Please help.

[karm43]

I just tell myself it has to be better in the end, 44 and 4yr 10 months left everyone hope they make it until the end. Sometimes no other choice. Good luck! Your not the only one who gets depressed.

[BRASMAN]

I think you need to be careful about who you blame for your financial troubles - not that blaming is necessary or desirable, but you seem to indicate that it was your spouse who is primarily responsible for your mutual indebtedness. Financial difficulties are a major factor in relationships that go bad. You did not mention if your spouse is the male or female part of the union. Females are far more sensible when it comes to fiscal matters, but that is too much of a digression with respect to this posting.
I would say "getting your life back on track" would definitely involve, at a minimum, discussing every single expenditure with your spouse. Bankruptcy is the singular solution to problems of indebtedness. Not making the same mistake twice will require cooperation. Age has nothing to do with it. No one knows what the future holds, but we do know what happens when people in intimate relationships fail to communicate.

Yes it was my wife that hid things and ran up our debt. I literaly had no clue. Laugh if you want but its true. Yes I am dumb for never looking.

[BRASMAN]

Thank you for the info everyone. I greatly appriciate it.

[kornellred]

I think you need to be careful about who you blame for your financial troubles - not that blaming is necessary or desirable, but you seem to indicate that it was your spouse who is primarily responsible for your mutual indebtedness. Financial difficulties are a major factor in relationships that go bad. You did not mention if your spouse is the male or female part of the union. Females are far more sensible when it comes to fiscal matters, but that is too much of a digression with respect to this posting.
I would say "getting your life back on track" would definitely involve, at a minimum, discussing every single expenditure with your spouse. Bankruptcy is the singular solution to problems of indebtedness. Not making the same mistake twice will require cooperation. Age has nothing to do with it. No one knows what the future holds, but we do know what happens when people in intimate relationships fail to communicate.

[LadyInTheRed]

I'm 43 and filed BK 2 years ago. With 3 years left in Chap 13, my life is already on a much better track. I have more cash to spend every month than before I filed. Instead of working to pay off credit card debt, I am contributing more to my 401k than I ever have. I'm stripping an $88K second mortgage and am on track to have the 1st paid off before I retire. My credit is already improving, but that doesn't mean much to me anyway.

For the first time in my life, it looks like I will be able to have a comfortable retirement in 25 to 30 years instead of working the rest of my life as a slave to the credit card companies. Yes, 25 or 30 years. That's a long way away! I plan to enjoy many debt free years before and after that.

There is always a chance something can happen to keep me from completing my plan. But, there is no point in fearing what might happen unless and until there is something I can do about it. If I lose my job or something else happens, I'll go see my attorney and decide how best to go forward. Maybe it will mean converting to or filing a Chap 7. It won't be the end of the world and it won't mean I'll lose everything.

This is the second post by somebody near my age in the last couple of weeks thinking they are too old to file BK. You people are going to start making me feel old! Stop it! Go jump on a bed or something! But, be carefull and don't pull a muscle.

ETA: Welcome to the forum, Brasman. Read more posts here and ask more questions. Maybe we can help get you over your very common fear of Chap 13.

[TheBajan]

My husband and I just filed in Feb. We are both closer to 50 than 40. Just get on a good solid budget and regardless of what your plan payment is, intentionally live on less than you make. You can do this!

[99lawdog99]

40 is nothing now a days. let the Bk clean up your life and you'll have plenty of time to begin again. hang in there.

[BRASMAN]

This is kind of a lame post I know but I have to ask. Can I get my life back on track after a chapter 13 at age 40? I have been dumb and completely trusted my spouse with our finances and for the past ten years they built massive amounts of debt in our name. It looks like I can keep my house but I just have this horrible fear that something will happen in the next five years that will cause me to default on the BK agreement and loose everything. I am fighting extreme depression about this and although its corny I just had to ask people who have also been though it if it can be done. Any one here file at age forty or after for chapter 13? Thanks.