Rebuilding Credit Scores After Bankruptcy
The more I speak with or read articles by other bankruptcy and asset protection attorneys the more I realize that our clients ask us all the same questions. One very common client concern is rebuilding credit after a bankruptcy. Credit is not a legal issue, and repairing credit scores is not within my professional expertise. I look to my clients experiences and writings by other experts to learn what I can about credit repair. I recently saw an interesting blog post on rebuilding your credit by Texas bankruptcy attorney Brian Fears.
One suggestion in Mr. Fears' article is making sure you promptly pay loans that survive bankruptcy such as student loans or reaffirmed secured debt. The debts Mr. Fears refers to must be paid.
However, too often, my own clients want to reaffirm unsecured credit cards in order to help rebuild their credit score. This is usually a bad idea. I don't think its worth obligating yourself to pay those credit cards that can be wiped out in your bankruptcy case. Good credit scores are helpful; cash is even more helpful. I try to convince clients to minimize post bankruptcy obligations even if it means taking longer to prove credit worthiness. Mr. Fears correctly advices that you should build post-bankruptcy credit scores based only on those debts which cannot legally be discharged in bankruptcy.
