Bankruptcy in America, in stark contrast to its status in most other countries, typically signifies not a debtor’s last gasp but an opportunity to catch one’s breath and recoup. Why has the nation’s legal system evolved to allow both corporate and individual debtors greater control over their fate than imaginable elsewhere? Masterfully probing the political dynamics behind this question, David Skeel here provides the first complete account of the remarkable journey American bankruptcy law has taken from its beginnings in 1800, when Congress lifted the country’s first bankruptcy code right out of English law, to the present day.
Skeel shows that the confluence of three forces that emerged over many years–an organized creditor lobby, pro-debtor ideological currents, and an increasingly powerful bankruptcy bar–explains the distinctive contours of American bankruptcy law. Their interplay, he argues in clear, inviting prose, has seen efforts to legislate bankruptcy become a compelling battle royale between bankers and lawyers–one in which the bankers recently seem to have gained the upper hand. Skeel demonstrates, for example, that a fiercely divided bankruptcy commission and the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress have yielded the recent, ideologically charged battles over consumer bankruptcy.
The uniqueness of American bankruptcy has often been noted, but it has never been explained. As different as twenty-first century America is from the horse-and-buggy era origins of our bankruptcy laws, Skeel shows that the same political factors continue to shape our unique response to financial distress.
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Paying bills with credit cards? Cringing every time the phone rings? Avoiding a stack of mail from your credit card company? Have you given up hope that you will ever recover from your desperate financial situation? Don’t despair. Just open this book and discover the simple steps that will allow you to take control of your finances and your life.
As president of a nonprofit debt education organization, Mitchell L. Allen has helped thousands of individuals overcome tough economic times. And he can show you how to spot the warning signs of financial distress, make smart decisions to find a path out of the woods, and manage the emotional stress of a financial meltdown. A Survival Guide to Debt offers comprehensive coverage of all of your options for dealing with debt in a simple, guidebook format designed to empower you to make the best decisions for you. Allen explains
- Options for solving your debt problems on your own
- Clear tips for negotiating with creditors
- How to find professionals who can help
- The facts and myths and pros and cons of bankruptcy
- Detailed descriptions of chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy
- How to live without relying on credit
- How to emerge from the woods and build a financially secure life
This book will give you the hope and the practical advice you need to move from debt-induced insanity to emotional and financial security. Whether you are heavily in debt, face repossession or foreclosure, or are considering bankruptcy, this book will provide the information you need to restore your financial health and regain peace of mind.
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In this powerful and controversial book, distinguished African-American political leader and thinker Randall Robinson argues for the restoration of the rich history that slavery and segregation severed. Drawing from research and personal experience, he shows that only by reclaiming their lost past and proud heritage can blacks lay the foundation for their future. And white Americans can make reparations for slavery and the century of racial discrimination that followed with monetary restitution, educational programs, and the kinds of equal opportunities that will ensure the social and economic success of all citizens.
In a book that is both an unflinching indictment of past wrongs and an impassioned call to our nation to educate all Americans about the history of Africa and its people, Robinson makes a persuasive case for the debt white America owes blacks, and the debt blacks owe themselves.
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Learning how to talk your way out of credit card debt is the quickest, easiest, and most efficient way to start saving money!
It’s true! You can call your credit card banks to negotiate a better interest rate and have fees waived! However, it may not be as easy as picking up the phone and asking. That’s because bank representatives are trained to deter you from pursuing the deals you deserve. Overcoming their tactics can be difficult when you don’t know what to expect.
Scott Bilker, author of Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt, and creator of DebtSmart.com, has spent 10+ years making banks compete for his business. Now, he’s sharing his personal phone calls to banks that saved more than $43,000 for himself, his family, and friends! These 52 phone calls, out of the hundreds he has made, demonstrate exactly what worked, what didn’t, and why. In each call transcript, for anonymity, banks have been renamed as dog breeds and their reps as bugs.:)
In this book you will discover proven negotiation strategies, and build your confidence, while learning how to: (1) get annual fees waived; (2) lower your current interest rates; (3) shop for the best credit card deals; (4) get late-payment, overlimit, and cash-advance fees waived; (5) compare loan options and calculate savings; (6) dispute charges and get all your refunds; (7) negotiate account settlements; and much more!
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What grade would you give your parents for how well they prepared you to manage your finances? What grade will your kids give you someday? At best you have 18 years to teach your kids how to manage money skillfully. So how do you accomplish this overwhelming challenge? Don’t panic! Everything you need to get the job done is right here in this book. Think it’s too late to debt-proof your kids? It’s only too late if you don’t start NOW!
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