Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

Even though a weak job market is threatening to stall economic recovery, Americans increased their spending in January, Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys say.

With unemployment still hovering just under 10 percent, incomes remained almost flat in January - rising by around 0.1 percent, significantly lower than what economists expected. And for those lucky enough to retain our jobs, cost-of-living raises are still far and few between - not to mention the fact that some of us have seen reduced hours, furlough days or other paycheck-lowering actions. Yet we spent, on average, 0.5 percent more last month, according to The Commerce Department.

The good news is that we're feeling optimistic. The bad news is that we're threatening to derail our progress. See, the Great Recession has been good for at least one thing. It's increased our savings rate from a negative number for most of the last decade to more than 4.3 percent last year. Now we're starting to see that rate drop again - last month, for instance, we only saved 3.3 percent.

If we want our newfound responsible behavior to stick around, we're going to have to start slowing our spending to match our income. Fortunately, there's a formula to make saving a little more manageable.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys Are Saving Less But Spending More" »

First, credit cards starting adding annual fees and raising rates. Next, bank accounts started getting more expensive. Now health insurance premiums are on the rise, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. What gives?

Employee healthcare plans went up about 5 percent last year, according to the Associated Press. It's even worse for people who buy their own healthcare - those plans are poised to rise by 50 percent or more. But the worst part isn't that we have to pay more each month for health care - it's that new rates might discourage some of us from paying at all. And that's a risk we can't afford, no matter how appealing the savings.

Americans have a right to affordable health care, whether Uncle Sam is paying for it or not. But meanwhile, canceling our plans to save money won't get us anywhere - except in more debt if the worst happens and we get sick. Fortunately, there are ways to cut back without cutting out your plan.

Continue reading "Save on Health Insurance as Premiums Increase, Say Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys" »

Think Uncle Sam will take care of you if you lose your job? You're right - for awhile.

The first $2,400 you receive in unemployment benefits are free for you to keep, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Make that $4,800 if you file taxes jointly as a married couple. But after that, you're responsible for paying taxes on benefits just as you would on a regular paycheck. Wondering how much you might owe? You should be receiving a Form 1099-G, which you'll report on your tax return.

Paying taxes even when you've been out of work sounds like a crap deal. But fortunately there are some ways to lessen the blow.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys Suggest Emergency Savings Funds For Unexpected Taxes" »

Someone once said that the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Apparently, they forgot that we also have to eat.

After the mortgage, food is probably the biggest part of the budget for most folks, with the average family spending roughly $600 a month in groceries not to mention hundreds on eating out. It's also the most unavoidable part of most budgets, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Like it or not, we have to eat - even when the cost of staples like bread, milk and meat are skyrocketing while our salaries remain stagnant.

But just because we have to buy groceries doesn't mean we can't find ways to cut costs. Changing just a few of your shopping habits can keep your pantry - and your wallet - from hitting empty.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys Offer Advice on Saving Money at the Grocery Store" »

At least it's romantic: Women today are marrying for love, definitely not for the money.

Until the early 1970s, women stood to gain financially from marriage, when they received a significant spike in income thanks to their husband's much larger salary (often times, the couple's only salary), according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. But women have made great strides in education, income and independence. And, today, the roles have reversed. In the last four decades, income rose 60 percent for married men but just 16 percent for their unmarried counterparts, says the Associated Press. Where is all that money coming from? Women.

But here's the downside. As modern females, we might be empowered - but we aren't compensated fully for it. Despite boosting our husband's incomes, women are still only earning 78% of what our male co-workers are taking home. And much of that money is going to debt.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys Point Out that Marriage Doesn't Pay Off Financially for Women" »

Think those late payments are only hurting you? Think again.

Americans strapped for cash have been slow to pay their bills. And in turn, the people and businesses we're paying are slow to pay their own bills - slowing down the wheels of the entire economy, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. For example, a recent study showed that engineering and architectural businesses were paid an average of five days later in 2009 than in 2008, as mentioned in the New York Times. Tax preparers and accountants fared even worse, getting payments about 10 days later.

There's generally not much we can do as individuals to change the economy. But this might be the exception. By lowering debt so you can make on-time payments you not only help yourself, but you help the larger economic picture.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Advice For Avoiding Late Bill Payments" »

Last year's economy did a number on our finances - but it may have done a world of good for our attitudes, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

It's welcome news, especially for the millions of Americans hoping to make 2010 the year to break free from debt. Last year, on the other hand, was a big career shakeup. Many of us changed jobs, lost jobs or saw a reduction in work hours. But we haven't simply adjusted by working harder in our newfound free time - we've begun making the most of it. We've started living larger on less money.

Sometimes that means cooking dinner for our families or finally tackling those books we've been meaning to read. Other times it means taking day trips around our home, working in our gardens and spending quality time with our kids. In other words, we're spending less time earning and spending, and more time actually living. Now we just need to get rid of that debt we accumulated before we simplified our lives - and bankruptcy can help us do it.

Continue reading "Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorneys Say Economy Can Help Make the Most of Our Money" »

So you're finally biting the bullet - you've decided to make a habit of saving.

Congratulations! Making the decision to take action is half the battle. Now you're ready to take on the other half - figuring out what to do with those extra dollars.

On Tuesday, we went over how to let go of your excuses and start saving. Today, let's talk about how to get the most bang for your buck. Usually, that means putting your savings someplace where it will earn the most interest. But if you're a newbie to the savings game, let's forget about interest for a minute and talk about debt.

Continue reading "Getting The Most Benefit From Your New Savings Plan" »

I guess Uncle Sam never learned that it's not polite to take back a gift.

Recently it was announced that up to 15 million taxpayers could owe money from a tax credit back to the government come tax season. So what happened exactly? Under the Making Work Pay part of the stimulus package, employed Americans received a tax credit of $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples. Since it was a payroll credit, workers received the money by having less withheld on their paychecks - meaning more take-home pay. But somehow, government officials failed to take a few common cases into account when changing the tax withholding tables.

For instance, let's say you're holding down two jobs and making more than 20K at each. You could have received two credits - and will owe Uncle Sam $400 back when tax season rolls around. You may also have received too much money if you're married and both you and your spouse work and file jointly, if you're a retiree with income withheld on your pension or if you're a college student still claimed as a dependent - meaning Uncle Sam also wants a refund.

It's definitely a blow to hard-working Americans. But it's also an excellent reminder of why it's important to plan for the worst (while hoping for the best, of course!), whether you're talking about a paycheck, bonus, windfall or even a government handout.

Continue reading "Taxpayers Could Owe Stimulus Money Back to Government" »

It sounds too good to be true. You don't need a bank account. You don't need a good credit score. You just load your paycheck onto a pre-paid debit card, and you can pay without the hassles of a credit card or the inconvenience of cash.

You've probably started to see pre-paid debit cards in stores - maybe you've even received one as a gift or purchased one for yourself. There's a lot to be said for pre-paid plastic, but unfortunately the old adage pretty much sums it up--if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. As with bank accounts, regular debit cards and credit cards, banks have found a way to profit from our quest for convenience, according to the New York Times.

How? By charging you for everything under the sun, including activating the card, making purchases, checking your balance, going to the ATM and even just possessing it - it's called a monthly maintenance fee. Banks can also charge you for not using the card - an inactivity fee. As you can imagine, you can lose your money in fees faster than you can spend it.

Continue reading "The Expensive Truth Behind Prepaid Debit Cards" »

Forget young and glamorous. Today's career climbers are young and broke.

And I'm not just talking about new graduates. According to a USA Today study, folks from college-age to early 50s have been watching their incomes dwindle since 2000, leaving much of the current workforce poorer than in the 1970s.

It's not all good news for the older workers, either. Though their income is being boosted by social security and pensions, it's also higher because they are increasingly postponing retirement, continuing to work into their golden years - and crowding younger workers from the job market in the process.

For every two steps forward, it seems like we're taking one step back. But despite the news, the job market isn't all doom and gloom. There's still hope.

Continue reading "Young Workers Are Getting Poorer, Study Shows" »

Labor Day was developed to honor the American worker - but I think I can speak for most of us when I say the American worker is feeling pretty underappreciated right now.

Unemployment is at the highest rate in decades. Layoffs are a constant worry. And for those of us lucky enough to be somewhat securely employed, we haven't seen a raise in many months - maybe even years. It doesn't look like things are changing anytime soon. While labor productivity recently grew by the highest rate in six years, employers simply can't afford to reward hardworking employees. Rather, they're putting that savings back into their struggling businesses.

In the meantime, the cost of living is rising, credit card rates as going up and our debt is growing. For many of us, it isn't just about having more money. It's about affording the mortgage. It's about escaping from creditor harassment. It's about our livelihood. If you're in danger of losing your house or personal property because you don't earn enough to make ends meet, you don't have time to wait around for your boss to feel generous. Why not authorize your own raise?

Continue reading "Celebrate Labor Day By Giving Yourself a Raise" »