I've seen a lot of posters here having some difficulties paying certain secured creditors post filing due to not receiving statements anymore, direct debits (ACH's) being canceled due to automatic stay, etc.
As part of your pre-filing preparation, to ensure a smooth transition, I did the following:
Stopped all direct debits against my checking account and replaced them with online bill pay from my checking account. Now, I know there are some that can't be replaced, and that's ok, keep track of those separately, but those are generally not creditors.
Once you start online bill pay, you enter the amount to be paid, the date to be paid, and the creditor's address for payment (or electronic if your bank has a relationship with them).
Done. Simple. You now can continue paying the secured creditor without stressing over using snail mail, without realizing you are in trouble because you're no longer receiving statements, etc. Just remember the date due. Your online banking will tell you what was the last amount you paid and when. Furthermore, you can either elect to have recurring automatic payments or you can choose to elect when to have each individual payment sent; I do the latter to coincide with paychecks.
Please include this type of preparation into your bk filing. It will save you some headaches down the road for secured creditors you wish to continue paying (e.g. mortgage, car loan)
As part of your pre-filing preparation, to ensure a smooth transition, I did the following:
Stopped all direct debits against my checking account and replaced them with online bill pay from my checking account. Now, I know there are some that can't be replaced, and that's ok, keep track of those separately, but those are generally not creditors.
Once you start online bill pay, you enter the amount to be paid, the date to be paid, and the creditor's address for payment (or electronic if your bank has a relationship with them).
Done. Simple. You now can continue paying the secured creditor without stressing over using snail mail, without realizing you are in trouble because you're no longer receiving statements, etc. Just remember the date due. Your online banking will tell you what was the last amount you paid and when. Furthermore, you can either elect to have recurring automatic payments or you can choose to elect when to have each individual payment sent; I do the latter to coincide with paychecks.
Please include this type of preparation into your bk filing. It will save you some headaches down the road for secured creditors you wish to continue paying (e.g. mortgage, car loan)