Is bankruptcy the only option to reduce debt?

As a 30-year-old person, you never thought you’d be facing the financial difficulties that you deal with every day. You’ve worked hard, but between student loans, credit card debt and medical bills, you don’t think you’ll ever be out of debt.

The good news is that you’re young enough to consider bankruptcy, but there are other options, too. Bankruptcy may have an impact on your ability to get credit in the near future, but if you’re not planning on buying a home or using credit in the next few years, that might not affect you much (if at all). Still, it’s a good idea to look at all the possible options before choosing bankruptcy.

Before you choose bankruptcy, sit down and work out your budget. Do you know ways you can cut back and pay down debts faster? Are there ways to lower your credit card payments or to reduce interest rates? Look into these options first before believing bankruptcy is your only option.

If you do think bankruptcy is going to be right for you, make sure you know the difference between Chapter 7 and 13. Chapter 7 forces you to liquidate your assets, while Chapter 13 requires you to pay a single payment to your creditors each month. Both allow you to reduce and eliminate certain unsecured debts.

Remember that student loans, tax debts and other secured debts may not be able to be discharged in bankruptcy. If those are the debts you’re concerned with, you should consider speaking with your attorney about options for consolidating or lowering payments each month.