What’s up everyone, I know GME is the big stock here, but I also know everyone here buys for the long haul, may I present to you Lumen aka centurylink.
Right now their SI sits at about 14%, they have 1 billion shares on the market, so the HFs are sitting on about 140 million shorts.
Since lumen is at $1.32, that’s about $183 million short.
Two things about this stock, Lumen used to be worth $11-20 pre 2022, however, due to their failure to modernize their networks, poor management, and market pressures, it has fallen greatly. Note this was not due to stock splits (citation 1)
That was the case, as of 2024 Lumen has entered into a new TSA (citation 2), what does this new transaction support agreement mean? Well lumen owe a lot of money, and it was all due very soon, what the TSA does is restructure that debt to keep the company from going bankrupt, it requires a plan of action and company transformation to be approved by its creditors.
What does that mean? It means that Lumen’s creditors believe the company’s plan to become profitable is sound, it means that the stock price will go up, potentially exponentially. So much so that the company which was on the edge of bankruptcy announced 2+ billion in investment and credit in order to begin their business revamp.
Following this Lumen announced that they are planning for 500,000+ new fiber addresses this year. Fiber to the home is specifically a very profitable sector due to the lost cost of materials and devices, and the fact that that lumen has its own in house construction and deployment teams, with construction and deployment being some of the highest cost pieces of deploying fiber to the home networks.
All this said, Lumen is both set for a small but significant short squeeze and meteoric rise in stock prices if the right market conditions are met.
Citation 1: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/could-underperforming-stock-become-millionaire-135131313.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALBHm70tc-mwlpgzulJT1KkgEZxBGz2JlBYHlnsblG0g-XX6VdDk60v6etIuHq4Hcr2dDtc6RSj3SGkUM-kRD47uBiczA4L4DlrHHNBYOF4xuCyg5OtZPxBlL4fr8ny6Yfb3Gy8Kqv1lOWVnJyS6efKrMck7m_idCevKhIGiGiyh#
Citation 2: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lumen-technologies-completes-tsa-transactions-enabling-transformation-strategy-302097110.html

Short info about me:
33y.o male Bachelors Degree in IT comptia A+ , Network+, Security+ certification
No actual experience in IT
Decent paying civilian job
My dillema: i filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy back in 2020 because I couldn’t keep up with the payments and I was so st*pid I loaned some money from payday loans which just made it worst. I tried consolidating all the loans but it didnt worked out in the end. Fast forward to today, only debt i have is $30k in school debt and I’m making $5-7k a month in my current job. I am thinking about enlisting in the Air National Guard and getting jobs in IT and cyber to get an actual experience and get a security clearance. However, I’m getting mixed information on Reddit. Some people say Chapter 7 is a big red flag and will prevent me from getting secret/TS clearance. Please help me. I’m already scheduled for MEPS on June

due to Vuong Pham's complete control of the Vietnamese media. He censored all the bad news so what appear to the clueless general Vietnamese public is a shinny VF3 and other Vinfast cars as if they are normal cars from a normal car company. Not.
Here are the list of things Vuong Pham censored in Vietnam i.e. no official media is reporting these newsworthy facts and truth:
1/ Vinfast is not a normal car company: it is a company teetering on the verge of bankruptcy with an astronomical debt, $9.3B total and $5.8B short term, huge yearly loss of $2.4B, negative $2.7B equity, only $123M cash, and only miminal real sale (about $450M in 2023) where 80% of total sale are stuffing to GSM.
2/ Vinfast cars are not normal. They are very buggy with 15 cases of VF8 with broken front wheels. With the low number of cars on the road, the rate is very high, highest among all car brands.
3/ Numerous battery dead problems.
4/ The news of the Pleasanton crash killing 4 people in a burning VF8.
5/ The real world's range of VF3 is only about 120-140km, where the fake range 210 is the unrealistic NEDC standard.
6/ The news of Vinfast did not pay rent to Stanford Mall for a year.
7/ The news of the two ongoing lawsuits: class action lawsuit and the steel lawsuit.
8/ Vuong Pham sold cars in Vietnam at a much higher price than in oversea market, despite only 3% special tax and no import tax for full cars (only minor tax for parts), effectively milking Vietnamese to subsidize oversea customers.
Vuong Pham is all out attack with a media blitz of the VF3 right now and is pumping the stock VFS / VIC / VHM full force, hoping that the Vietnamese public is still under his spell due to complete media control that no bad truth can reach the public. North Korean style. The tiny VF3 brouhaha is his last attempt, the swan song of Vuong Pham. News about new plant in Indonesia, expansion to Malaysia, the Phillipines etc... will continue to churn out to keep the media from being dried, but of course, with no substance because Vuong Pham does not have the money and the cars are not competitive anywhere else.
Well, many of these Vietnamese people are just clueless, not their fault but due to Vuong Pham's censorship, and the number of people who buy a Vinfast car will be much less if they know the truth, that Vinfast is a technically bankrupt company selling a buggy car.
Poor Vietnamese living in a communist country with propaganda and censorship.
Well, in this sub, we know the truth, a tiny population of only about 3900 people vs 100M Vietnamese + 400M American out there.
Good to know the truth.
Mean while, time will do their force when it is due: Vinfast will crumble under the weight of ever increasing debts and loss.
Just a matter of time.

In an hour, I will be 235 days sober. I dont’t Reddit a lot, and never make posts, but I felt like sharing this so maybe someone on the fence out there will decide to stop drinking before they end up like me. Everyone knows the consequences of drinking, but seldom ever do I see anyone talk about what living like that is, what the first year of recovery feels like, etc.
I am an alcoholic, and I can never drink again. My body does something with alcohol that no “normal” person’s does. I got hit with a genetic double whammy from two alcoholic grandfathers plus high risk of substance abuse from autism. Coupled with working in a professional industry where consuming alcohol is almost mandatory, ignorance, and a shitty upbring, I never really had a chance.
I never really got into any trouble for drinking. I didn’t start fights, I didn’t get arrested for a DUI/DWI, I didn’t have wrecks, and I didn’t miss work. I had a high-paying albeit incredibly harrowing job and a fiance, but I was losing my health and my mind. Lots of unresolved mental issues and an extremely high stress environment meant that over a period of 2-3 years, my drinking spiraled out of control and I denied it the entire time. I tried to quit drinking, I couldn’t. I forced myself to dry out for 11 days regardless, and it was pure hell. Sweating, shaking, vomiting blood, psychosis, hallucinations, nausea, headache, diarrhea, extreme paranoia, brain fog, and fear. Pure terror, honestly. On the 12th day I drank, and I drank for another 3 months before I checked myself into rehab after losing everything.
My fiance left in a brutally cruel fashion along with her family, she took my dog, she stole cash, she had put me into some debt, etc. I had allowed my psychotic father back into my life previously and he picked this moment of desperation and abject hoplessness in my life to go full narcissist and ruin what little sanity I had left. I ended up drinking myself into psychosis, almost dying, almost committing suicide, and disappearing off the face of the planet before going to rehab. I didn’t want to live anymore; rehab was nightmarish. I made the best of it, but it was soul crushing in every way imaginable.
I joined AA as soon as rehab was over, declared bankruptcy, and am now trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. I honestly should not be alive right now, and I honestly still don’t want to be.
Drinking and what I went through because of it and other people has fundamentally changed me as a human being. I am a shell of myself. I deal with constant suicidal thoughts despite psychiatry (and a brain scan, blood test, X-ray, etc. no tumor), I have panic attacks for no reason, moments of intense terror for absolutely no reason, bouts of nihilistically staring at the wall for hours on end, no interest in anything, no desire to eat, inability to sleep, no social life outside of AA, and an outlook on life that is so fundamentally negative that I would not wish this on my worst enemy or any other human being no matter how heinous they are.
No one deserves to live this way, and this is the price I must pay for the last 5 years of my alcoholism. I force myself to work, I force myself to go to the gym, and I force myself to get out of bed and go to AA. Everything I do is a struggle with no meaning, motivation, or joy behind it. I am an automation, a wind-up toy soldier, and nothing more. My insides have been hollowed out, I can’t imagine 30 more years of this, and I can’t imagine ever fully recovering from this either.
Please, if you are on the fence, stop drinking. Don’t become me. It is pure hell, and I’m one of the lucky ones that didn’t end up homeless or in prison or dead. Living like this every single day is almost as much of a nightmare as drinking every single day was. Don’t do this to yourself.
Stop before it’s too late.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible while still giving necessary details.
Years ago, me and my sister's paternal grandparents created a family trust, as co-grantors. If I'm reading the trust correctly, the trust became irrevocable upon the death of the first grantor (my grandfather, in this case).
Some of what I believe are key factors of my concern are:

• The trust had an addition to corpus provision.
• It was established with a separate marital and residual trust. The marital was for the care of my grandparents in their old age, and the residual was for the beneficiaries.
• When the second grantor (my grandmother) passed, the marital and residual trusts were to be merged, and four individual accounts of equal value were to be created for the named beneficiaries (my two uncles [one of whom is deceased], my aunt [who became trustee after my grandparents died], and my father [now deceased, which is the lynchpin of my question]).
• The trust gives the trustee full discretionary control of the principal.
• The trust has a provision that states that should a named beneficiary die before the full principal was paid out, said beneficiary's share would pass to their legal lineal descendants (i.e. me and my sister).
• In 2007, my father took out an owner's mortgage from my grandma on the last piece of property my grandparents owned, and took the title and deed of the property in his name. The mortgage was not paid off before either of them died.
• My grandmother's will decreed that any of her personal money and assets not used to pay off her debts and other fees were to be transferred to the family trust.
• My father died without a will, and by his state's laws, my sister and I became the de facto beneficiaries of his estate in probate.
• My aunt had the remaining balance of the mortgage my dad took out transferred from my grandmother's estate to the family trust. My sister and I sold the property, paid off the remaining balance, and are keeping the equity.

Last week, I heard from my cousin (son of my deceased uncle) that my aunt dissolved the trust and dispersed the final funds. When I reached out to her asking about my father's 25% share, she claimed there was no more money for my father, and therefore no more money for me or my sister, and the only reason my cousin was receiving money from the trust is because he was a named legal heir on my grandmother's will (as was my father, if that makes a difference. My sister and I, however, we're not named descendants on my grandmother's will. We were estranged from my father, and we're not close with most of his side of the family).
Also, if this makes a difference, the trust was created through a bank in Florida, my grandmother died and her estate was established in Georgia, and my father died and his probate is being handled in Vermont (mentioning because I don't know if differences in each of these state's laws could complicate the matter further).
Anyway, my question is, is my aunt correct that my sister and I aren't entitled to money in the trust through the provisions mentioned because we weren't named heirs on my grandmother's will? If she IS wrong, and we WERE entitled to money from the trust, how was she able to dissolve it without paying us? And finally, if we are owed money from the trust, what are our options in regards to claiming that money as the trust is already dissolved and it's final principal paid out?
I mean, if she is right and we aren't owed money from the trust based on it's provisions, then that sucks for me and my sister, but it is what it is.
However if she's wrong, and we are owed money and take legal action, what are our chances of getting that money since the trust is already dissolved and paid out? And would pursuit of recoupment of that money hurt my cousin in any way, as technically he would have been paid a portion of money that wasn't meant for him? Or would my aunt be solely responsible as she failed in her obligations as trustee?
Sorry, I know I said I would try and keep it brief, but I wanted to be sure to mention all the details I think play a part in this complicated issue. If you need any more details, I will do my best to clarify based on my understanding of the matter.

Most of you know that I was always critical of Karen. Some of you attacked me for being misogynist at the time. The honest truth is that it had nothing to do with her being a woman. As a person who values education very highly, I could simply not understand how a BA became CEO of such a big company with zero prior CEO experience. But then, the response was interesting too. I started receiving private messages from random people, some fresh accounts, some regulars on this board, some claiming to know Karen, speaking very poorly of her and her past. I have no idea who these people were. I didn't respond to many of these PMs.
Call after call, decision after decision, it became worse. She surrounded herself with previous friends and co-workers. Got rid of tangible cash flow positive businesses (which by the way, could have very likely helped them secure the debt today, if they had them today, like those clinics could very likely be a collateral to a lender).
I was apprehensive about this stock since the day we had a sudden management change. From that moment, I wanted to sell and take my loss elsewhere. I started talking about WELL here. Any money I wanted to put in CloudMD, I redirected to WELL, and now have a decent position there. Why did I not sell DOC? My prior experiences with penny stocks told me that the market always overreacts significantly to news and there will be a healthy bounce back up somewhere. I was trying to outsmart the market and exit on a bounce. It was stupid. I learned a lesson. The flood of bad news never stopped. Something about releasing an investor presentation between two terrible earnings releases and slashing the revenue by an additional 10 million in your investor presentation didn't help. Like they were trying to sabotage it. Conference calls were awful. I won't repeat myself.
I was not really interested in being a mod here either. I particularly didn't want to be a mod after management changed, because I wanted to sell this at the first opportunity and get the hell out. Headwax asked me to be a second pair of eyes, and out of the curiosity of understanding what being a mod on a sub like this involves, I accepted. With HW's main gone, now I have become the sole mod.
Fast forward to the recent deal. I am seeing a flood of comments and reports on here from fresh accounts, and I can only imagine that these are company insiders or people very close to the management. Someone shared Karen's number publicly on this sub. An account with a questionable comment history immediately reported it as doxxing. I was late to see the report, so the number stayed up here for a while. In the meantime, this user keeps messaging me on how I am a useless mod (yes, thank you, I never wanted to be one) because I hadn't yet removed that comment containing Karen's alleged number, whereas I had previously removed comments calling "Headwax," Karen. I have no recollection of removing a comment that called Headwax, Karen, but this removed comment was by another user, so they very likely gave away a Reddit secondary account. Who is this random person reporting comments, and how do they so specifically point out a comment calling Headwax, Karen from the past?
Another user posted about how we can report the company to OSC yesterday. It was immediately met with crowd control (i.e. many people reported the post right away as being "harassment" and Reddit removed it automatically), whereas there was nothing harassing about the post whatsoever. It was sharing useful information. I allowed it, and most of you endorsed and welcomed it. So who are these people who are reporting these posts that allow us to legally look into this transaction? Clearly, they are being notified of everything that goes on here and are first to try to manipulate the moderation. What interests are they serving?
I am left to believe there are insiders lurking this sub. There are people who are trying to sway and influence us. This is, in my limited investing experience, unprecedented and so unprofessional.
To say that this deal is absurd, in terms of its valuation, is an understatement. It's at a P/S of 0.1 and a P/B of 0.13 (just think that through for a second. If the assets are worth 1/7th of what management claims on book, selling the parts out of bankruptcy could yield them more - now companies rarely sell at a P/B of 1). It's really difficult to see if this deal is actually better than bankruptcy or not. The assets may actually yield more in a bankruptcy court even after lawyer fees. I have never seen anything so absurd in my life.
Their contracts alone, given their ARR, should be worth way more than 10 mil to a competitor. So why is a competitor not buying this, even if they have to fire everyone and trash everything, and simply takeover the contracts?
How on earth was the refinancing left to reach this point when time and time again they reassured us it's no problem? What the hell were they doing?
I don't have an answer. I can just say that it smells really fishy.
As a heads up, I am sick and tired of being a mod here. It's taking too much time. I wanted to add someone else as a mod and leave, but I am a rookie, and can't even figure out how to add another mod on reddit. Given what I am witnessing, I worry that if I leave, someone with ulterior motives might take over the sub and sabotage any opportunity for you all to discuss this. But don't be surprised if I am gone one day and the sub is left without a mod. Being a school teacher is not my cup of tea.

Throwaway account. Genuinely, this is my sibling's situation, not mine. Much of the 'story' of this is what the sibling related to me. Sibling has had financial issues in the past. This may belong in FinancialAdvice, but I sense things may beyond money fixing...
Sibling is in Alabama, I am in Georgia.
Sibling is self employed in a profession that involves taking many direct payments, and uses Square to accept those payments. Sibling purchased a home in August of last year. They claim that they [attempted] to use Square to make the mortgage payments, however apparently the mortgage company never actually accepted them. Sibling and their spouse apparently ignored many letters before realizing the situation and were months past due. Between them and the mortgage company, it was finally realized the failure to make/accept via Square, so Sibling began the process of getting the money back from Square and succeeded.
Sibling apparently also banks with a non-mainstream online-only bank, so then getting the funds from Square to that bank was a process. The mortgage company apparently told Sibling that they HAD to overnight a cashiers at the time she was finally in possession of the funds. They get online bank to increase withdrawal/ATM limits, and over the course of several days they get the cash in hand... at this point I'm just going to round the amount to 15 thousand dollars.
Sibling takes cash to local, mainstream brick-and-mortar bank they have a car note with and get a cashiers check, takes that to FedEx, and send check and paperwork as instructed.
It takes two weeks for the mortgage company to come back and say "Got your FedEx envelop - and the paperwork - but no check." Commence cashiers check cancellation process... money is locked up for 90 days according to brick-and-mortar bank.
1-2 weeks later, the foreclosure notice is in the newspaper and they're getting notice of foreclosure. (Don't ask me what notices they've gotten or ignored, I'm aware these things don't happen overnight.) I would have thought all this is was a scam if I didn't find the notice in the newspaper myself.
Courthouse steps sale is in 10 days.
I am liquid enough to help my sibling - I've known about the situation for 48 hours at this point. After the initial story from my sibling, my spouse and I slept on the situation and decided that if there was something we could do, we should do it...
I asked sibling "If a wire or ACH could happen today, would it solve this problem." They waited until the end of the day to call/text me back (they were working, maybe I didn't imply strongly enough that I was willing to make a payment). That was Friday. Little/no contact since then from sibling.
So, I have two areas of questions:

1. What do you think the options for my siblings actually are at this point? The mortgage company has referred the whole thing to Brock and Scott for the foreclosure, and with them involved, it's not clear to me whether a payment is possible at this point, who it would be to, a deadline, etc... (Not that I'm trying to get directly involved). Apparently bankruptcy is an option to stop foreclosure? If the story is true, perhaps they could even exit bankruptcy before it's complete?
   
2. If I do help my sibling, are there logical safeguards I should put in place? Some form of written agreement? Do you have recommendations on how to go about this? I want to verify the status of the cashiers check cancellation and that that money IS coming back, and if possible or logical draw up an actual contract with my sibling about this (if that's a logical thing to do?)
   

I greatly appreciate any input you may have. (including if it is just a statement of direct advice to my sibling of 'Go get an attorney.')
I have redacted some known details or minutiae for the sake of length of this post. Happy to fill in any gaps I have knowledge of.

This is a rather unique situation. Im in the middle of a chapter 13. Converted to a 13 in march. My confirmation will be in July.
In 2019 I left my DOD civilian job. Due to a technicality, I could not terminate my coverage with my insurance. Someone somewhere in HR needed to send a form to the insurance provider letting them know to terminate my coverage. So the insurance carrier kept paying bills even after years of telling them not to pay. They knew what was going on. It was out of their hands. Out of mine. Trust me it's a cluster***k.
Fast forward to 2023, they finally terminate my coverage. They have guaranteed me they will not come after me for the overpayments based on the fact that I did everything I could to tell them not to pay the bills. I even told my medical providers not to bill them. To bill my current insurance. The insurance even sent me a letter I am not liable for the overpayments. That's great!
So now they're going after the providers to pay them back. im being copied on the letters to my medical providers demanding payment. So now that has me concerned, because providers can also turn around and ask me to pay them back.
So assuming the medical providers want me to pay them, can the debts be added to my case? I know the debt did not exist pre-filing, but the service dates are all before the filing date.
TLDR: Can medical overpayments from service dates before filing bankruptcy be added to my chapter 13 case since the debt did not technically exist when I filed?

So, my parents are considering Bankruptcy. They have had a consultation with a lawyer, but are unsure if or when they will proceed yet, as my Dad has some surgeries on the horizon he wants to have done before starting the process. If they do it, it would likely be several months from now, maybe August or September. Having said that, there was one thing they were a bit unclear of when speaking to the Lawyer.
The Lawyer told them they will need to be careful about spending, both on their credit cards and from their Bank Account, in the months prior to filing Bankruptcy. He said they could get in trouble or even be sued for fraud if they racked up Credit Card debt, or spent all the savings in their Bank Account in the months prior to filing. However, he apparently didn't go into a great deal of specifics on this point. My parents wanted to know specifically how careful they need to be, and for how long prior to filing.
For example, my Mom needs a new Laptop (her old one is a Chromebook approaching end of life), which she primarily uses to bay bills and the like. It's pretty much a necessity for them, and would cost about $200-300. Additionally, my Dad has severe Parkinson's and is pretty much bedridden due to walking/balance issues, so watching TV is all he has. His old TV has died, and he would like to get a replacement, again probably something in the $200-300 range. They would be using money from their Bank Account (specifically savings, I'm not sure how much they actually have, but I think it is around $1000) for these purchases, not Credit Cards. Would these kinds of purchases be alright right now, several months before filing, or would they present a problem in Bankruptcy?
Also, they were advised against using Credit Cards prior to Bankruptcy. However, they rely on them for many things, from groceries to bills and utilities, food, etc. My Mom also subscribes to a couple streaming services for my Dad. They're going to try avoid spending what they can with the Cards, but also depend on them for so many things.
So, will any of this get them into any trouble, or have them sued for fraud? Will the Trustee come after them? They're pretty concerned and confused on this particular point. Again, this is all prior to Bankruptcy. They have not done anything yet. They've signed nothing, started no process, paid no lawyers, etc. They're unsure how they should be managing their purchases, both with Credit Cards, and with their Bank Account, several months prior to starting the Bankruptcy process?

Hi there, I'm M25, looking for some solutions here. For context, I'm living in British Columbia, Canada. I think the situation can be viewed from the light of any country though. I've taken on about 60,000 in federal debt from the covid times, in addition to currently owing about $15,000 in back taxes, plus an additional $7,500 or so once I finally get around to filing my taxes from the 2021 year.
The last couple of years I haven't worked much. I was self-employed, and never taught about taxes. In fact, my education about taxes, from my non-educated, high school drop out father, was basically, "taxes are theft," "earn your money in cash," and "the only thing you'd need to file taxes for is if you want a loan for a house, car, business, etc." I still agree with many of his sentiments today, and I know he's not the only one with these ideas. Frankly I find it hard and very frustrating to have to give my money to the government, considering I know they're just unlimited printing money and the limited amount of money I have right now isn't going to make even a small dent in the national debt.
The $60,000 from the federal government is currently accruing interest at a nominal rate of 5% per year. $3,000 per year in interest.
The reason I haven't worked much, is largely because of some mental health and physical health issues. Now, I find myself in a situation where I owe roughly $80,000 to the federal and provincial governments. In addition, I have now racked up an additional $30,000 in student loans [also, from the federal/provincial governments][no interest for now, thankfully, not overly concerned about it.]
There's $110,000 in total debt to the government. I have also, an additional $25,000 approximately in personal loans from friends/family.
I have high hopes for myself, always have. I'm fairly sure, I could win some pretty large contracts with enough grit, or expand an existing business with someone I know, at the end of this summer. Both options have a good potential of coming true in the long-term, I think. But in the meantime, I have considerable debt which I'm not sure what to do about, and, frankly, it's depressing.
If I filed for bankruptcy, I'd lose the option to keep getting student loans, and the federal grants that go along with it [free money]. It's not clear if this happens if I file the consumer proposal. I thought about just continuing to run up the student loans, and then declare bankruptcy later, but, frankly, the whole idea of the debt hanging over my head during that time is very anxiety provoking, even if it's not 'immediately due.' I just want it out of my hair.
I have concerns that this becomes public record, and if I entered into politics later in life, that this might come back to burn me, but I'm honestly starting to get to the point where I think it might be there best option. There's also an element of feeling like a moral failure, if I have to take either of these options.
In summation:
What would you do in the scenario, and why?
What kind of mindset shift should I adopt around taxation?

I know you need to involve the trustee but I just can imagine any company giving me financing while I’m in bankruptcy

F28 with Ovarian Cancer and I really need some advice here, please don’t downvote this. I am really struggling with medical negligence not just from one doctor, but multiple. I’ve been dealing with a lot of discrimination because I’m young and “healthy looking” and doctors constantly dismiss me or discriminate me for some reason and I’m tired of it. I’ve been sick and disabled since last November and I had a job but started my LOA then.
For two years I was seeing a rheumatologist for an underlying autoimmune disorder(s) like SLE OR MS and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Primary immunodeficiency, dysautonomia, fibromyalgia, CIDP and still being investigated for more issues.
In November I decided to go on a LOA because my flares were starting to become more frequent and severe. My psychiatrist was the one who filled out the LOA paperwork for the time from Nov-Dec because I was hesitant to ask my Rheumatologist. I was told by my rheumatologists office that filling out LOA paperwork was $300 out of pocket and at the time I didn’t have that money so my psychiatrist signed it because I was also struggling with my mental health and family issues that time.
I was supposed to go back to work in January but at the start of the new year I got really sick and my flares started to ramp up again so I had to request a new LOA. My psychiatrist couldn’t help me with my LOA paperwork anymore because it was more health related now and told me to go see my rheumatologist. I was still hesitant because of the fee and then when I was about to see my rheumatologist again and get my bloodwork done I got a surprise bill from the lab where I get my bloodwork done for $400 after insurance. They wouldn’t let me get additional tests until I paid the fee and I couldn’t see my rheumatologist until I had my bloodwork done. I made an appointment with my rheumatologist anyways but the soonest I could get wasn’t until after the LOA deadline in March. I also couldn’t get any disability benefits until that LOA form was filled out by my doctor so I had no income to pay for any of this.
I ended up in the Emergency Room on 2/16/24 a little over a week before I needed to submit the forms for LOA and at this point my employer was threatening to fire me for failing to provide the LOA paperwork. I tried explaining the situation to one of my managers but he wasn’t having it and didn’t care.
When I went to the first emergency room I went in for multiple serious symptoms, they knew I had an underlying autoimmune disorder causing the flares and that I had surgery 3 years prior to remove ovarian cysts on my right ovary. I told the emergency room that I had a lot of abdominal pain across multiple areas, I was really weak, fatigued, dealing with vertigo, migraines, blood in stool, persistent bloating, frequent urination, appetite loss, rapid weight gain, insomnia, tachycardia, high bp, neuropathic itch/ polyneuropathy and my symptoms were to the point where I was losing my ability to walk. My partner was holding me the entire time so I wouldn’t fall.
The emergency room did a bunch of tests that included a basic blood panel, physical exam and a CT scan of my abdomen. They didn’t find the bleeding but instead found that I had a complex 14cm tumor on my right ovary which they deemed a dermoid cyst.
When they gave me the news they officially diagnosed me with a “dermoid cyst from birth” even though I countered their diagnosis and told them that was impossible because I had surgery 3 years prior. The doctor didn’t backtrack at all, just stuttered and continued to discharge me because it “wasn’t an emergency” just because I wasn’t bleeding out despite all of my serious progressing symptoms.
I angrily left the ER knowing it was utter BS and deep down I knew it was cancer because of how sick I was. I could literally feel I didn’t have much time but because I looked young and healthy and my basic blood panel didn’t throw up any huge red flags at them even they dismissed me and misdiagnosed me. I wasn’t even given anything to manage the pain.
I even told them I was already on a medical leave and that I’ve been really sick but that it was getting bad and I couldn’t see my rheumatologist. However I didn’t know about the tumor until then. I told them I needed help with the LOA paperwork too and had they admitted me I would have been able to get an extension and still have my job and benefits. I could have started treatment sooner and received disability pay but instead was forced to continue living with this pain. It was so large that I was at risk of torsion rupture and necrosis, Not to mention permanent nerve damage.
The next day I called up every gynecologist I could to see where I could go for the soonest appointment for an ultrasound. I found a doctor who took me as an emergency appointment a few days later and he confirmed it was most likely malignant and that I needed surgery ASAP. I talked to him about my LOA situation too because I was running out of time and I was too disabled to work. He also refused to help me sign my LOA paperwork because according to him, “ovarian cancer can’t cause systemic symptoms and you’re going to need to wait until surgery before I put you on leave”. I told him I had an underlying autoimmune disorder that I think is being exasperated by the cancer and I was just dismissed yet again despite needing someone to physically help me walk so I don’t fall. He also didn’t give me anything for the pain I was in.
I had to turn in my LOA that day but because of this I was forced to resign my position or face getting fired and becoming un-hirable so I had to quit. In quitting I lost everything, benefits, stocks, my job, my health, doctors. I’m now in debt with multiple cc going to collections because I haven’t been getting an income since January and I’m just starting chemo so I have no idea when I’ll be able to work again. I don’t know what to do here. I was going to try to settle my debt but with what money?? I might be forced into bankruptcy for 7 years now.
After I lost my insurance I applied for medi-cal but something with my application in there system wasn’t right and it was in a never ending pending limbo state(Took about two months to actually sort it out). I tried waiting it out for two weeks, calling them sorting it out and doing it right by the system but every day I was getting sicker and I felt I was running out of time as I was bed ridden at this point.
Two weeks later I went to a different ER because at this point I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat and I started getting migraines. I was miserable from enduring all the symptoms and never ending anxiety and mood swings of possibly having an autoimmune disorder like SLE and ovarian cancer.
The second ER finally admit me and confirmed it was cancer. I was admitted for emergency surgery and by this time the tumor had already ruptured, twisted my ovary and grew to 20cm at the largest point. This was also a battle but that’s besides the point.
Anyways now to my current situation. I started chemo about two weeks ago and my current oncologist is also being negligent.
I found out the other day that she blindly prescribed a medication for nausea that interacts with a medication that I was already on. The interaction is known to cause arrhythmias apparently. During my first week of chemo I was taking both meds and mentioned that my chest had been feeling heavy and I had pain. I was told it was steroids. It continued and then one night as I was falling asleep my heart started to pound really hard for about 10-15 seconds. I told my doctor about it and again steroids.
That same day I went to pick up a prescription and just happened to ask if anything interacted and that’s when I found out that it was a major interaction and I literally could have died had I not luckily already been titrating off of the offending medicine. I stopped taking those meds and immediately the chest pain stopped and I haven’t had an episode like that since.
I am freaked out and don’t want to continue my care with her due to her negligence. This should have been a conversation at minimum and she didn’t even tell me she prescribed it let alone double check for interactions(she had the list of my current medications). I just got a notification from my pharmacy that it was ready. I also didn’t know about the interaction when it was picked up because my mom picked it up for me and she doesn’t speak English very well.
I talked to my care teams assistant and told her I wanted a change of doctors because I didn’t trust her after this and she said she was going to put in the request. They called me yesterday though and said they weren’t going to switch me because I had already started treatment. They refused to switch my doctors despite everything that’s happened even though she literally almost accidentally killed me. I am livid and don’t want to continue with them but they’re giving me no choice but to continue seeing her.
I already set up an appointment for a second opinion but that’s not for another two weeks before the appointment and I don’t want to interrupt the treatment.
I have a rare type of ovarian cancer with a high grade tumor. It was a germ cell tumor called an immature teratoma. They said it is stage 1 but because I had emergency surgery and everything was rushed I don’t feel this is an accurate diagnosis because I have pain in all of the surrounding areas where the tumor was pushing up against. (I also mentioned this to my oncologist but instead of running tests or anything else I was given a psych referral for anxiety because I have an adhd & bipolar diagnosis even though I’ve been stable for years and I wasn’t overreacting in this case). The tumor was exasperating all of my autoimmune symptoms and causing me to be in a never ending flare so my body has been heavily damaged. Im becoming disabled at 28 and I don’t know who to hold accountable here. I have so much anxiety with doctors now because I’m traumatized from my experience with them dismissing me and discriminating against me. Like I’m young so I “must be able to tolerate more”. I have to constantly look up my lab results, medications, conditions, because of how much negligence and dismissal I’ve been dealing with over the years. I’m scared I’m going to die from something preventable and not cancer at this rate.
I’m in a dark place right now and really need some advice here. What should I do? What CAN I DO? Who do I hold accountable? What do I need to have a solid malpractice case?? I have medical records for everything even when I went to the first ER that shows I had surgery before and their diagnosis or dermoid cyst from birth. I also have proof that my oncologist had a list of all my medications when she prescribed the anti nausea medication and she knew I was sensitive to most medications as I recently found out I’m allergic to morphine and Benadryl of all things.
I feel like the first emergency room should at least be held liable for making me lose my job, misdiagnosing me, failing to treat me or provide relief and then sending me a $1600 medical bill. Someone help me with this please I am struggling and still haven’t gotten approved for disability benefits yet so I’ve had no income since January. Thanks.

I'm reaching out for some advice on my current financial situation. Here's a bit of background:
⠀⠀Situation:

• I am currently out of work due to severe mental health and addiction issues.
• I am relying on social assistance as my only source of income.
• My total debt amounts to over $20,000, mostly from credit cards.
• I still have around $60,000 of available credit that I haven't touched
• I have no significant assets (no house)
• I do have a financed vehicle that I owe more on than it's fair market value
• I'm able to make the monthly payments on the vehicle using the social assistance money
• I'm due to see my GP to get help with my mental health and have an appointment with a therapist

⠀⠀Concerns:

• I have no way to pay these debts given my current circumstances.
• I'm aware that my debts will eventually default if I don't make payments, but I'm concerned about the long-term impacts on my credit and mental health.
• I'm considering whether bankruptcy might be a viable option, but I'm worried about the associated costs and the process itself.

⠀⠀Questions:

• Debt Default vs. Bankruptcy: Given my situation, would it be more beneficial to let my debts default rather than filing for bankruptcy? What are the long-term implications of each option on my credit and mental health?
• Social Assistance Protection: How protected are my social assistance payments from creditors? Can they garnish these payments if they obtain a court judgment?
• Stress Management: How can I manage the stress and mental health impacts of dealing with creditors and potential legal actions?
• Professional Help: Should I seek help from a credit counselor or a licensed insolvency trustee? What kind of assistance can they provide in my situation?
• Legal Action Likelihood: Considering I have no job or assets, how likely is it that creditors will take legal action against me?

⠀⠀Additional Information:

• I understand that letting my debts default will negatively impact my credit score for up to six years.
• Filing for bankruptcy could provide immediate relief from creditors, but it also has long-term credit implications.
• I'm trying to weigh the stress and financial implications of both options to make the best decision for my mental health and financial future.
• Thanks again for any advice you can provide.

Any advice, personal experiences, or suggestions on how to navigate this difficult situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help and understanding.

Good afternoon everyone,
So…I had my consultation with my attorney yesterday and was told that I wouldn’t qualify for a Chapter 7 based on a piece of property I inherited when my mom passed away (1/4 of the house I’m renting)
I was kinda expecting that and after going over everything, he was able to guesstimate my monthly payments at $708 for 36 or $400-something if I did the 5 year payment plan
I like the idea of it being over as soon as possible me so I would probably opt for the shorter timeframe
This is for approximately $64,000 in unsecured debt (credit cards and a small personal loan)
But last night I got to thinking, if I’m going to have a monthly payment anyway, would it be worth the effort to try and call each of the credit card companies 1 at a time and saying “ I can not make my payments anymore and have retained a lawyer and begun bankruptcy proceedings. I would prefer not to go this route and am able to pay $200 for the next 24 months. Would you be willing to close and settle my account instead of me going forward with the bankruptcy proceedings?’
I could do that with one of the credit cards that has $15,000 on it and just make that phone call to multiple credit card companies.
Is there any logic to that thinking?
I feel like they would rather get something than be guaranteed nothing and from what I’m reading online, a settlement doesn’t hit your credit for as long as a BK would.
Part of me thinks it’s a great idea, or worth a try at least, and part of me feels like they would eat me alive within 15 seconds of that phone call.
Has anyone had any success trying to settle their own debts?

I'm reaching out for some advice on my current financial situation. Here's a bit of background:
⠀⠀Situation:

• I am currently out of work due to severe mental health and addiction issues.
• I am relying on social assistance as my only source of income.
• My total debt amounts to over $20,000, mostly from credit cards.
• I still have around $60,000 of available credit that I haven't touched
• I have no significant assets (no house)
• I do have a financed vehicle that I owe more on than it's fair market value
• I'm able to make the monthly payments on the vehicle using the social assistance money
• I'm due to see my GP to get help with my mental health and have an appointment with a therapist

⠀⠀Concerns:

• I have no way to pay these debts given my current circumstances.
• I'm aware that my debts will eventually default if I don't make payments, but I'm concerned about the long-term impacts on my credit and mental health.
• I'm considering whether bankruptcy might be a viable option, but I'm worried about the associated costs and the process itself.

⠀⠀Questions:

• Debt Default vs. Bankruptcy: Given my situation, would it be more beneficial to let my debts default rather than filing for bankruptcy? What are the long-term implications of each option on my credit and mental health?
• Social Assistance Protection: How protected are my social assistance payments from creditors? Can they garnish these payments if they obtain a court judgment?
• Stress Management: How can I manage the stress and mental health impacts of dealing with creditors and potential legal actions?
• Professional Help: Should I seek help from a credit counselor or a licensed insolvency trustee? What kind of assistance can they provide in my situation?
• Legal Action Likelihood: Considering I have no job or assets, how likely is it that creditors will take legal action against me?

⠀⠀Additional Information:

• I understand that letting my debts default will negatively impact my credit score for up to six years.
• Filing for bankruptcy could provide immediate relief from creditors, but it also has long-term credit implications.
• I'm trying to weigh the stress and financial implications of both options to make the best decision for my mental health and financial future.
• Thanks again for any advice you can provide.

Any advice, personal experiences, or suggestions on how to navigate this difficult situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help and understanding.

I'm reaching out for some advice on my current financial situation. Here's a bit of background:
Situation:

• I am currently out of work due to severe mental health and addiction issues.
• I am relying on social assistance as my only source of income.
• My total debt amounts to over $20,000, mostly from credit cards.
• I still have around $60,000 of available credit that I haven't touched
• I have no significant assets (no house)
• I do have a financed vehicle that I owe more on than it's fair market value
• I'm able to make the monthly payments on the vehicle using the social assistance money
• I'm due to see my GP to get help with my mental health and have an appointment with a therapist

Concerns:

• I have no way to pay these debts given my current circumstances.
• I'm aware that my debts will eventually default if I don't make payments, but I'm concerned about the long-term impacts on my credit and mental health.
• I'm considering whether bankruptcy might be a viable option, but I'm worried about the associated costs and the process itself.

Questions:

1. Debt Default vs. Bankruptcy: Given my situation, would it be more beneficial to let my debts default rather than filing for bankruptcy? What are the long-term implications of each option on my credit and mental health?
2. Social Assistance Protection: How protected are my social assistance payments from creditors? Can they garnish these payments if they obtain a court judgment?
3. Stress Management: How can I manage the stress and mental health impacts of dealing with creditors and potential legal actions?
4. Professional Help: Should I seek help from a credit counselor or a licensed insolvency trustee? What kind of assistance can they provide in my situation?
5. Legal Action Likelihood: Considering I have no job or assets, how likely is it that creditors will take legal action against me?

Any advice, personal experiences, or suggestions on how to navigate this difficult situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help and understanding.

Additional Information:

• I understand that letting my debts default will negatively impact my credit score for up to six years.
• Filing for bankruptcy could provide immediate relief from creditors, but it also has long-term credit implications.
• I'm trying to weigh the stress and financial implications of both options to make the best decision for my mental health and financial future.

Thanks again for any advice you can provide.

Please don't judge me or be harsh or trolling. I can't handle it at this point in time right now.... I am just moments close to ending everything because I just can't handle it anymore. please if you judge me just keep it to yourself please..
I am on ssi and ssd getting 158 on the first and 805 on the 3rd. the ssd is after both my parents passed they put me on my dads disability drawing off what he earned working but I was originally on ssi to begin with.
I get about 963 a month total to live on. Right now I am in major debt with credit cards since covid broke out. I had to use them to live on.
I moved in with my aunt who is living in apartments based on income but they are not section 8 but they accept section 8. When i moved in, i was told by the manager i didn't need to put my income since i was a cotenant. that was 10 yrs ago. come to find out. i had to put my income now i am being sued by the housing authority for 10k, i owe two more years. my aunt and i pay 220 a month to them. they don't care what happened they just want their money.
i owe one credit card company 4.5k, another 1.8k another 600 and another 700. when i applied for them, it was 3 plus years ago. i put that i made around 700k a year when i applied to them but i was on ssdi at the time making around 11k a year. i went on the websites 3 months ago fixed the right info.
I live in a small town where nothing is available for the next 20 plus miles and have no transport. my aunt won't take me anywhere. her son who si in his late 30's lives with us and works. my aunt is on disability. I get food stamps right now worth a 130 a month which goes to my aunt even though its for me. i pay her 450 a month rent incl internet lights and 130 in food. if i don't give her the food stamps then i have to pay her another 130 a month i can't afford since all my stuff is going to her and credit cards. i legit have nothing left each month right now with having to buy myself instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal top ramen soup, noodles and spaghetti sauce. i live on that through the month.
when she buys food with the food stamps it feeds her son, me and her. but it is only enough to last a week, then for the next 3 weeks i am starving barely eating because i can't afford much when i do buy stuff that i can put in my bedroom to eat on.
past week now, there has been no food, her son has been taking his mom and him out to eat all week not bringing anything home for me. im so hungry. the nearest food bank is 4 miles away one way, but i have no way to get there my aunt won't take me they don't deliver and when i tried getting medicaid transport to take me they said they don't schedule rides except to and from the dr's.
I have no other family, I have no friends. I have no vehicle. been trying to get a minivan so I could live in it. I am sometimes bed ridden due to my bad joints/back/knees/feet/right leg nerve damage. I also struggle from morbid obesity I am around 500 lbs and funny thing is, with how little i eat. i should be losing weight but its the complete opposite.
I will be 47 yrs old when I am out of debt with the credit card companies, I tried filing bankruptcy no one will touch me being under 10k in debt with the credit card companies. i contacted legal aid, the attorney who called me back said he can't help me because its under 10k. but told me how to file but chances of me filing and getting it are slim to none esp without legal help he said.
im thinking of ending my life next month when my aunt and her son leave for a week. I just can't keep living like this. if i had a minivan I could stay in it, do door dash for extra money, I could get around trying to find an aparment based on income. I bene accepted a few times to low income places but had no way to get there and now with all the debt I wouldn't be able to afford having my own place with the credit card debt.
if i stop paying the cards, and the debt collectors come after me, they could take me to court and if they do, they could show the judge i said i made 700k a year and i didn't make that much and was on disability at the time and making only 11k a year. i found out while looking into bankruptcy that it is fraud and i could face prison time.
i just don't know what to do anymore. i really don't know what to do anymore other than ending things next month to get out of this situation i put myself in with my aunt, debt, etc. I just can't do it anymore esp without a vehicle. esp since I am bed ridden half of the day here and there due to my bad joints and weight that i have carried around for 30 yrs destroying my joints and causing nerve damage to my right leg. I can't just get up and go on the streets and live on the streets not with how badly im in pain every day esp just walking to the corner store. just a simple walk to the corner store and back and i am bed rested for an entire day barely able to move.
i can't do it anymore...

Please don't judge me or be harsh or trolling. I can't handle it at this point in time right now.... I am just moments close to ending everything because I just can't handle it anymore. please if you judge me just keep it to yourself please..
I am on ssi and ssd getting 158 on the first and 805 on the 3rd. the ssd is after both my parents passed they put me on my dads disability drawing off what he earned working but I was originally on ssi to begin with.
I get about 963 a month total to live on. Right now I am in major debt with credit cards since covid broke out. I had to use them to live on.
I moved in with my aunt who is living in apartments based on income but they are not section 8 but they accept section 8. When i moved in, i was told by the manager i didn't need to put my income since i was a cotenant. that was 10 yrs ago. come to find out. i had to put my income now i am being sued by the housing authority for 10k, i owe two more years. my aunt and i pay 220 a month to them. they don't care what happened they just want their money.
i owe one credit card company 4.5k, another 1.8k another 600 and another 700. when i applied for them, it was 3 plus years ago. i put that i made around 700k a year when i applied to them but i was on ssdi at the time making around 11k a year. i went on the websites 3 months ago fixed the right info.
I live in a small town where nothing is available for the next 20 plus miles and have no transport. my aunt won't take me anywhere. her son who si in his late 30's lives with us and works. my aunt is on disability. I get food stamps right now worth a 130 a month which goes to my aunt even though its for me. i pay her 450 a month rent incl internet lights and 130 in food. if i don't give her the food stamps then i have to pay her another 130 a month i can't afford since all my stuff is going to her and credit cards. i legit have nothing left each month right now with having to buy myself instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal top ramen soup, noodles and spaghetti sauce. i live on that through the month.
when she buys food with the food stamps it feeds her son, me and her. but it is only enough to last a week, then for the next 3 weeks i am starving barely eating because i can't afford much when i do buy stuff that i can put in my bedroom to eat on.
past week now, there has been no food, her son has been taking his mom and him out to eat all week not bringing anything home for me. im so hungry. the nearest food bank is 4 miles away one way, but i have no way to get there my aunt won't take me they don't deliver and when i tried getting medicaid transport to take me they said they don't schedule rides except to and from the dr's.
I have no other family, I have no friends. I have no vehicle. been trying to get a minivan so I could live in it. I am sometimes bed ridden due to my bad joints/back/knees/feet/right leg nerve damage. I also struggle from morbid obesity I am around 500 lbs and funny thing is, with how little i eat. i should be losing weight but its the complete opposite.
I will be 47 yrs old when I am out of debt with the credit card companies, I tried filing bankruptcy no one will touch me being under 10k in debt with the credit card companies. i contacted legal aid, the attorney who called me back said he can't help me because its under 10k. but told me how to file but chances of me filing and getting it are slim to none esp without legal help he said.
im thinking of ending my life next month when my aunt and her son leave for a week. I just can't keep living like this. if i had a minivan I could stay in it, do door dash for extra money, I could get around trying to find an aparment based on income. I bene accepted a few times to low income places but had no way to get there and now with all the debt I wouldn't be able to afford having my own place with the credit card debt.
if i stop paying the cards, and the debt collectors come after me, they could take me to court and if they do, they could show the judge i said i made 700k a year and i didn't make that much and was on disability at the time and making only 11k a year. i found out while looking into bankruptcy that it is fraud and i could face prison time.
i just don't know what to do anymore. i really don't know what to do anymore other than ending things next month to get out of this situation i put myself in with my aunt, debt, etc. I just can't do it anymore esp without a vehicle. esp since I am bed ridden half of the day here and there due to my bad joints and weight that i have carried around for 30 yrs destroying my joints and causing nerve damage to my right leg. I can't just get up and go on the streets and live on the streets not with how badly im in pain every day esp just walking to the corner store. just a simple walk to the corner store and back and i am bed rested for an entire day barely able to move.
i can't do it anymore...

We live in California- my spouse is in finance. I have heavy cc debt and a personal loan with monthly minimum payments at $1700 and about $10k in collections. My spouse CAN NOT have a bankruptcy on their record or it will affect their job. Is it possible to file separate and not use spouse info? We have 3 cars we are paying on with only 1 in my name, we rent in CA, own a home in GA in spouses name. I also make more than my spouse. I got behind on the personal loan which is now not manageable. This debt is bringing me to tears. I’m not sure how to fix this. I have spoken to 2 different lawyers in which one is confident it wouldn’t show up for my spouse while the other wasn’t as confident. I’m not sure what to do. We file taxes together and share that debt, we live together and technically share/pay bills through a joint checking account. The CC debt and personal loan are all in my name alone.
Any help is greatly appreciated

I purchased a book back in 2022 and it was the biggest mistake of my adult life. I’m currently in debt so far and see no light at the end of this tunnel.
Would anyone here just walk away and file bankruptcy? Amy suggestions? I owe more than anyone would be willing to pay for this pile of shit.
It’s getting so stressful to keep up with the Farmers BS, commission cuts, bonus cuts, everything cuts!
Saddest part of this is that it could’ve been great! We sell against our own direct agents and can’t offer the same product discounts that they offer. Insane!
How do they have us classed as independent agents? We can’t shop! I feel like we’re employees and with all the pay cuts and commission cuts that’s a real problem.
What would you do? Wait it out for brighter days or close up shop?

I'm hoping for legit recommendations. Thanks but no shaming please. Trust me, I'm physically and emotionally sick over this.
I have racked up more debt than my family (even spouse) knows about and an amount I can never repay in my lifetime.
I work full-time, carry the benefits for my family, including an adult disabled son who now needs hip replacement surgeries. I have a somewhat modest 401k I can't touch till I leave the company.
Outside of bankruptcy or a second mortgage on my home, I can't think of a way out.
Any ideas?

The relevant facts: I am 55, in USA, and about to receive a $25k cash divorce settlement. My credit is pretty crappy. I have $25k in unsecured debt that is current, $25k in bad/charged-off unsecured debt, and an auto lease that is about to term (11/24) in which I have a favorable equity/residual position and can buy for around $22k all in, all done.
My original plan was to use the cash to purchase my car with a few $k left to cover attorney fees and some miscellaneous expenses. I have to move soon and my rent is going up (will offset the lack of a car payment) so I am looking at 4+ more years of tight budget, rice and beans, and an inability to better prepare for my rapidly approaching retirement.
I could use the settlement to pay off the current unsecured debt which would free up about $550/month, but my auto lease extension runs out in November, and I'm not sure if that's enough time for my credit to improve to the point I could get reasonable financing for the lease buyout. I do need a car to live/work, etc. and this vehicle represents my best odds at an affordable, reliable car. In this scenario, I think it would still be very tight budget-wise as low/no down payment and higher interest due to bad credit would make car payment $400+ for 4-6 years
I could just buy the car and try to flip it, maybe make $5k, and then look for a 12 year-old Camry or something and potentially solve both the current debt and transportation problem and leave me some budget room to address the old charge-off and retirement savings. This feels risky.
Then there's the possibility of CH7 (I qualify) but would have to get creative/borderline unethical to protect/reduce the equity in my vehicle to keep it. I feel some kind of way about bankruptcy (ethically), but my credit is already trash and I'm kind of exhausted generally, so I'm open to anything.
I'm (obviously) terrible with money and feel like I don't understand what else I could do to best manage this windfall to improve my situation. Are there other ways I could/should be imagining this? Please help! Thank you so much...