Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

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" »

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" »

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" »

What's the scariest thing about Halloween night? For some folks, it's the realization that there are still two more major holidays to go before the season of spending is over.

A Halloween costume and a bucket of candy probably won't bust your budget. But between food and drinks, parties and presents, what's supposed to be a time of family and fun can quickly evolve into a pile of debt that follows you well into the New Year. But there are ways to enjoy the holiday festivities - and the rest of the year - without winding up in the poorhouse or having to go without, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. In short, it's all about the freebies.

Continue reading "Atlanta Shoppers Can Save Money With Freebies This Holiday Season" »

Today, we give thanks for food, family and friends. Tomorrow, many of us are giving thanks for the Internet.

In the past few years, online shopping has revolutionized Black Friday and the rest of the holiday shopping season. Instead of braving long lines and crowded shopping malls on a quest for the best deals early Friday morning, we can find some of the same sales - and some better - from the comfort from our own homes. And it couldn't have happened at a better time.

With most folks already struggling to pay the bills, we don't have much to spare when it comes to shopping for Christmas gifts. Unlike traditional shopping, the Internet allows instant price comparisons, access to way more stores - and potential deals - than we'd ever be able to visit on foot or by car, and less temptation for spur-of-the-moment spending, since there are no distracting window displays or sales people (though those pop-ups can be annoying).

But as with any good thing, there's always a catch - in this case, online scams.

Continue reading "More Online Shopping Means More Online Scams This Season" »

'Tis the season for giving, but if many of us don't curb our spending habits, the only thing we'll be giving is our home - back to the bank.

Just as the media was reporting in September that an economic recovery was underway, there were still roughly 4 million homeowners either in some stage of foreclosure or at least three months behind on mortgage payment, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Even worse, those foreclosures have been pushing down home values in the cities that are already struggling with the highest unemployment rates.

So why are things getting worse when they're supposed to be getting better? Maybe it's because, bad economy or not, consumers are plain out of cash. Many of us have gone without a raise for years - or worse, without a job for months. In the meantime, we're using credit cards to make ends meet, adding to our already bloated debt burdens. And now with the arrival of the holiday season we're struggling to put fancy meals on the table and gifts under the tree, adding even more financial stress. At some point, homeowners are throwing in the towel. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Continue reading "More Borrowers Default On Mortgages As Holidays Approach" »