Credit Report
Letter to “Ask Leon”
Dear Leon, I am a resident of Virginia. Who do I get the proper credit report from in the proper form? Who do I get the credit counsel certificate from? Or do I file to try to make myself exempt from this. I am trying to file myself. I do not have the money for a attorney and it is all so complicated sometimes I do not even understand what they are asking for in the questions.
Leon Says…
Bankruptcy is an absolutely incredible legal remedy for people with debt trouble. It really can give a fresh start, if you play by the rules! However, inexperienced people can’t help but trip over the maze of those rules and regulations. I know it is tempting for you to “save money” and do this yourself. It’s no wonder to me that you, and most other people, find this, as you yourself said, “…all so complicated sometimes I do not even understand what they are asking for in the questions.” Unfortunately the credit card companies (who pushed Congress to pass this new bankruptcy law last year) have made the legal procedures and rules so much more complex than they ever were before. They don’t want you to understand, because they don’t want you to file. Get it? Just for the record, bankruptcy lawyers were NOT for this law. We fought it all the way, and we lost. There is no way I can give you a sufficient legal education in the space of an email to prepare you sufficiently to handle this case on your own. Simply put, if you can’t afford to stay in debt, you can’t afford to do this on your own. You have got to get some qualified professional help. I have written a simplified guide to the new law in language that most lay people can understand. It is not a substitute for getting professional help, but I hope it will help you and other folks to unravel what now looks so mysterious. It can be found on my web site at: www.debt-relief-bankruptcy.com You may be able to get a free credit report at: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp=20 To get a list of approved credit counselors, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/cc_approved.htm http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/cc_approved.htm