Law Office of Gordon Mosley
Knowing when to seek relief from the burdens of debt
On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley

Many individuals experience the strain of financial hardships at some point in their lives. Perhaps recent monetary struggles left you in a bind, you might have chosen to turn to credit cards to help you overcome your temporary dilemma.


Credit cards can appear exceedingly beneficial during times of struggle. However, with high interest rates and punishing late fees and consequences, if you fall behind, you could find yourself staring down an insurmountable amount of debt.


Indications that your debts are an issue


Substantial debt loads can place you under a significant financial strain, and the constant phone calls and collection letters do little to ease your stress. With credit cards, these issues can creep up over time, and you may wish to know the warning signs that debt is a problem so you can avoid a potential disaster, and some areas of concern may include the following:


  • Rising balances: If the balances on your accounts are continually rising, chances are, you may be experiencing financial struggles. These issues could only grow worse as time goes by, and seeking relief may be advisable.
  • Maxed-out limits: Having a maxed-out limit on one or more credit cards is another indicator of financial hardships. While you may be able to keep up with minimum payments at first, high interest rates can make your balance soar, and the snowball effect can be challenging to overcome.
  • Trouble keeping up: As balances and interest rates rise, you may have trouble making even the minimum payment on accounts, which can be exceedingly troublesome and could indicate a need to seek financial relief.
  • Credit-related rejection: Receiving a letter of decline when applying for new lines of credit could be worrisome and may be a sign that your credit score is suffering.


You may also receive letters from companies offering promotional cards for those with damaged credit, which is another sign that your credit score may be suffering. Regardless of the issues you face, the burdens of debt may be causing you to suffer, and seeking advice on the options for debt relief could be in your best interests.


Seeking guidance


Although dealing with debt-related issues can be stressful and daunting, avoiding them will do little to make them go away. Perhaps you wish to pursue relief, but with numerous options available, each offering its own potential advantages and disadvantages, you might be uncertain how to move forward. You could speak with someone with knowledge in federal and Texas state bankruptcy laws for guidance, which might help you gain an understanding of each option and prepare you to pursue relief from the burdens of debt through the necessary outlets.

Facing garnishment, lawsuits? Bankruptcy may be able to help.

By On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley • 21 Feb, 2022
During the day, you may have the ability to keep your financial worries somewhat at bay by concentrating on other tasks. However, when the time comes to get in bed for the night, those thoughts that stayed at the edge of your mind all day may come flooding forward. How will you make your next credit card payment? When will the next creditor call? What can you do about your garnished wages? These concerns affect numerous people who must contend with overwhelming debt. No matter what led to your debt, you do have options for effectively addressing those liabilities. In particular, bankruptcy may act as a significant step toward a fresh financial start. However, you may wonder whether taking this action really suits your circumstances. Has action been taken against you? When you face overwhelming debt, you may also face letters and calls from creditors every day. Over time, you may have become adept at avoiding these attempts at contact or requested a stop to such actions. However, more significant actions may have been taken against you with which bankruptcy may be able to help. Two actions that may make you consider this debt relief option more seriously include: Wage garnishment: If creditors are directly garnishing wages from your paychecks in attempts to pay your outstanding balances, you already face serious financial trouble. You may need every penny you earn to make ends meet as it is, and when you cannot hold on to your wages, bankruptcy may be able to help stop garnishments. Lawsuits: When creditors feel that they cannot effectively get you to pay your balances on their own, they may sue you for payment. Lawsuits are serious matters that could cause you to face even more financial strife while also facing orders to pay your liabilities. Fortunately, bankruptcy could help stop judgments in such cases. Because these actions can have serious outcomes, taking steps to stop them may help you in the long run. Can you attempt other debt relief methods? If you are not yet facing wage garnishments or lawsuits, you may wonder whether you could first attempt other actions before bankruptcy. Certainly, creditor negotiation and credit counseling could act as possible avenues to try. Of course, not all creditors feel willing to negotiate, and you may still need to address your full balances. Additionally, you may want to remain wary of services which claim they can reduce your debt or help you become debt free as many of these claims turn into scams that cost unsuspecting individuals more money. Though it can be frightening to consider such a major action, exploring your bankruptcy options further may help you get your financial affairs in order and bring back your restful sleep.

Seeking debt relief does not make you a bad person

By On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley • 21 Feb, 2022
No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get your head above water financially. In the last little while you’ve experienced loss of income, or you’ve had unexpected emergency expenses that you had to put on credit cards, or you or a loved one may have suffered a serious medical event, costing your family a small fortune. Maybe it was a combination of these or other hardships. Now you need help, but feel you are a bad person for seeking debt relief. There is and always has been a certain stigma surrounding bankruptcy in the United States. The truth of the matter is, Texas residents who need financial help are not bad people and no one should make them feel bad for asking for help. It is their right to pursue bankruptcy if it is what will best serve their interests. Stigmas attached to bankruptcy There are three types of stigmas often associated with bankruptcy. These are: Financial Emotional Social Emotional and social stigmas are often combined. They refer to how you see yourself after pursing a bankruptcy filing and how you believe people view you. People are afraid to let others down or do not want others to know they are struggling. When drowning in debt, the only thing that should concern you is fixing the situation. It shouldn’t matter how you do it and it really is no concern of anybody else’s. You do what will best serve you. The financial stigma sounds bad, but it can be a good motivator. Will your credit score go down if you file for bankruptcy? Yes. Will it stay that way forever? Will you be financially doomed for the rest of your life for seeking relief? No. While credit recovery after bankruptcy can take time, it is possible to do if you take full advantage of the bankruptcy filing and are cautious in your future financial decisions. Don’t let the stigmas stop you At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you and your family. That may involve pursuing a bankruptcy filing and that is okay — it does not make you a bad person. Don’t let the stigmas stop you from seeking the relief you need. If you are not sure if it is the best course of action, you can seek legal counsel on the matter and then go from there.
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