Don't File Yet: Five Ways to Avoid Bankruptcy

There may come a time when you feel like your monthly debt has finally outpaced your income and all appears to be lost. But before you pull the trigger on that bankruptcy, there are ways that you can avoid bankruptcy and get your financial life back on track.

Talk to Your Creditors

One of the biggest reasons that consumers get close to filing bankruptcy is because they avoid talking to their creditors for months at a time. The last thing that your creditors want is to see you file for bankruptcy because that could mean that they will lose some or all of the money you owe them. Talk to your creditors, explain your situation, and see if they have any programs that may be able to help.

Hire a Debt Counselor

Sometimes a consumer gets into financial problems because he lacks a coherent economic plan. A debt counselor is a financial professional who can help you to put together a monthly budget and get your finances under control. He can also help talk to your creditors and possibly set up plans to pay off your debt in ways that fit your budget.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is something that is done through an experienced financial professional who specializes in these kinds of programs. In its simplest terms, debt consolidation is a program that boils all of your separate credit payments down to one loan payment. Instead of several sets of monthly fees, you will only have one fee and one source of interest debt.

Talk to a Financial Attorney

The kind of bankruptcy trustee Toronto residents and those elsewhere have become familiar with is more than just a vehicle for declaring bankruptcy. Reputable financial attorneys such as Paddon & Yorke Inc are not only firms that can file your paperwork, they are also firms that can offer good financial advice as well. Filing bankruptcy is a serious decision and it should not even be considered without talking to a legal expert first. A good attorney can offer suggestions that just may help you to get your finances together.

Debt Settlement

If your creditors cannot offer alternative payment programs, then debt settlement is a way to lower your debt and avoid bankruptcy. You can choose to hire a financial professional to settle your debts, or you can do it yourself. It is a negotiation process where you offer to pay a portion of your debt in exchange for having the debt considered settled.
Bankruptcy is a very serious step and a long-term financial decision. Consider all of your options before making this legal and financial move by investigating debt settlement, debt consolidation, and financial attorneys, and by hiring a debt counselor and talking to your creditors.