That’s probably what a lot of people thought when they first heard of the Equifax breach last week. After a bankruptcy rebuilding your credit score quickly is important. You don’t want anything getting in the way like a data leak. There have been a lot of mixed messages on what to do to protect yourself, now that most likely, your social security number, birth date, address and other personal information is floating around the universe. The breach affected 143 million people, which is basically every adult living in the United States.

Kain & Scott is Minnesota’s oldest bankruptcy law firm- we have been around since 1972. We have seen a thing or two when it comes to the aftermath of filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and have helped thousands of Minnesotans get their lives back.  Here is the truth about what the effect filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy will have on your credit:

Many individuals are worried about the potential damage that can be done to their credit score after bankruptcy. Don’t get overwhelmed; in fact, you can rest assured knowing that filing for bankruptcy is an initial step in the right direction for rebuilding your score. While you should be responsible with what you are spending post-bankruptcy, don’t be afraid to start using credit again. Responsibly using credit cards is a great way to get back on track, and begin building up your credit. Know your limits, and start small.

What happens to your credit after you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy is not what you think. Most of our guests are completely shocked to find out that Chapter 7 bankruptcy does not have the negative repercussions on your credit you think. We know, there is a stigma associated with filing bankruptcy. Have you ever wondered why or who really benefits if there is a stigma associated with filing bankruptcy?

Credit scores are a very vague concept to most people, yet they can hold so much power over your financial well-being. Almost everybody has a credit score, and like it or not, it can affect everything from being able to open up a new credit card to determining if you will be approved for a mortgage or rental property. If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, chances are your credit score has already taken a hit, and is lower than what is recommended. You are also likely worried that if you go through with a bankruptcy, your credit score will become even lower, to a point that is irreparable. We are very happy to tell you that this is not something you should worry about. 

Most of the potential clients our MN Bankruptcy Lawyers meet with at Kain & Scott have defaulted on at least one of the accounts they hold. For many of the people I meet, they have been able to stay current on some accounts, but because of their financial circumstances, they have not been able to maintain current payments on all of their accounts.

Here at Kain & Scott our professional, kind and helpful team of Minneapolis Bankruptcy Lawyers are truly honored to help each and every one of our clients get their lives back. Our client satisfaction and peace of mind is our top priority which is why we strive to continuously build upon our reputation as the nicest (most kind and helpful) Bankruptcy Law Firm in Minneapolis and the greater Twin Cities area. We know that the Bankruptcy Process doesn’t end with filing your case, so here’s some helpful information to give you a better understanding of how to begin rebuilding your credit score after you’ve received your discharge.

Over the years, we have had many Minnesotans contemplate bankruptcy but what they really want to know is, if I do this, how will bankruptcy really impact my credit? If we let our home go back can we get financing to buy another one soon so we are not on the street? Can we buy a car if I need another one- I have to get to work? I completely understand these concerns our guests have and if I were in your shoes I would share the same concerns. We all have them- we need to live, a place to stay and we need vehicles to get around!

Like so many Minnesotans that call us every day, we hear one common concern over and over again. Minnesotans worry about how bankruptcy affects their credit score and credit life after the bankruptcy is filed. If you are contemplating Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Minnesota, but you just need a better handle on how bankruptcy affects your credit, here it is. The obvious question so many ask about their credit relates to their future dreams and ambitions.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get rid of all your credit card debt and start fresh again? Could you imagine the peace of mind you would have knowing that you could wipe your credit cards clean and not have to worry about paying them back? If you’re like most Minnesotans it’s pretty easy to rack up large amounts of debt on your credit cards quickly especially if something unexpected happens. Let’s face it, you never know if something unexpected is going to happen that might cost you several hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Let’s say your vehicle breaks down, you get sick or are injured in an accident, your business becomes unprofitable or you maybe you get laid off from work. The bottom line is that these types of things can happen to anyone and they happen all the time.

I often tell clients that banks don’t care if you pay your creditors. What? How can that be? I thought credit scores and paying your creditors was the most important thing to banks when they look at the decision to either lend you money or not. Turns out, that is not always true. Let’s look at a case study to illustrate the point.

It’s no surprise that VISA is a wordwide powerhouse in the financial industry but I bet you would be shocked to know how big they really are! VISA Inc. started their 2016 fiscal year off with over a whopping 857 million credit cards issued worldwide! That’s enough credit cards to wrap around the world twice! To top it off they ended their year in 2015 with over 14 billion dollars in gross profit and nearly 7 billion of that net profit! Unbelievable. That’s right I said BILLION. With that net profit, half of every BILLION dollars VISA sees, after every expense is paid, gets deposited directly into the bank account!

Completing a bankruptcy case can be a relief after the stress, anxiety, and frustration you experienced trying to pay debts that you could not afford to pay. Regardless of whether you filed a Chapter 7 case or a Chapter 13 case, you now have a fresh start to begin rebuilding your financial well-being for the future. Many of our clients have heard or been told that they would never qualify for a loan after bankruptcy, or that it would be many years and very difficult if they did qualify for a loan after bankruptcy. This is a common misconception about bankruptcy.