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Happy New Year! Wishing you a fresh start with renewed energy and confidence throughout the New Year. Best wishes for peace and prosperity in 2022. #debtfreedom2022

The three national credit reporting agencies in the United States – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – in a joint action announced they are offering free weekly credit reports to Americans for the next year to help them protect their financial health during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The free reports are available through April 2021, at www.annualcreditreport.com.

“During these times of COVID-19, accessing your credit is important. That’s why Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are now offering free weekly online reports through April 2021,” reads a message on the AnnualCreditReport.com website. Americans may request their free credit report her...

If you're getting a stimulus check as a result of COVID 19 and you are one of the lucky people to still be employed and you don't need it to cover rent or other essential bills in the short term, you'll want to do something smart with this money.

1. START AN EMERGENCY FUND.

Ideally, you already have an emergency fund with enough money in it to cover three to six months of living expenses. But if you don't,, saving your check is probably the best thing you can do with it. Saving your stimulus check can provide you with money to see you through if you experience an income shortfall, are waiting for unemployment benefits to kick in, or need to cover medical costs.

2. PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

If you don...

The IRS has started Depositing Stimulus checks from the government into consumers bank accounts and some creditors may view the stimulus payments as their chance to collect on outstanding court judgments.

If a bank account is at risk of a new garnishment order that has not yet been served on the bank, the consumer has some time to avoid garnishment of their stimulus check.

Below are 7 Strategies to Avoid Garnishment of your stimulus check by Creditor.

1. Determine if your Bank Account is Subject to Garnishment.

2. Monitor the court docket for the existing judgment to see if Creditor files a Writ of Garnishment on your bank account.

3. Move the stimulus payment and all other money out of the acc...

Everybody needs a lawyers help sometime, but not everyone can afford it. Many people who would benefit from legal counsel end up getting the short end of the stick because they can't afford a lawyer. The American Bar Association has estimated that about 80 percent of low-income individuals don't get the help they need because they simply can't afford the fees.

Just as employers provide health insurance coverage for its employers, many employers also offer legal Insurance. Not many people realize that many large companies such as Walt Disney World, Wells Fargo & Company, Halifax Health, offer legal insurance to their employees as an optional benefit, just like health insurance.

Legal insurance...

Due to the ongoing public health concerns associated with COVID-19, and the continued need to
enforce social distancing requirements, Section 341 meetings will be conducted telephonically beginning April 16, 2020, for as long as the need to engage in social distancing measures continue.

The Clerk’s Office has begun issuing Notices of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case indicating the Section
341 meetings will be held telephonically. The Notices provide all parties with their assigned Trustee's
dedicated teleconference number and a participant pass code.

The following is guidance on the procedures to be followed in connection with telephonic Section 341 meetings for Trustees to be followed for the 34...

Effective March 31, 2020, the Middle District of Florida has updated its Telephonic Appearances Procedure, applicable in all Divisions. Parties appearing before the Court are urged to review the updated procedure. The following are important highlights:

If possible, parties appearing telephonically should use a landline rather than a cell phone. Parties shall not use cell phones while in public spaces or while driving or riding in an automobile. If a cell phone is used, parties shall ensure that they have a strong cellular phone system or use the Wi-Fi calling option on their phones.
Counsel shall not connect their clients to the telephonic hearing by "conference call." If the client wishes ...

Most bankruptcy courts have altered their practices and procedures in light of COVID-19. Below is a summary of the changes to practices and procedures in the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Middle District of Florida

OFFICE OF THE U.S. TRUSTEE ANNOUNCES TELEPHONIC SECTION 341 MEETINGS IN ALL BANKRUPTCY CASES AND TELEPHONIC CHAPTER 11 INITIAL DEBTOR INTERVIEWS (Posted: Friday, April 3, 2020)

In light of the recommendations of the CDC regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus, effectively immediately and until further notice, the United States Trustee for Region 21 has directed that all Meetings of Creditors under 11 U.S.C. § 341 in all bankruptcy cases, and all Initial Debtor Int...

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON GOVERNMENTS

Coronavirus or more specifically COVID19 (Coronavirus Disease of 20019) is impacting everyone and every part of the globe at the moment. What started as a small flu problem in some distant part of the world in late December last year, now has blown as a large saccade pandemic. As most of you know by now this virus is not as lethal as it is contagious as it spreads rapidly from person to person. Although, there is no proper cure as of yet, there are some remedies that the doctors all around the world are applying that have shown improvements. Fortunately, most patients of this virus recover on their own without any remedies when their immune system starts to...