NYFan,
Unfortunately Wyoming is not as forgiving as NJ. I consulted with several attorneys before picking the one that I'm currently represented by. My situation is a bit unusual...I make good money, have a very small car loan (3k), and live in an apartment with rent that is well below average. I'm also single with no dependents.
Unfortunately Wyoming is not as forgiving as NJ. I consulted with several attorneys before picking the one that I'm currently represented by. My situation is a bit unusual...I make good money, have a very small car loan (3k), and live in an apartment with rent that is well below average. I'm also single with no dependents.
As long as you continue to be honest with yourself. You will be fine. It's all temporary. I thought the same way for a long time. That I didn't need credit.
It could have worked 70 or more years ago. Today credit is worth more than cash itself. Don't give up on it just yet. You're young and have plenty of time to rebuild it.
The next time around you'll be more disciplined. Plant seeds now as you go through your BK. It will make the rebuild much faster. Good luck and keep pushing.
It could have worked 70 or more years ago. Today credit is worth more than cash itself. Don't give up on it just yet. You're young and have plenty of time to rebuild it.
The next time around you'll be more disciplined. Plant seeds now as you go through your BK. It will make the rebuild much faster. Good luck and keep pushing.
First and foremost, thank you so very much for being so open and honest - not only with us on this forum, but with yourself.
Someone here has a quote in their signature line that I always try to remember: Credit can be a wonderful servant, but a terrible master!
After over two years of being jobless and then followed by my divorce, I too decided to go all cash. Due to my ex trying to take me to the cleaners (financially), let's just say the lawyers made a killing!
I got myself out of debt with Dave Ramsey's snowball method. Although it may not have been the most efficient (APR-wise) it was the most effective (emotionally) in seeing real results fast! At that point, to me, Credit--->BAD! Cash-->GOOD Period. But I've learned that if you're disciplined and develop good spending habits, you can have credit AND still be debt free.
Dave Ramsey' method works until you find yourself in a situation when..well... Life happens. And when it does, it can often deal a blow that the best financial planning can't account for. Dave Ramsey's plan - and any plan for that matter - can't account for everything. It certainly did not account for a vindictive partner in a divorce or an 2-3 years jobless cycle. Now having hindsight, a little credit would have gone a long way in helping me to survive until I landed a job. In fact, I didn't need much to help to fill the financial gap (after tapping all sources), but not having that little help caused bigger problems (tax liens and almost a car repo among others). So in 2015, I realized that the ALL CASH method would probably work in an early 1990's world, but not in today's Apple pay and Google pay world.
Now, I have CCs but don't fear them as much as I realize I don't HAVE to carry a balance. I don't HAVE to be in debt. By only charging what I can PIF each month, I am basically living a CASH life but using it to build solid credit as well. Except for around the holidays, I pretty much don't go spend-crazy. I charge day to day living expenses and pay off those day to day living expenses EVERY SINGLE MONTH. I have a budget for every category and don't go over that budget (even with charging). Even during the holidays, though my spend may increase, my discipline stays in tact - that is PIF every month without question. I absolutely HATE paying CC interest and so I avoid it at all costs.
Although you may have gotten an ego boost from acquiring so many cards, as you mention, it was your basic lack of discipline that really got you into trouble. Been there. Done that! You are young still and no doubt, you will bounce back from this bankruptcy better than most! You sound like you have learned your lesson AND you have a job that pays well which will allow you to accomplish many financial and personal goals. I wish you all the best!
Again, thank you for sharing. These stories are just as important on this site as the "rebuild" and "I got approved" ones! 
@NYFan63 wrote:
Matt - I'm not sure which state you live in but I'm in NJ - I filed in Aug 2009, was making > $100k abs had less CC debt than you and I was able to file CH7 BK.
Just wanted to share my experience- maybe you can seek advice from another lawyer.
Best of luck!
Wow that is seriously generous . California line was 50k and change.
I looked into a 13 once as a way to force a payment plan on the IRS; A BK sucks from a credit perspective but ultimately you have to do what's right financially and if you can't afford your debts, streamline em.
@OP: I don't quite agree with the assertion that FICO is useless: unless your free cash flow can afford a house, just get a few cards once the BK finishes, and use them sparingly. $250 secured cards just fine, but in learning from your mistakes, don't go down the same path but don't leave a resource like a credit score on the floor forever even if you do wind up taking the wear the numbers off the debit card route.
For what it's worth in the modern economy, being a no file is just about as bad as having a BK for some things, really the only difference is it's a shorter walk to fix the no file but it's still a 6 month to year delay on a mortgage potentially.
In my opnion just all hangs around your spending habits when it comes down to it, good income, minimalist lifestyle, that's me too, and I don't carry around any debt on credit cards currently and only have 10K from an aborted school run on a HELOC besides my 240k in mortgage debt. Sure we're different people, but if you have the self control not to spend beyond your means which I think is the lesson you've learned here, you'll be fine with a couple small credit cards.
Thank you for sharing your story on the forum!
@mattmix36 wrote:Hey guys,
I started off building my credit when I was 18...I got my first credit card through FNBO with a 300 credit limit and over time had a solid credit score and was in outstanding financial shape. At 20yo I had a networth of about 50k with zero loans. I came to this website in search of the perfect credit score, and I litterally jumped off the deep end. As you can see by my signature line, I ammased a freaking awesome display of plastic...I had this huge wallet that would hold all of my cards, I would pay with my RITZ card any chance that I had to see the face of the clerk as he felt the weight of the card.
Fast forward a few years. I'm 27yo with zero active credit cards, with $116,000 in debt (105k credit card debt), a credit score in the 500s (if I'm lucky). I make 96k a year, and I'm dead broke.
Credit is serious business--I thought I understood that a few years ago, but head knowledge is only 20%...habbit is the 80% that matters. I have nothing against anyone who has or uses credit cards...I have nothing against anyone who uses this site (obviously, because I use it)...I'm just saying "be carefull".
I'm filing chapter 13 bankruptcy this week. I will be paying $2100 a month for five years in order to pay off my debts (becuase of my income, I do not qualify for a chapter 7 discharge).
Stay classy, and be real. I was irresponsible--now I'm making up for it on the ramsey plan. No more loans. No more FICO score. Hopefully forever.
Feel free to follow me in the bankruptcy section from now on
Your honesty is refreshing. Your point of view of being cash poor but credit rich is welcomed and now you will be the opposite lol. I wish the best to you in your future. I wish you weren't being hammered as badly. If you're paying back 100% that's commendable and you shouldn't have to take a 7 year hit while those who burned everyone and peaced out only have to do slightly more time out. I will be following your progress!
@Credit_hawk wrote:
@NYFan63 wrote:
Matt - I'm not sure which state you live in but I'm in NJ - I filed in Aug 2009, was making > $100k abs had less CC debt than you and I was able to file CH7 BK.
Just wanted to share my experience- maybe you can seek advice from another lawyer.
Best of luck!
I am going to go out on a limb and assume OP lives in a far-right wing state. That's where you will find chapter 13 being strongly legislated. Republicans are the architects of chapter 13.
Chapter 13 is simply an affordable payment plan imposed on all parties by the courts. Plenty of good reasons to use it, and come on, California is the ultimate blue state with a far more restrictive income limit for a chapter 7, so swiping at Republicans isn't appropriate (and politics aren't up for discussion on this forum anyway).