Just took the first step (this is gonna be long, bear with me)

[anime-chicka]

And I'm glad I did.

I've spent the last few weeks agonizing over this and realizing that there was no way I could avoid this.

Background:
I've been carrying this debt with me for the last 7 years, struggling to pay it off after divorcing my ex. I was stupid (young and stupid) to not remove him as an authorized user on my credit cards and he racked up several thousand dollars in debt. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have found a way to get back to the state where we lived - I moved before the divorce was finalized - and objected to it.

However, I had also put debt on the cards for moving costs to where I live now.I also spent over a year unemployed and struggling to pay the bills, interest got higher and it was looking bad then. I should have filed then, instead of waiting so long, but I ended up blowing through the marital settlement I got to keep up with the minimum payments. And slowly I started robbing Peter to pay Paul. Again, a stupid move. Did I mention I was young and stupid?

Anyway, the stress was so much in worrying about this that I ended up in the ER the week before labor day with palpitations as well as an extreme hypertensive emergency (BP well over 200). I am now currently being treated for this, and I have to say that Xanax works really well.

Anyway, the background aside, I interviewed a lot of lawyers, got a feel for what I was getting into and settled with one who not only made me feel comfortable that I was going to make the right decision to start over.

Now for my current situation:

I remarried last year. Current SO knows about this situation and has said a few times in the past I should. My current debt load is about 38k, and I plan on filing just for myself. SO is supportive in this, just as the good husband he should be.

We spent the afternoon listing what things were solely his, solely mine and anything joint. Most of the joint items we received when we got married, which were mainly mixing bowls, picture frames and the like. Items that you can find cheap at Target or WalMart. We are not high maintenance people that have to shop at places like Macy's or Saks. Our idea of having fun is logging onto our WoW accounts and doing quest runs on a Friday or Saturday night.

I know I'm rambling, sorry about that.

Now for the serious stuff:

Checking accounts: how safe am I. I don't have any accounts where my credit cards are at. I've done online bill payments with my various creditors. How safe am I? I can probably get a new checking account, but it might not be until Tuesday. I put a downpayment with the lawyer I'm using for my case, so I want to wait until that clears. I already bank with a credit union, so should I stay with them or go elsewhere. I'd also have to deal with my direct deposit at work, but that shouldn't be a problem if I can get some starter checks from them to submit to payroll.

Valuing the items: Is there a guide somewhere? SO has some Franklin Mint stuff as well as comics that he's worried about losing. Also we have lots of DVDs, books and manga. How do I value them? I was figuring just what a used bookstore might charge, since they are very clearly used items. About 90% of the books are SOs, as well as the manga.

Also, valuing the item. How much depreciation does a computer get. Mine is about 2 years old, SOs is about a year old. The purchase price on them was just around 550.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but I think that's it for now.

Thanks for listening.

[epiphany]

You don't need to get a new checking account if you don't have any arrears on it, don't have any CC's with that bank, and if all the online banking you have done have been ONE TIME payments. If you have any automatic withdrawls set up, then yes, you should close the current one and open another one with another bank.

And Tuesday is not that far off so don't panic.

No one will want your old wedding gift appliances so don't sweat that...they really have low to zero value.

Your computers are pretty much worthless too.

You are filing alone, and while your SO's contributions to the household will surely come into play during this process, I am not sure that you have to list your SO's stuff, could depend on the state you are in, but if you do, use ebay low end values.

Hopefully someone in the know will come along to yay or nay the above.

Good luck to you,
ep

[anime-chicka]

You don't need to get a new checking account if you don't have any arrears on it, don't have any CC's with that bank, and if all the online banking you have done have been ONE TIME payments. If you have any automatic withdrawls set up, then yes, you should close the current one and open another one with another bank.

And Tuesday is not that far off so don't panic.

No one will want your old wedding gift appliances so don't sweat that...they really have low to zero value.

Your computers are pretty much worthless too.

You are filing alone, and while your SO's contributions to the household will surely come into play during this process, I am not sure that you have to list your SO's stuff, could depend on the state you are in, but if you do, use ebay low end values.

Hopefully someone in the know will come along to yay or nay the above.

Good luck to you,
ep

Okay, thank you. They payments I set up were the tell the company to take out X amount on X date on their website. I don't believe that would be considered automatic withdrawls, but I could be wrong. I've tried removing my account from there, but it seems impossible.

I live in Missouri, so we're not a community property state. He pays the 1st mortgage, his credit card, car payment and insurance. I pay the 2nd and the rest of the household bills as well as my credit cards.

I know Tuesday is not that far off. I'd do it Monday, but I have a doctor's appt. and I get off after most banks close. Would it be advisable to stay with my CU or find a completely new one?

Thanks.

[anime-chicka]

Okay, thank you. They payments I set up were the tell the company to take out X amount on X date on their website. I don't believe that would be considered automatic withdrawls, but I could be wrong. I've tried removing my account from there, but it seems impossible.

I live in Missouri, so we're not a community property state. He pays the 1st mortgage, his credit card, car payment and insurance. I pay the 2nd and the rest of the household bills as well as my credit cards.

I know Tuesday is not that far off. I'd do it Monday, but I have a doctor's appt. and I get off after most banks close. Would it be advisable to stay with my CU or find a completely new one?

Thanks.

Just a bump on the questions I have quoted above. I had put my checking account info on the site so that I didn't have to enter it every time. So can they still take the money out if the info is still there and can I still stay with my CU if I do decide to close my account? They've been really good to SO and myself over the past few years.

[keepmine]

Since the creditor initiates the withdrawal, you do have an automatic withdrawal.
As to the CU, are they going to be a creditor in your bk? If so, open an account elsewhere.

[anime-chicka]

I think I might have explained it wrong. I looked back on the site and it says something about ACH. SO has his insurance taken out automatically every month, but he had to sign a form.

I have to go to the site myself, enter a username and password, enter the amount I wish to pay and click submit. It then takes me to another page that says that I authorize the creditor to take out X dollars with this transaction or something of that nature. It also has ACH listed a few times. SO thinks this would be considered a one time transaction, much like when you go to the supermarket and use your debit card at the POS terminal. Am I wrong on this?

The CU where I have my checking and savings is not a creditor (sorry, I was sort of tired when I wrote the last post..), so it shouldn't be too much of an issue to close one account and reopen another. I guess I can say I lost my checkbook or something like that.


Jeeze, I feel like an idiot; I know the lawyer explained a lot of this stuff, but if I don't write it down, then it just seems to not stick with me. I spent most of the weekend staring at W2s while trying to figure how the heck to put it on the electronic form the lawyer is having me fill out. I swear to any diety you choose that I am not an idiot.