Just Paid My Last Ch13 Payment!!

[Tastraphy]

Hello all, 

After 60 LONNNNG months, I finally hit submit payment in that dreaded portal for hopefully the last time. My payment wasn't due until the end of August, but I went ahead and paid it as soon as the new month rolled over to try and get the ball rolling on discharge as soon as possible. It's been a really long 5 years of every kind of emotion, shame, guilt, anger, but for years of living without most things, and even taking side jobs under the table just to be able to make bills some months, I'm so glad it's over. Going in to each month not having to fork over that $1,000 a month will be a feeling I haven't had in a while. 

Anyways, felt like I needed to tell someone, so there it goes!

[Vinjints]

Must be a great feeling to have that behind you. Congratulations! And I hope you've built some strong habits to move forward in the right direction. Best of luck!

[Rocco718]

Salute to you on a job well done! Good luck.

[FlaDude]

Congrats on your accomplishment!

[Jeffster1]

@Tastraphy CONGRATS 🎉🎉

It's a great feeling. 

[Horseshoez]

@Tastraphy, I was where you are five years ago; it is a great feeling of satisfaction and relief to have that final payment in your rearview mirror.  Now for your next steps:

1. Make sure you've taken your second money management class (I had taken mine before my 341 meeting, but forgot I'd done so, so I took it again).
2. Wait for your discharge.
3. Wait a minimum of 4-weeks, and then fetch your credit reports from annualcreditreports.com.  Go through the reports and make sure everything looks correct.
4. Decide how you want to kick off your rebuild; a good approach is to plunk down $5,000 on a secured credit card, and then a few months later, apply for a second (unsecured) card.  A few months after that, apply for a third (unsecured) card, and then sit on those for the next two years, until your Chapter 13 falls off your reports.  When that happens, watch your scores shoot up into the 800s across the board.

[Tastraphy]

Thank You! I actually mis calculated. I thought that my last payment would be August so I made it on the 1st. Then the very next day I got a letter in the mail from the trustee congratulating me on finishing my payment plan, and not to make anymore payments.. I called them yesterday, and they said they would issue me a refund check, so I was done in July and didn't even know it!!. I've reached out to my lawyer, and insured that I had everything taken care of as far as required courses. Now it's just a waiting game. I had a really good 2024 at work, and was finally able to put away a decent nest egg in a HYSA for the first time in forever it seems. Finally have my 401k looking good, even opened a Roth IRA that is already maxed out for the year. If going through this teaches you anything, it's to take every step possible to ensure it never happens again! 

[coreyb80]

Congrats for making it to the finish line!!

[Lurker22]

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@Tastraphy wrote:

Hello all, 

After 60 LONNNNG months, I finally hit submit payment in that dreaded portal for hopefully the last time. My payment wasn't due until the end of August, but I went ahead and paid it as soon as the new month rolled over to try and get the ball rolling on discharge as soon as possible. It's been a really long 5 years of every kind of emotion, shame, guilt, anger, but for years of living without most things, and even taking side jobs under the table just to be able to make bills some months, I'm so glad it's over. Going in to each month not having to fork over that $1,000 a month will be a feeling I haven't had in a while. 

Anyways, felt like I needed to tell someone, so there it goes!

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Congrats, I know that's a great feeling - let the next chapter of your life begin!

[SiniSSter]

Congrats!! I just discharged BK13 in July as well but my payments were almost 1800  You're already in a strong position, as mentioned try and get a secured card or unsecured, along with a pledge loan paid down to almost 90 percent so you can start rebuilding.