“Dear Steve,
I am 33 years old and just married in August of 2008. My wife and I bought a home last September but I was laid off in February of this year. So now I have a $1200 mortgage, $300 car payment, and tons of credit card bills which I cannot pay. I recently started a temporary position which pays more than unemployment, but not much.
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I have just over $30,000 in unsecured debt. I was laid off in February and have not paid many of my cards since that time. I have a mortgage, car loan, and all this debt and I have no clue how to go about repayment. My credit score was 695 this time last year and now I have several accounts in collections with others soon to follow.
Sean”
Dear Sean,
I had the following questions that I’d like for you to answer before I can answer your question. #comment” rel=”bookmark” title=”Comments Link: “>offer advice in the comments section please feel free to participate.
I am working right now in the right field but it is only temporary. I am hoping it will lead to networking opportunities for other employment. The job market is bleak at the moment but I always hope that I will get a new interview call. If I get hired in my field, I will probably be making 35-45,000/yr. I just informed my spouse of this debt because she was unaware. We are looking to start a family and need to repair what I have done to my credit in this short amount of time.
Sean,
If you want, work hard to see if you can land a job but set a line in the sand, say 60 days from now. If by that time your financial situation has not improved, then bankruptcy is probably in your future. Find a local bankruptcy attorney at that time and go in to see them.
Include your new wife in all that is happening. She needs to know the truth and be part of the process of finding a solution. I’m sure if you just dropped this bomb on her she’s a little shell shocked at the moment.
Steve