the Cost of College Textbooks How To Impress A Recruiter If You Are Still A Student

HOW TO EXCHANGE BITCOINS AND OTHER COINS ON BINARYX?

Binaryx is one of the best digital asset trading platforms that has emerged in the last few years. It offers a number of simple, progressive, and functional solutions for everybody who wants to exchange bitcoins or buy and sell digital and fiat currency. The cryptocurrency exchange was created in 2019, with headquarters in Tallinn. It is authorized by law and has a European legal license for trading and other crypto operations. The scalable and intuitive interface of the trading and exchange modules delivers convenience for every user, who can exchange bitcoins or other assets from the comfort of their home or office. The Key Features Of The Binaryx Cryptocurrency Exchange Often, the bitcoin and the forex traders can not find an authentic platform to exchange Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency as the platform’s authentication and trustworthiness makes the platform unique and reliable. While you are doing the cryptocurrency exchange, the requirements of the authentic platform are high. When you are doing transactions on many types of cryptocurrency, it is quite absurd that you are going to use individual platforms for the individual types of cryptocurrency. The Binaryx is the all square platform. Binaryx suits both novice traders and savvy investors. Go to https://www.binaryx.com and start making money on trading and exchange right now! The project’s main idea is to implement a trading platform for customers who want to exchange money for bitcoins or sell and buy digital assets, regardless of their experience or expertise. This is a comprehensive project with a smooth-running ecosystem incorporating trading services, educational products, and opportunities for making money on crypto skills. The cryptocurrency exchange offers a range of useful tools and provides broad functionality. Platform users appreciate a user-friendly website, profitable trading terms, professional support, high security, and extensive functionality. Binaryx means good trading limits, low commissions, minimum registration requirements, and the availability of the exchange bitcoins process for everyone. The developers of the cryptocurrency exchange, inter alia, are constantly working on improving the current offers to provide the best solutions to exchange bitcoins and more. Step-By-Step Guide: How To Sell And Exchange Money For Bitcoins Are you a beginner in cryptocurrency trading? Take a look at the step-by-step guide to perform the cryptocurrency exchange in the Binaryx. This platform is quite a comfortable place for beginners. Follow these steps and start with the registration. 1. Registration: The registration process is twofold — you can log in via your social media account or create an account using your email. Whichever method you choose, following the registration process, you will be able to sell, buy, exchange bitcoins, and perform any trading operations. 2. Verification: To complete registration, you must go through the basic stages of verification. First, it’s confirmation of your email. Then, you will need to undertake extended verification to trade and exchange money for bitcoins without any restrictions. 3. Account replenishment and withdrawal of funds: Replenishment of the cryptocurrency exchange account is carried out in wallets. After crediting money to your wallet, you can move on to trading or exchange bitcoins operations. 4. Trade and exchange money for bitcoins: Binaryx has a great multifunctional trading terminal and exchanger that allows you to buy or sell coins quickly. Conclusion: For bitcoin traders, secure platforms are the only authentic platform to exchange bitcoins. When you are using this platform, you will understand how the platform is made easy. Join Binaryx and experience all the benefits of this advanced and innovative cryptocurrency exchange! Read Also: What Embracing Crypto-Backed Lending Means for the Finance Industry How To Become A Successful Cryptocurrency Trader In 5 Easy Steps HybridBlock: Why Binance Is Investing In Crypto-Fiat Trading

How To Choose The Right Insurance Plan For Business Owners

Small businesses require insurance to protect themselves in case of unforeseen costs such as lawsuits or operational shutdowns. However, navigating the selection of the right coverage and policies can be overwhelming. As a small business owner, it's essential to understand the different aspects of insurance policies, their costs, and how to choose the best one for your company. Moreover, opting for only legally required business insurance can be expensive since uninsured accidents can incur additional costs. The type of insurance required depends on the company's operations and state laws. Although state laws may mandate specific policies, the business owner must ensure the right coverage. Small businesses need insurance to avoid out-of-pocket claims and protect their survival. Understanding Business Insurances Having business insurance is essential to protect your business from financial loss during times of crisis or unexpected events. There are various insurance types available. However, combining policies will depend on your company's unique circumstances. Business insurance helps with legal payments, claims, employee issues, and damage to business property. It can cover compensation claims, legal fees, and property damage or employee-related issues. Moreover, the benefits of having insurance include financial and legal protection. This protection can help you recover and continue operating your company in case of various losses, such as the following: Employee injuries. Office building fires. Lawsuits. Business partner deaths. The right business insurance or an independent insurance agency can assist you in bouncing back and maintaining operations. Business owners must decide on the right insurance by analyzing their risks and evaluating the cost of insurance against the risk of loss. Steps to Find The Right Business Insurance Given below are some of the most important steps that can help you choose the right insurance for your business— 1. Examine Your Business Assets And Legal Responsibilities Before looking for the perfect insurance plan, you must examine the assets needing insurance. This analysis is because different types of assets demand different insurance due to their legalities. Moreover, this factor is not limited to physical assets. If you have a functioning factory or manufacturing unit, it is necessary that you ensure your employees. Therefore, your company will need injury and accident insurance for your employees. Additionally, every state in the USA has different legal regulations and necessities for asset insurance. Thus, you must first analyze the important assets in your company and then understand the legal implications that you must follow. 2. Understand What Risks You Can Face Business risk refers to the potential loss that is closely associated with the way a business operates. This type of risk is often considered unsuitable for insurance coverage and is instead managed as overhead. Therefore, insurance companies carry out risk assessments to evaluate the risk associated with covering an individual. The process involves considering various data points and potential risks to the policyholder in order to determine the appropriate insurance premium. A business always comes with additional liabilities and risks. Analyzing these risks can help you determine the appropriate insurance for your company. 3. Determine The Scalability Insurance is a crucial investment that protects individuals and businesses from unexpected occurrences that can cause financial distress. However, it's important to note that not all insurance plans are created equal. Scalable insurance plans are particularly beneficial as they offer greater flexibility and can be modified to accommodate changing business needs. Whether you need to downsize your team or your business is affected by unforeseen events such as a global pandemic, scalable insurance plans can be adjusted to meet your evolving coverage requirements. Therefore, it's crucial to conduct due diligence and verify the scalability of insurance plans before making a final decision. This will help you ensure adequate protection in the long run. 4. Find A Reliable Insurance Partner It's crucial to do your research and compare insurance providers based on their policies, premiums, and coverage. You should consider various factors such as cost, reliability, customer service, and claim handling. Make sure to buy from a licensed company in your state to ensure the state insurance department can help you if issues arise. Additionally, prices vary significantly among companies, so shopping around and getting at least three quotes from different sources is essential. Your state insurance department may have a guide on policy charges in different areas of your state. Your insurance company and representatives must answer your questions fairly, efficiently, and timely. You can determine this by talking to previous customers, checking a national claims database, and consulting your state insurance department. They can also provide information on the number of consumer complaints about a company relative to its policy sales. 5. Research The Insurance Market Having a comprehensive insurance policy is indispensable to guarantee the safety and security of your business. It encompasses various types of insurance such as business owners, business interruption, errors and omissions, product liability, cyber, and auto insurance. Finding the right insurance provider and policy can be daunting, but researching professional ratings can help you make informed decisions. Moreover, comparing deductibles and coverage is essential to ensure that your business is adequately protected. This detailed research will ultimately lead to better financial outcomes and peace of mind in the future. 6. Consider Your Industry-Specific Obligations The federal government requires all businesses with employees to have insurance for the following: Workers' compensation. Unemployment. Disability. Therefore, to ensure that your business complies with the legal requirements, reviewing the Division of Insurance website for your industry and state is important. If you need assistance with insurance, consider speaking with an agent who specializes in your industry or state. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the right insurance plans to identify any gaps in coverage and determine the best way to fill them with other plans. How Does Business Insurance Ensure Success In The Long Run? Having business insurance is a must for all companies. It offers protection that can make the difference between having your claim paid by your insurer or paying it yourself. The latter could spell financial catastrophe for your business. Selecting the right policies ensures your most likely claims are covered. However, contrary to popular belief, insurance is not necessarily expensive. Moreover, you can obtain a general liability policy. These come for as low as $25 per month, with the average policy costing $65 per month. Read Also: 5 Must-Have Long-Term Goals For A Secure Future 10 Estate Planning Tips To Help You Prepare For The End Everything you Need to Know About Term Insurance Plan Premium

Bankruptcy Means Test: Why It Matters?

How Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Works?

First Part

Second Part

What’s Next After You Qualify for the Means Test?

What Will Happen After You Fail The Test?

The Bottom Line

A Detailed Guide to Cashless Car Insurance Policy

Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Profit at Trading (As a Beginner on Edge!)

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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There is A Way To Save Yourself From Student Loans in 2021

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Bankruptcy Means Test: Why It Matters?

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What’s Next After You Qualify for the Means Test?

What Will Happen After You Fail The Test?

The Bottom Line

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Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related