One of the most common questions debtors ask bankruptcy lawyers is "Will I be
able to get credit after filing bankruptcy?".
Most people are suprised to find their mailboxes flooded with new credit
offers after filing bankruptcy. Why does this happen? Why would a creditor give
more credit to someone who has filed bankruptcy?
Creditors make money by lending money. If creditors don't lend money, they
don't make money. Even credit cards for people with the best credit ratings
often carry credit card balances that will not be paid off within the next 20
years if the debtor pays the minimum monthly credit card payment.
Creditors lend money based upon a debtor's debt to income ratio. Debt to
income ratio is the amount of debt a debtor has versus the amount of money the
debtor earns. If a debtor has monthly debt that exceeds the debtor's monthly
income, the debtor is obviously a poor credit risk and it is unlikely that a
creditor will risk loaning money to the debtor.
What happens to a debtor's debt to income ratio when the debtor files
bankruptcy? The bankruptcy will wipe out the debtor's debt and leave the debtor
with the same income. Filing bankruptcy transforms the debtor's debt to income
ratio and creates a positive lending prospect for the creditor.
Creditors also know that the debtor who has filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy will
not be able to file another chapter 7 bankruptcy for 8 more years under the new
bankruptcy law. Creditors know that the debtor who has filed bankruptcy is stuck
with whatever new credit is issued and will not be able to discharge the debt as
easily in a second bankruptcy.
Filing bankruptcy can actually improve the credit outlook for many debtors.
Most bankruptcy lawyers offer free consultations to discuss bankruptcy and
credit issues.
About the Author
BankruptcyHelpOnline.org is the
bankruptcy resource solution that makes bankruptcy easy to understand. The
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 has made filing
bankruptcy more complicated than ever before. BankruptcyHelpOnline.org is your
source for useful bankruptcy information that is easy to understand.