Sunday, May 22, 2016

Bankruptcy in Sunshine Coast - Will my income be affected if I go bankrupt?


Bankruptcy Sunshine Coast is intricate process, and you ought to ensure you get the right guidance. And when it comes to your income being affected, the answer to the question is maybe. The very first thing you have to know about going bankrupt is there is no constraint on how much you can earn. However, I will say that your income is a considerable consideration when working through when it comes to Bankruptcy.

The very first thing you need to learn about this area of Bankruptcy is the amount you can earn before you start paying back money to your creditors via your trustee (see table below).

Net income is the pre-tax/ in the hand portion you earn annually. A dependant is someone who lives with you and earns less than $3,124 per year (regardless of their age).

You can apply for a hardship variation that increases the threshold amount, if you have financial strains in Sunshine Coast like medical, child care, significant travel to and from work, or a situation where your partner used to work but is not able to support the household income.

Some of the useful parts of Bankruptcy is that your employer will not be notified when you file for bankruptcy. Also, Child support is always taken into account in bankruptcy, if you receive child support that is not factored in as income. If you pay child support this will be also thought about, for example if you provide $5,000 child support each year and you have no dependents living with you then your amended net income limit will be $55,332.10.

There are much more issues involving income and what is or isn't regarded as income - if you're not exactly sure, it's ideal to get skilled advice. The reason you need to consider your income as a part of the Big 5 questions here is that bankruptcy is in some cases not an economically sensible option.

If one of your creditors is the ATO (for unpaid taxes), then your tax refund will likely be taken by the ATO whilst you are bankrupt to add toward your tax bill. If you don't have a tax bill then you will keep your tax refund so long as that doesn't take you over your threshold income limits.

If you think when it comes to Bankruptcy, your situation is more complex, then simply get qualified advice in Sunshine Coast. I may sound like a broken record, but bear in mind that it's always a good idea to work through these options before declaring bankruptcy, since once you have filed the paperwork it's far too late to change your mind.


If you would like to learn more about what to do, where to turn and what problems to ask about Bankruptcy, then don't hesitate to contact Fresh Start Solutions Sunshine Coast on 1300 818 575, or go to our website:freshstartsolutions.com.au/bankruptcy-Sunshine Coast

Monday, May 2, 2016

Bankruptcy in Sunshine Coast - Choices, Choice, Choices


When it comes down to Bankruptcy Sunshine Coast, there are a lot of choices that we get given depending on who we are, who we speak to, and exactly what has gone wrong. The most common confusion I see with Bankruptcy is when it comes to selecting between Debt Consolidation, Personal Insolvency Agreements, and Bankruptcy itself.

Should I consolidate my debts?

When it comes to Bankruptcy in Sunshine Coast, a lot of the info you receive on this issue will reflect the interests of the advice giver. Therefore, if you call a debt consolidation firm, I can guarantee you they will tell you to consolidate your debts. The debt consolidation industry is a multi-billion dollar industry making money in one very basic way: charging you a fee for aiding you wrap all of your credit card and personal loans into just one neat and tidy bundle.

I hate to tell you this but they aren't going to be doing it for free. Please don't misunderstand me: if you consider your financial issues in Sunshine Coast can be solved by paying less interest, then go on and look into the options. Even a small amount of interest saved over years rapidly adds up.

Usually I find if you read this blog you've undoubtedly attempted to consolidate your debts already and come to the following realisations similar to these:
  • Your credit rating is not good, and your credit file already has nonpayments on it so not a single person will offer you a loan, consolidated or otherwise,.

  • By the time you work all of it out, you're so far down a hole that saving a small amount of interest just won't make a lot of difference,.

  • You've very likely gotten to the point where you've had more than enough, you're mentally worn down, you can't go on another day ignoring blocked calls on your phone, ignoring the demands in the mail etc.


Personal Insolvency Agreements

So when it comes down to Bankruptcy in Sunshine Coast, what's the difference between a Debt Agreement and a Personal Insolvency Agreement?

Freedom is the main point Personal Insolvency Agreements (PIA) have in their favour. They're also administered by a registered and - might I add - regulated trustee including the government trustee ITSA, and not a private organization that advertises on TV. Ultimately this method is similar to Debt Agreements (DA): The trustee has a meeting with the people you owe money to and these experts mediate a deal in your place. You can give a lump sum settlement figure or take part in a payment plan, or perhaps you can offer them assets as an alternative to cash. This might sound acceptable when it comes to the problems with Bankruptcy - that is up until you realize that one of the problems with PIA's is that 75 % of the people you owe money to have to agree on the deal. If they do not, your proposal is denied or has to be renegotiated.

Generally people you owe money really want all their money back and also interest. Sometimes they'll opt for less than the amount you owe them - it's normally a percentage of the debt - but allow me to stress this part: because of all the variables involved in the negotiation process to put together a PIA its difficult to put a figure on what the people you owe money to will in fact settle for.

Most of the time you'll have to pay back 100 % of the debt owed. This is not just because your creditors are greedy or have a mean streak, it's because the administrators take 20 % of whatever is decideded upon with the people you owe money to. That applies whether you use a private company for this process or ITSA, the government body setup to administer to these PIAs.

When it comes to Bankruptcy and insolvency I've heard of creditors choosing less 80 % on rare occasions, but that usually only occurs with a public company going into receivership owing huge sums of money (the kind that makes the news). If you are were owed $10million and you know the people who owe you the money have a team of wise lawyers and some very clever frameworks in place and they offer 5 % of the debt, you might take it and be grateful. Sadly, ordinary punters like you and me in Sunshine Coast aren't going to get that lucky!

If you would like to learn more about what to do, where to turn and what questions to ask about Bankruptcy, then feel free to get in touch with Fresh Start Solutions Sunshine Coast on 1300 818 575, or visit our website:freshstartsolutions.com.au/bankruptcy-Sunshine Coast