{"id":1551,"date":"2021-11-17T11:03:36","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T16:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/?p=1551"},"modified":"2021-11-17T11:03:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T16:03:36","slug":"what-to-know-about-chapter-7-vs-chapter-13-bankruptcy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/17\/what-to-know-about-chapter-7-vs-chapter-13-bankruptcy\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Know About Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You have reached financial hardship and are wondering whether <a href=\"http:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/18\/what-are-the-early-signs-of-bankruptcy\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bankruptcy<\/a> is the right debt relief option for you.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you&rsquo;re in a quagmire as to filing for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, then you might want to educate yourself on the differences to prevent making the wrong decision. Some things to watch out for before making your choice are:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Credit<\/li>\n<li>Duration<\/li>\n<li>Cost<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although many debtors find the Chapter 13 bankruptcy helpful, it has not been beneficial to some. To help simplify your situation, you should use the Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 calculator to carry out an estimate of its cost and duration as it pertains to your situation.<\/p>\n<h2>Overview of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We&rsquo;ve held discussions with a lot of people having one issue or the other with filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy discharge. And one thing we&rsquo;ve noticed is that numerous people have regrets for opting for this bankruptcy type. Most of this discontent happens because debtors don&rsquo;t know this information:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Most attorneys have payment plans for Chapter 7 bankruptcy<\/li>\n<li>The process of applying for Chapter 13 bankruptcy can be very expensive<\/li>\n<li>You may not lose your home and vehicle when you file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As such, we&rsquo;re writing this article to inform you of the differences that exist between a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge, and a Chapter 13 discharge. This will undoubtedly help you make an apt decision. We&rsquo;ll answer a lot of questions in this article, so feel free to navigate your way to the most relevant one:<\/p>\n<h3>What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Any bankruptcy a debtor files under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/services-forms\/bankruptcy\/bankruptcy-basics\/chapter-7-bankruptcy-basics\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code<\/a> is called a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Here assets that are not exempted from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/businesses\/small-businesses-self-employed\/chapter-7-bankruptcy-liquidation-under-the-bankruptcy-code\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">being liquidated<\/a> are used to repay the creditors, however, that hardly happens. Nevertheless, the risk of loss still exists if you have significant assets not covered by exemptions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those that can get this type of bankruptcy discharge are businesses individuals with business debts and those that meet certain income requirements. The only way to qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy as an individual is by meeting its strict income requirements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The requirements for applying for a Chapter 7 does not apply to individuals with business debts like co-signed business loans, personal guarantees for business debts, and sole proprietor debts. These requirements don&rsquo;t apply to debt-related businesses, sole proprietor loans, and co-signed business loans. If a Business files for a Chapter 7 discharge, then such businesses are liquidated.<\/p>\n<h3 >What is Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the simplest definition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chapter13bankruptcyhelp.com\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapter 13 bankruptcy<\/a> is a type of bankruptcy that helps debtors to restructure their payment plans. It&rsquo;s known as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/services-forms\/bankruptcy\/bankruptcy-basics\/chapter-13-bankruptcy-basics\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wage earner&rsquo;s plan<\/a>.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s limited only to individuals with a proven, stable income. If you&rsquo;re self-employed or you earn the bulk of your income from a business, you can also file for this bankruptcy type. Albeit, businesses themselves can&rsquo;t file for a Chapter 13 as there&rsquo;s an alternative that&rsquo;s called Chapter 11.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you&rsquo;re filing for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan, you may be given a loan term of 60 months. But you can propose a 36-month plan if your income falls below the state&rsquo;s median income. The exact amount you&rsquo;ll pay is dependent on a wide range of factors that include your expenses, assets, income and debts. In some instances, financial transactions that are recently made may affect the amount you&rsquo;ll pay in your Chapter 13 plan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you&rsquo;re not interested or unwilling to file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge, you might want to use Ascend&rsquo;s Chapter 13 calculator to estimate whether it&rsquo;s a more worthy alternative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chapter 13 bankruptcy process is similar from state to state. That said, the bankruptcy attorney cost of <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/bankruptcy\/Alabama\/chapter-13\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Alabama<\/a> may be different than the cost to file <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/bankruptcy\/Texas\/chapter-13\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 >Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 calculator<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you want a tool that can help you make a Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 bankruptcy comparison to know which suits you best, then you might find our Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 calculator interesting enough. This calculator does the following:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>It estimates your chances of qualifying for Chapter 7 bankruptcy<\/li>\n<li>It provides you with an estimated Chapter 13 payment plan<\/li>\n<li>It helps you get acquainted with the fees and cost estimates for both bankruptcy types<\/li>\n<li>It elucidates the pros and cons of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy<\/li>\n<li>It helps you to better understand the available <a href=\"https:\/\/christianfinanceblog.com\/2021\/09\/13\/bankruptcy-alternatives\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alternatives<\/a><\/li>\n<li>It provides financial resources that can help you in your quest for a bankruptcy discharge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 >Pros and Cons of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bankruptcy, just like other debt relief methods, has its pros and cons. Some merits and demerits of filing for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge include the following:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>One of the quickest ways to get a bankruptcy discharge is by filing for a bankruptcy discharge. A good majority of no-asset Chapter 7 cases are closed and discharged within six months of filing for bankruptcy.<\/li>\n<li>This type of bankruptcy allows debtors to get a discharge without paying any portion of the unsecured debts.<\/li>\n<li>Chapter 7 bankruptcy is often a <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/blog\/cheapest-way-to-file-bankruptcy\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheap<\/a> form of debt relief.<\/li>\n<li>A debtor can easily get rid of debts by securing their assets to a creditor; irrespective of whether the debt is lesser or more than the owed sum. The creditor can&rsquo;t attempt to collect the remaining amount owed once the property has been surrendered.<\/li>\n<li>Properties not covered by a bankruptcy exemption may be liquidated by the bankruptcy trustee.<\/li>\n<li>You may still lose your car, home or other assets in Chapter 7 bankruptcy<\/li>\n<li>Chapter 7 bankruptcy does not discharge all debt types. Debts not discharged in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case include student loans, child support, tax debts, and alimony.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 >Pros and Cons of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are numerous pros and cons with Chapter 13 bankruptcy that you might want to first consider before choosing a preferred bankruptcy type. Some of those pros and cons entail the following:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases don&rsquo;t prevent property repossessions and foreclosures. Debtors are often required to make auto-loan and mortgage payments in the course of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy repayment plan,<\/li>\n<li>In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, attorneys often charge a high fee, however, there are payment plans to help spread the payment.<\/li>\n<li>Most Chapter 13 bankruptcy applicants are committed to a 60-payment Chapter plan.<\/li>\n<li>Past due support payments and old tax debts can be added to your Chapter 13 payment plan.<\/li>\n<li>Some assets that are at risk of being liquidated in a chapter 7 bankruptcy are protected by Chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, non-exempt equity in your asset may increase your Chapter 13 payment amount significantly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many people ask the question, &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/blog\/is-chapter-13-worth-it\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is Chapter 13 worth it<\/a>&rdquo; due to the cost and length of time.<\/p>\n<h2 >Factors to Consider Before Choosing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are lots of things to consider before filing for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.<\/p>\n<h3 >Bankruptcy Means Test Income Requirements<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before choosing either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy is somewhat difficult. To do that, the most important factor is your monthly income. It&rsquo;s important that you first meet the income requirement before getting a discharge, and one of those requirements is the Chapter 7 Means Test. The median income for the means test is different by state. For example, the <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/bankruptcy\/California\/means-test\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California bankruptcy means test<\/a> may have different requirements than the <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/bankruptcy\/Florida\/means-test\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Florida bankruptcy means test<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an instance where your mean income is above your median income, then it&rsquo;s best to file for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.<\/p>\n<h3 >Property and Assets<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chapter 7 Bankruptcy exemptions only help to protect some of your assets. Any asset that is not protected by the exemption will be liquidated during a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case. However, a chapter 13 bankruptcy case can help you keep that property when you negotiate for a higher bankruptcy monthly repayment.<\/p>\n<h3 >Foreclosures and Repossessions<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you fell behind on your mortgage payments, filing for Chapter 7 may not help your situation as you&rsquo;ll have to either catch up with payments, refinance your loan, or request a modification of your loan term. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows you to keep your assets. For example, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/blog\/bankruptcy-keeping-house\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">file bankruptcy and keep your house<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/blog\/can-keep-car-bankruptcy\/\" style=\"color: blue;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">and keep your car<\/a> often in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Likewise, if repaying automobile loans becomes challenging, then Chapter 7 may not be the way out. The creditor may still require that you make full payments, and Chapter 7 cannot help you here. If the car&rsquo;s worth less than what you owe, then it&rsquo;s possible to reclaim your car by making full debt payment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can spread out your car payments in a Chapter 13 case to reduce the debt burden on your income. If you&rsquo;ve owned a vehicle for more than 910 days before filing for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you can use that car to cram down the amount owed if it&rsquo;s worth less than the loan payoff.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You have reached financial hardship and are wondering whether bankruptcy is the right debt relief option for you. If you&rsquo;re in a quagmire as to filing for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, then you might want to educate yourself on the differences to prevent making the wrong decision. Some things to watch out &#8230; <a title=\"What To Know About Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/17\/what-to-know-about-chapter-7-vs-chapter-13-bankruptcy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What To Know About Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[321,327,219,352,3,320],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1551"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1551"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1554,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1551\/revisions\/1554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatebanking.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}