if you could change ONE thing about your bk..

[RainMoM]

That's what I'm asking here !! What would you like to change about your bk experience ? Is there something you wish you could have done differently ? what's been the pro's and con's of your experience.

I would start off but really I'm still in the beginning stages of it all.. I do admit tho, I wish i would have filed sooner !!

[jb300]

I would also have filed sooner. I just kept telling myself that there had to be another way and finally after 3-4 months of trying to figure out what to do and creditors not helping, I finally gave up.

I had a credit score of over 800 just a few short years ago. I was really upset I had gotten to this point. Then I realized that so many people were having to go down the same road that I am and that helped.

[badkarma]

Not having to have file Bk in the first place, but since we have too I would have to say we should have filed Bk two years ago instead of trying to ride it out all this time and sinking fast.....

[Aaaaah!]

I'd be a third for "file sooner." I was just in such a tailspin when I lost my job that I threw good money down the drain trying to keep my head above water.

[Pizza]

I'd go back in time, go to college straight out of high school, and earn a degree that would pay enough money to live within my means; NO credit cards. Little did I know back in '98 that the cost of living would quickly outpace any monetary accomplishments at my company (or that I would be laid off)

[hamburgervol]

I would have filed a lot sooner too.

[BkinTX]

Assuming that I didn't make changes to head off BK many years ago, I would have (and this sounds awful, but it makes so much sense) paid off student loans, replaced things around the house that needed it and planned by BK more in advance.

From the time we realized we would need to file to the day we saw a lawyer was maybe a week, if that. We rushed. I didn't want to not pay and get phone calls.

We should have planned things out to get the maximum benefit from our BK. It feels unethical to say that, but if we're allowed this clean slate and stupid things I bought before I realized the end was approaching can be forgiven, why not take care of things that really need attention like broken appliances or threadbare furniture?

[frogger]

I haven't filed yet, but I can tell you I would have started planning a long time ago. I would also not have got myself in debt as much as I am in. I should have done this 5 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars ago.

[Never_Again]

Hmmm... I would not have allowed myself to get there.

However, I would have filed sooner. Ideally, about 2 years before I did. I spent a great deal of money for two years "paying down" debt, and I never really made any ground. I would have probably been $40K ahead by now.

But if not then, I would have filed when they repossessed my vehicle (about five months before I filed) and I would have gotten it back, and done a redemption on it. Even borrowing the money from one of those high interest companies, I would have had it paid off within six months.

[BkinTX]

Over the years, we've probably spent over 80k on credit card payments alone.

Imagine if we hadn't gone down that path and had saved that money.

Makes you sick to think about it.

[kvangild]

Like many above have mentioned, I would have filed sooner and not ruined my payment history (caused by the time involved in saving for filing and unemployment). But, you live and learn............

[RainMoM]

thanks for sharing.. Any thoughts on the pro's an con's of this process ?

[liz417]

That I would have found this site BEFORE I hired my 1st attorney over a year ago! In the end, it all worked out and I am expecting a discharge for a ch 7 this month.

[BKOnce]

Almost everyone in here says.. "I would file much SOONER..".. Well, I am differently opposite...

I say I would file MUCH MUCH LATER... because I like to rack up & squeze out lemonade of LOTS of CC debts as much as possible BEFORE I file.. Yes, much around.. like 250K$$$ of Visa/MC fraud/charges before file.. LOL (Revenge of CC Nerds)

[needachance]

I would have filed 7 years ago instead of struggling to do minimum payments and not make any progress (on cards we were not even using) for 7 years.