Should You Extend Credit To Business Customers
Extending credit to your customers or business partners helps your business increase sales and provide additional sources of revenue. However, there are downsides to extending credit as well, such as having to comply with a variety of federal and state laws, and of the course the possibility of not being able to collect. This article provides some basic introductory information on extending credit to your businesss customers.
How Long Does Bankruptcy Stay On My Credit Report
- Constance Brinkley-Badgett
If your debt has you feeling overwhelmed and youre considering filing for bankruptcy, its important to consider all of your options before making a final decision. Bankruptcy can have a lengthy adverse impact on your credit, making it almost impossible to open new lines of credit until well after your bankruptcy is discharged.
So how long does a bankruptcy filing stay on your credit report? The answer is, it depends. Lets take a look:
Lawsuit Or Judgment: Seven Years
Both paid and unpaid civil judgments used to remain on your credit report for seven years from the filing date in most cases. By April 2018, however, all three major credit agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, had removed all civil judgments from credit reports.
Limit the damage: Check your credit report to make sure the public records section does not contain information about civil judgments, and if it does appear, ask to have it removed. Also, be sure to protect your assets.
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Bankruptcy Isnt A Death Sentence
So how long does Chapter 7 bankruptcy stay on your credit report?
It can stay as long as 10 years, but that doesnt mean youre stuck with poor credit that long. If you stick to your payment plan, get a secured credit card and make all payments on time, you can improve your credit score before the bankruptcy record is gone.
Is filing for bankruptcy in your best interest? Let us help. Get in touch or take a look at some of our services.
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How Long Does Bankruptcy Affect My Credit Report
There are two main credit reporting agencies in Ontario: Equifax and Trans Union. Information about your bankruptcy or consumer proposal is reported to these agencies by the Office of The Superintendent of Bankruptcy , not your trustee. The OSB will advise these agencies when you file a bankruptcy or proposal and when you receive your discharge.
If you file ANY of a bankruptcy, consumer proposal, debt management plan or do a debt settlement, a not will appear on your credit report that can negatively impact your credit. In general:
- a first bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for six years or seven years after you are discharged
- a consumer proposal (or debt management or debt settlement plan will remain on your credit report for three years after all of your payments are completed.
Bankruptcy does not mean you cannot borrow for six or seven years. This just means that the note will remain on your report, however there are many other factors that affect your ability to get credit.
If you have a job, and if you have a down payment or security deposit, it is possible to repair your credit sooner. Many people are able to buy a car or a house in less than seven years after their bankruptcy ends, if they are able to save money and begin repairing their credit. Here are some ways you can improve your credit after filing for bankruptcy:
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How Bankruptcy Affects Your Credit
Filing for bankruptcy makes it challenging to receive credit cards or lower interest rates because lenders will consider you risky. These consequences could occur immediately, affecting any short-term needs such as getting affordable interest rates or approval from prime lenders.
Rebuilding your credit as soon as possible is paramount. One way to increase your credit score is to pay all your bills on time each month, creating and sticking to a budget and not incurring more debt.
You should also avoid overuse of credit cards and failing to pay balances in full each month. Having a good credit score gives consumers access to more types of loans and lower interest rates, which helps them pay off their debts sooner.
How Long Does Negative Information Stay On Your Credit Report
A Tea Reader: Living Life One Cup at a Time
The length of time negative information can remain on your credit report is governed by a federal law known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act . Most negative information must be taken off after seven years. Some, such as a bankruptcy, remains for up to 10 years. When it comes to the specifics of derogatory credit information, the law and time limits are more nuanced. Following are eight types of negative information and how you might be able to avoid any damage each might cause.
Also Check: How To Avoid Bankruptcy And Overextending Your Finances
How Long Do Bankruptcies Impact Your Credit Scores
Since your credit score is based on the information listed on your credit reports, the bankruptcy will impact your score until it is removed. This means a Chapter 7 bankruptcy will impact your score for up to 10 years while a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will impact your score for up to seven years. However, the impact of both types of bankruptcies on your credit score will lessen over time. Plus, If you practice good credit habits, you could see your score recover faster.
Also, how much your credit score decreases depends on how high your score was before filing for bankruptcy. If you had a good to excellent score before filing, this likely means your credit score will drop more than someone who already had a bad credit score.
Reporting Debts As Discharged In Bankruptcy
While it might be daunting to think about a bankruptcy filing showing up on your for ten years, it might not be as bad as you think. A bankruptcy discharge can help you clean up debt much faster than you’d be able to do yourself.
For instance, instead of a delinquent or unpaid debt lingering on your report for years, it will show as being discharged as part of your bankruptcy. In fact, creditors won’t be able to report your debt in a variety of ways that could cause your credit to suffer, such as allowing the obligation to show as:
- currently owed or active
- having a balance due, or
- converted to a new type of debt .
Such reporting labels are often the reason creditors deny applicants credit. In some cases, applicants must pay off such debt as a condition of loan approval. Instead, when you pull your report, each qualifying debt should be reported as:
- having a zero balance, and
- discharged, “included in bankruptcy,” or similar language.
Unfortunately, some creditors don’t update information to the credit reporting agencies. This tactic could be a way to get you to pay up, even though you no longer legally owe the debt. If your credit report shows an improperly labeled discharged debt, you’ll want to take steps to correct the problem.
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Land Use And Zoning Law
Land use and zoning involves the regulation of the use and development of real estate. The most common form of land-use regulation is zoning. Zoning regulations and restrictions are used by municipalities to control and direct the development of property within their borders. Since New York City adopted the first zoning ordinance in 1916, zoning regulations have been adopted by virtually every major urban area in the United States. They exist all over the State of Utah, including Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties.
How To Remove A Bankruptcy From Your Credit Report
Wondering how to remove the effects of bankruptcy from your credit report early? Adding a credit card can help, provided that you:
- Always pay it on time
- Keep your credit utilization low
Using a credit card responsibly will help boost your credit score, minimizing the impact of the bankruptcy.
That sounds great, but theres one little problem: you cant get approved for a credit card.
Or can you?
A secured credit card is just what youre looking for.
It works the same way as a regular credit card, except youre not actually borrowing money.
You give the issuer a refundable security deposit, and they give you a credit card for the same amount.
They dont care if you have bad credit, because theres no risk involved.
Be Careful!
Dont Apply for any new credit when a bankruptcy hits your report.
If you dont pay your bill, they can use your security deposit to pay your balance.
The issuer reports your account activity to the credit bureaus every month, just like a normal credit card.
If you always pay it on time and keep your balance low, itll have a positive impact on your credit score.
OpenSky® Secured Visa® is a flexible option that lets you secure a limit between $200 and $3,000. No credit check required!
Quick Tip:
Usually you have to wait 2 years from a bankruptcy before you can apply for a home.
Read Also: How Long Can I Buy A House After Chapter 7
How Long Does Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Stay On My Credit Report
Individuals are often deterred from filing bankruptcy once they hear that a bankruptcy filing stays on a credit report for up to ten years. This ten-year rule only applies to individuals filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Completed Chapter 13 cases, on the other hand, are removed from your credit by all three major credit reporting agencies 7 years after filing your bankruptcy case. Thus, if you enter into a five year Chapter 13 repayment plan, you will only have to wait two more years for the bankruptcy to be removed once done.
Instead of walking around with bad credit for the next few years Chapter 13 can help yourebuild your credit soon after your repayment plan is completed. Many debt management plans that offer credit repair will tell people not to file bankruptcy because it will ruin your credit. However, Chapter 13 may repair your credit sooner than any debt consolidation or debt settlement plan. When individuals file bankruptcy they can begin paying back their debts and fixing their credit. However, most debt management plans can take eight years for credit repair. Moreover, one late payment can stay on your credit report for up to six years. So, if you keep falling behind on payments throughout the years you may find your credit score decreasing.
Bottom Line: Bankruptcy And Credit
I have personally seen the impact of the bankruptcy petition on some debtors five to seven years later and most are doing fine, says Arnold Hernandez, an attorney in Tustin, Calif., who handles bankruptcy cases. Bankruptcy is not forever.
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How Long Does A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Stay On Your Credit Report
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays on your credit reports for up to seven years. Unlike Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy involves creating a three- to five-year repayment plan for some or all of your debts. After you complete the repayment plan, debts included in the plan are discharged.
If some of your discharged debts were delinquent before filing for this type of bankruptcy, it would fall off your credit report seven years from the date of delinquency. All other discharged debts will fall off of your report at the same time your Chapter 13 bankruptcy falls off.
How Does Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit Score
A bankruptcy can initially lower your credit score. However, it is not uncommon for people who have filed bankruptcy to start seeing offers for new credit shortly after filing for bankruptcy. Also, bankruptcy can help you get a fresh start financially and decrease the amount of your discretionary income that is used on debt repayment, which can be attractive to creditors.
Bankruptcy is handled by the federal Bankruptcy Court, which makes it a public record that can be listed on your credit reports. How long a bankruptcy stays on your credit report depends on whether you file Chapter 7 personal liquidation bankruptcy or Chapter 13 debt readjustment bankruptcy, as follows:
- A Chapter 7 bankruptcy will stay on your credit reports for up to 10 years.
- A Chapter 13 bankruptcy will stay on your credit reports for up to seven years.
As you may know, it takes three to five years to complete a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and less than a year to complete Chapter 7. Yet, the bankruptcy remains on your credit record as part of your financial history for years after the court agrees that you have satisfied your debts.
The good news is that while a bankruptcy remains on your credit report, its impact on your credit rating diminishes over time if you establish a record of paying your bills on time and being creditworthy.
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Transferring Property Between Spouses
An interspousal transfer deed transfers title between a married couple. A gift given by one spouse to the other during the marriage is considered separate , not marital property. This is important because through a deed, marital property can become separate property or vice versa, which is an important distinction in a divorce.
An interspousal transfer deed can be useful when one spouse has poor credit, and the couple wants to refinance their home. To receive a better mortgage interest rate, the couple may decide to use an interspousal transfer deed to transfer title to their home to the spouse with better credit.
How Much Does Bankruptcy Affect Credit Score
Sixty-five percent of credit scores are based on two key factors. Payment history is the most important, comprising 35% of your score. This includes whether or not you have made timely payments on your debt, such as mortgage payments, credit card payments, and payments on installment loans.
The second key factor is credit utilization, also called a debt-to-credit ratio. While having a lot of credit available to you is a good thing, you should be using only 30% or less of it at any one time. That is difficult for people who have maxed out credit cards and can only make minimum monthly payments.
With these two factors comprising so much of your credit score, you can see that discharging or restructuring all or part of your debt through bankruptcy would ruin it until you manage to somehow rebuild your credit.
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Are There Any Employment Restrictions
The Bankruptcy Act 1966 does not impose any restrictions on employment, either during or after bankruptcy. However some trades or professions may impose restrictions.
We recommend you contact the relevant agency or association to see if your bankruptcy will impact your employment. Common professions that bankruptcy may affect are listed under employment restrictions.
Also Check: What Does Declaring Bankruptcy Do For You
Behind On Your Mortgage
A mortgage is a type of debt that must be repaid within a certain time period, typically for real estate purchases. In the context of buying a home, a person looking to maintain a mortgage should first determine whether a mortgage payment can fit within their existing budget. Many foreclosures, as well as the market crash of 2008, were in part caused by people taking mortgages they could never afford . To avoid foreclosure, it is very important to educate yourself on the legal implications of taking on a mortgage before you begin mortgage shopping. This section includes articles addressing mortgage liability matters and what to do if you are behind on your payments.
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Can You Remove Bankruptcy From Your Credit Report
In most cases, no: You cannot remove a bankruptcy from your credit report. Remember, it will be removed automatically after seven or 10 years, depending on the type of bankruptcy you filed.
In the rare case that the bankruptcy was reported in error, you can get it removed. Its fast and easy to dispute your information with TransUnion. If you see a bankruptcy on your credit report that you didnt file, heres how to dispute your credit report.
What If I Need A Loan Or Credit Card Immediately After Bankruptcy
Luckily, most mortgage companies provide FHA loans for scores of 560-600. Traditional financing options often require a score of 600 or higher.
There are options for buying high-cost necessities after filing bankruptcy claims. Secured credit cards and loans exist for those facing bankruptcy. You can look into credit builder loans or other financing options specially built for people after bankruptcy.
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Maintaining Smart Financial Habits
From now on, its more important than ever to pay your bills on time, keep accounts open, stay at an optimum and avoid opening too many accountsall the best practices that help you build and maintain solid-gold credit for the long haul.
While it might take time, with good financial habits your credit score might rebound to even higher than it was prior to your bankruptcy. And thats something to celebrate.
Cathie Ericson is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Forbes, MarketWatch and Realtor.com.
