Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

We all know that saving money means spending less - that's just simple math. But where you choose to make the cut is up to you.

If you're anything like most Americans, you're a little worried about how you're going to make it though the holiday season without bleeding money. And ultimately you've got a couple choices, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. You can pare back on Christmas costs - maybe spend less on presents, opt for a potluck instead of a gift exchange or stay away from the stores altogether. Or you can indulge within reason and cut back costs elsewhere to make up the difference. In fact, if you play your cards right, you may even be able to come out ahead when the holiday festivities are all said and done.

Continue reading "Best Ways for Atlanta Consumers to Lower Debt During the Holidays" »

They say home is where the heart is - maybe it's time to put our money there, too. At least, that's the theory behind Small Business Saturday.

Never mind that the campaign, which starts today, is backed by credit giant American Express - who happens to be offering an incentive in the form of $25 credit to the first 200,000 folks who register their AmEx cards on the SmallBusinessSaturday.com. It's a way to pump money into the local economy - and in theory, back into our own bank accounts. And that's good news for those of us with debilitating personal debt, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "Atlanta Consumers Encouraged to Shop Local and Save Money Today" »

What's your perfect Thanksgiving? Is it hanging out with family and friends and having your fill of turkey, stuffing and Grandma's famous candied yams? Or is it plotting your Black Friday shopping spree?

Americans are increasingly choosing the latter, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. For the first time, many big box stores aren't even waiting until Friday to unveil their holiday sales - they're opening their doors today. It seems the day that used to be about giving thanks is now about Christmas consumerism. At a time when many folks can barely handle paying the mortgage, it's a costly trend. And it's not just our bank accounts that will suffer.

Continue reading "How Atlanta Families Can Give Thanks for Saving Money This Thanksgiving" »

You thought pumpkin pie was tasty - how about a slice of a $164 million pie the IRS is hoping to serve up this season?

No, it's not a scam, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. It's just the government's effort to get late tax refunds to the more than 100,000 Americans that haven't yet received money due to incorrect mailing addresses. If you're looking for help paying the bills and lowering debt - and you haven't yet received your refund - this could be your early Christmas present.

Continue reading "Why Atlanta Taxpayers Might Still Be Eligible For a Late Tax Refund" »

It looks like many Atlanta residents are going to spend this Thursday giving thanks for the food on their table - and the roof over their head.

Despite rising costs and holiday pressure, fewer homeowners are becoming delinquent on their house payments, according to new foreclosure data. Part of the change can be attributed to an improving economy and budget-conscious consumers. In fact, consumer debt is currently at the lowest rate it's been in years. On the other hand, experts say that another reason delinquency rates are down is that banks are finally evicting some homeowners who haven't paid the bills for months and months. If only they had known about their options.

Continue reading "Fewer Atlanta Homeowners Late On Mortgage Payments This Holiday Season" »

There's a reason that our grandparents weren't thousands of dollars in credit card debt - and now there's a way we can follow in their footsteps.

Most of our financial problems today stem from our tendency to spend money before we have it, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Grandma and Grandpa, on the other hand, knew not to spend what they couldn't afford. But that didn't mean they had to go without, either. By using layaway instead of credit, people of past generations could make affordable payments towards Christmas gifts and other large purchases without the hassle of interest, fees and growing debt.

Continue reading "Atlanta Consumers Turn to Layaway to Avoid Holiday Shopping Debt" »

Some Americans are making two trips to the thrift store this season - one to donate, and another to do some holiday shopping.

It's just one example of how consumers have changed since the Great Recession. According to the Associated Press, middle-class Americans have become more comfortable shopping in thrift and consignment stores, using layaway instead of credit and buying generic brands instead of name brands. And it's helping us pay down debt, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "More Atlanta Shoppers Buy Generic, Discounted and Gently Used This Holiday Season " »

Negotiating the world of debt relief just got a little easier. As of last week, debt settlement companies can no longer charge upfront fees.

So does that mean you can't go wrong with hiring someone to settle your debt? Not exactly, say Atlanta attorneys. Companies are still allowed to charge for services rendered - and unfortunately, those services don't always do anything to actually fix your finances.

Continue reading "How New Debt Settlement Rules Could Affect Atlanta Consumers" »

When is saving money not all it's cracked up to be? Maybe when it comes to holiday rebates.

Every holiday season, stores roll out shiny, new merchandise - and new sales pitches to get us to buy it, even when we're short on cash thanks to not-so-great economic times, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Some of those specials include rebates - purchases in which we can apply to get money back from the company after paying full price at the store. Most shoppers won't argue with a discount, even a delayed one, but maybe they would if they knew the truth - only half of consumers end up redeeming rebates.

Continue reading "Do Holiday Rebates Really Offer Big Savings for Atlanta Shoppers?" »

Your waistline isn't the only thing at risk of expanding this holiday season.

Most folks ring up more debt in November and December than any other time of year, thanks to grocery shopping for holiday meals, gift shopping for family and friends and desperate retailers pulling out all the stops to get us to buy things we don't really need. At the same time, employers are cutting hours and paychecks, making our already unsteady income more volatile than ever, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "How Facing Debt Troubles Can Make the Holidays Merrier for Atlanta Consumers" »

By now, we all know that the Fed is buying $600 billion in Treasury bonds in hopes of boosting the economy. What we don't know is if it will work, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

In short, the idea behind the stimulus is to pump money into banks, reducing rates and thereby increasing borrowing. But while low interest rates are good news for consumers who want to borrow to buy a house, start a business or otherwise make an investment, they're not so good for those of us who plan to save rather than spend - like the many Americans struggling to make the mortgage payment on the house we already own or to restore the retirement funds we've already lost.

Continue reading "Fed's $600 Billion Plan to Lower Rates Could Help and Hurt Atlanta Consumers" »

Christmas might come just once a year - but lately it's been overstaying its welcome.

It used to be that stores waited at least until Halloween was over to stock the shelves for the holiday shopping season. But this year, the red and green decorations started taking over by mid-October. Starbucks hasn't even broken out the holiday cups yet, for crying out loud, and my local Target has three aisles dedicated to tree ornaments.

Even worse, stores are pushing us to buy during a period when rough economic times have most folks struggling more than ever to manage debt and pay the bills.

Continue reading "Longer Christmas Shopping Season Keeps Atlanta Consumers Spending" »

For some debt-riddled homeowners, the only way to make owning a home affordable is being able to take the mortgage interest deduction. But now it looks like Uncle Sam could revoke that tax break and similar deductions to pay for his own debts.

With the government deficit growing, President Obama has appointed a commission aimed at finding ways to balance the federal budget by 2015, according to MSNBC.com. And one way the commission could cut costs is by eliminating up to $1 trillion in tax breaks - including the popular mortgage interest deduction and child tax credit. That could mean a higher income tax bill for the majority of Americans, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "Growing Government Deficit Could Mean Higher Tax Bill for Atlanta Consumers" »