Experian conducted its eighth annual “State of Credit Report,” which shows that the average credit scores have increased almost to the level of pre-recession numbers. The study also ranked the cities with the highest and lowest credit score averages and sets forth various generational insights.
In this episode we breakdown the report released by Experian!
The Extra Credit Show is a show hosted by Ex-Debt Collection Agency Executive and Consumer Credit Expert Anselmo Moreno and his business partner Richard David. They have been in the consumer credit consulting and credit repair business since 2005. They often found themselves talking to each other about the current state of consumer credit, debt, credit bureaus etc. – take a listen to the minds of two passionate long time credit repair experts.
Available on Itunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and everywhere Podcasts are found.
SUPER EXCITED to announce that our new podcast The Exta Credit Show is now live on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and YouTube!! Our first 4 Episodes are up! You can also go direct to the site at http://extracreditshow.podbean.com/
If you like to listen to podcasts, I hope you check out our show! If you don’t, you should! A subscribe from you and a ‘like’ would really help promote the new show.
The show goes in depth on topics like Credit Scoring, Debt Settlements, Debt Relief, Credit Reports, Identity Theft, Credit Repair and all topics related to Consumer Finance. Master your credit score!
Today I’ve asked attorney Jeremy Swanson to elaborate on how debts may be handled during a divorce.
“Debt Division During Divorce” | Swanson O’Dell A.P.C.
Jeremy Swanson, Esq.
In a divorce, the judge will not only divide up assets, but also debts. Generally speaking (with some exceptions) any debt incurred during the marriage is community debt. This means that it is split evenly, or else is balanced against other assets. For instance, one party could take a car worth $10,000, and also $10,000 in credit card debt, for a net asset value of zero.
One of the biggest problems with debt division is that although the court can divide all debt between the parties, a family law judge has no authority over the lenders themselves. A bank, credit card company, or other creditor is not bound by any orders of the family law court. If debt is held in joint names, the creditor will probably try to collect the full amount from the person with the higher wages or great assets. They will disregard any order of the family law court for division. This can create real problems when one party does not pay the debt assigned to them. Although the family law court can order the other side to repay the amounts taken from accounts or garnished from wages, this money can be hard to recover if the other side does not have assets. It is often prudent to structure a settlement so that the party who has the means to pay the debts is assigned them, with a balancing against assets awarded to the party.
Another consideration is bankruptcy. What if one party files bankruptcy after the divorce, and the creditor tries to collect the full amount from the other party? This can create a real mess. If a bankruptcy is anticipated, it is usually financially best to file the bankruptcy together, and prior to finishing the divorce, so that the debt is cleared off and discharged before the court makes any orders regarding property division.
DISCLAIMER: All legal principles quoted are valid as of the date of writing in the State of California. However, you should NEVER base your actions on a legal article, blog, or internet story, as facts in real life are complicated. You should have your case evaluated by an attorney experienced in the area of law needed for your case. In addition, there are often exceptions and potential changes to results that occur due to facts that you may think are trivial or unimportant. This article should not be taken in any way as legal advice on your specific legal matter.
NOTICE: This blog and all materials on our website constitute advertisement materials, and the promulgation of such materials is meant for the residents of the State of California only. The attorneys and this firm do not practice law in any other state. In addition, the promulgation of these articles does not in any way create an attorney-client relationship and any inquiries and information you may send to the attorneys should be general and not specific, as they are not confidential.
Debts that are commonly divided in divorce proceedings are typical consumer debts such as mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. These types of consumer credit products are generally credit that is reported to all three major credit bureaus, and which can be a great source of damage and stress post-divorce.
In a divorce decree, the court assigns payment responsibilities to one spouse or the other, but it cannot amend or override the original contract signed by both spouses. In the credit world, this means that if your spouse retains the jointly held car loan or mortgage, it is still a joint account even after the divorce is final. Removing your name from the title or deed does not remove your name from the promissory note or contract.
Here is where it gets messy: your ex-spouse misses a few payments on the loan, and now you have late payment delinquencies reported on your credit reports. This can happen at any moment in time for the life of the loan which can be a very long time if we’re talking mortgages and car loans. The credit score formula will not take the “my ex-spouse is supposed to pay for that” argument into consideration, and neither will your creditors. Your score can drop significantly, often disqualifying you from obtaining a new mortgage or car loan for yourself.
This scenario can happen with any joint financial product that is seen on credit reports. Credit cards are much easier to control because you have the option of closing the account, and they are generally much easier to pay off when compared to a mortgage or car loan.
Can I be removed as a joint loan holder?
Your ex-spouse will have to refinance the loan under their name only. That can become very problematic as negative equity problems could prevent a new bank from refinancing the loan. Perhaps the sole income of your ex-spouse is not enough to qualify for the loan on their own. Or even worse, their credit rating is very low as a result of the divorce.
Protecting your credit:
To protect your credit you would have to terminate your liability with the bank. One option is to sell the house or car and pay off the loan. If that’s not possible, and you find yourself or your ex-spouse unable to refinance the loan, your only real option is to file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection. This eliminates the possibility of late payments affecting you in the future. As long as your ex-spouse continues to make payments, they get to keep the house or car.
If bankruptcy is not an option for you, the next best thing is to check your credit report and joint accounts once a month to make sure things are being paid on time. As you are still a joint account holder, there is nothing stopping you from calling the bank once a month and checking to see if the payments have been made. If there is a danger of being 30 days late, you at least have the option to protect your credit rating by making the payment yourself and then having your ex-spouse reimburse you. Not the most practical solution, but it works. I often advise clients to do this when they are in the middle of a major purchase, but run the risk of late payments due to jointly held debts which they don’t control.
2017 is here – and it really got me thinking about 2010. Breaking Bad was the top-rated TV series, foreclosures were at an all-time high, and President Obama enacted the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
What I specifically remember about 2010, was that the theme here in the office revolved around 2003…which meant that we carefully audited credit reports and asked our clients questions about the age of some of their debts specifically to find out if the debt may have gone into default on or before 2003. This would help us determine if the 7-year credit reporting statute would apply to any of the debts present on the credit report.
As you hopefully are guessing by now, we will have 2010 very present in our office this year as we begin to help consumers strategize their credit repair projects and it will revolve a lot around the year 2010.
That year was a tough year for the economy and subsequently for consumers. Jobs were scarce, credit was very tight, home values continued to plummet… remember? It was like the sky fell.
If you had debts go into default and sent to collection sometime in 2010, then 2017 is YOUR year of redemption. Did you have a home foreclosed/short-sold in 2010? That is supposed to be permanently deleted from your credit report this year. The same thing applies to credit card debts, auto loans, medical bills…etc.
Most consumers don’t remember exact dates and are unable to determine with any confidence if their debts are about to age out. Over the last 11 years, we have been able to perfect our craft and can confidently help consumers determine their correct dates and how to plan a credit repair plan with factual dates in mind. It’s super important, because you don’t want to spend money on a debt that goes away next month, nor do you want to wait on a debt thinking it goes away in June when it really goes away in December…for $30 we can audit your credit report and give you factual, clear, concise advice that will help make 2017 generate your best credit score possible. Contact us my calling 661-369-8130 or visiting our website.
I previously wrote in detail about the famous “7-year rule” – missed it? Check it out here: The Seven Year Rule
Last year I had the pleasure to speak to a Debt Collector that was way out of line. I acted like I didn’t know much in order to see just how many laws she would break.
She broke all of them! Take a listen for yourself!
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