No one ever plans or wishes to deal with bankruptcy, but at times, life brings us to our knees forcing us to do unimaginable things, and filing for bankruptcy may just be one of them. To a lot of people, this whole thing sounds too scary and overwhelming.
Even though that’s completely understandable and no one should ever blame you for feeling this way, what you need to remember is the fact that you can fully recover (financially) even after this.
There are many strategies that you can resort to that are going to make you feel secure again (in a financial sense), and if you would like to unveil them, then stay tuned because the ones that are most effective are about to be enumerated.
Put Your Trust In The Hands Of A Legal Expert
As concluded previously, this isn’t a decision that anyone makes easily. To a vast majority of people, (particularly the ones who are dealing with it for the first time) declaring bankruptcy is extremely stressful, however, when you have someone in your life who knows how to navigate this daunting process, things suddenly become less gloomy. This refers to the bankruptcy lawyer, who is here to help you understand the bankruptcy law better, and, simultaneously, overcome everything relatively quickly.
There are many perks of hiring a bankruptcy attorney, and one of them is that they know all the ins and outs of bankruptcy law, which is a massive advantage since it is full of complexities.
They know how this entire system works and will guide you every step of the way. Besides that, a bankruptcy advocate is here to safeguard you from debt collectors and creditors by negotiating with them on your behalf.
In a nutshell, these legal professionals are trained to work in your best interest, and, concurrently, help you make well-informed decisions concerning not only your present but also your future.
Focus On Your Existing Debts And Assets
Another essential step on this journey is to understand all your existing debts and assets. So how’s that supposed to be done? For starters, you should make a list of all your debts, along with other important pieces of information such as interest rates, balances, and due dates.
Be sure to accentuate priority debts, like secured loans, because they must be addressed first. At this stage, you may also consider debt consolidation as a way to combine several obligations into one payment, often with a lower interest rate, making repayment more manageable. Once you’re done with that, you should assess your assets, including investments, bank accounts, and everything else that’s in your possession so you can figure out what can contribute to your savings and/or debt repayments.
This is something that must be done thoroughly and carefully to avoid overlooking anything that might negatively influence your planning.
You Need To Rebuild Your Financial Foundation
Here’s another strategy, that’s going to help you rebuild your financial health, and, at the same time, ensure all your financial objectives (both long-term and short-term) are accomplished. So what does this mean?
It means that now is the perfect time to cautiously analyze your spending habits, create a budget that’s realistic, and work on rebuilding your savings. In these instances, it’s pivotal to understand two aspects of your financial health and this refers to your income and the amount of money you spend on your expenses.
If there’s anything that’s not considered mandatory (in terms of your spending), then make sure to cut back on these things, because that’s going to help you skimp on costs, and, simultaneously, stick to your budget.
There's a general rule of thumb that people turn to in these situations, and it's called the 50/30/20 rule. This means that you should allocate 50% of your salary to the expenses that are considered mandatory, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to your savings.
While creating your budget, don’t forget to take several expenses into account, which refers to the ones that are linked to your bankruptcy, like remaining debt payments and for a bankruptcy solicitor.
The Importance Of An Emergency Fund
In these instances, one of the worst things that may happen to a person is dealing with sudden costs. That’s something that can easily derail them, hence it’s of huge importance to create an emergency fund to prevent this from occurring.
If your savings aren’t enough, an emergency loan can also serve as a helpful short-term solution to cover urgent expenses and give you time to get back on track.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you must set aside a substantial amount of money. Even a smaller one will get the job done. Having an emergency fund is ideal for surprise expenses, like medical bills, car repairs, etc.
Getting back on your feet after bankruptcy may seem impossible at this very moment, however, as you can see, there are so many things that can be done that can help you regain your financial health, and lead a normal life again.
