Recovering from Bankruptcy

Filing for bankruptcy takes courage. It requires overcoming fear, embarrassment and even shame. Recovery from bankruptcy has two components. The first is financial. The second is emotional.

Here are some steps everyone should take to recover from bankruptcy immediately.

Step 1

Ask yourself what got you into bankruptcy in the first place? And ask yourself what you can do to prevent this from happening again. Bankruptcy is not always preventable. But frequently, people can take affirmative steps after bankruptcy to improve their lives. In so doing, they can reduce the likelihood that they will require bankruptcy again.

Step 2

Identify what went wrong and do something about it.

Step 3

Take steps to restore your credit and your financial life:

• Budget – use a tool like mint.com
• Establish savings – pay yourself first
• Pay your secured debt – like your car note- on time – use auto-pay if possible
• Check your credit report every six months or so after bankruptcy – be sure that all derogatory pre-bankruptcy references are removed

Step 4

Forgive yourself. You are only bankrupt today. You will not be bankrupt forever. Remember, bankruptcy is a temporary status. It is not a permanent condition.