Antonia feels strongly about NOT filing for bankruptcy. She claims to be a "fixed" kind of a person, and when she "says something, she means that".Maybe that philosophy should carry over into the area of what she reads and signs as well. Every time she pulled out one of her cards and signed that charge slip in exchange for the fashion du jour, she was saying that she agreed to pay the bill in a timely fashion.
Actually, I do give her points for not jumping at the bankruptcy option. Whether she has the ability to pay her debts or not, at least she still has some conscience left.
I'm not sure if I agree with the easy-on-the-eye credit counselor though. He believes that a bankruptcy will have a negative impact on her credit for a year. Wow, those bankruptcy guidelines must have REALLY changed in October - I thought it followed you around for ten years. Of course, I don't know her credit score. It could be below 400, in which case, you have to ask yourself: how much worse could it be? Maybe not too much worse in terms of the score, but in terms of the impact a bankruptcy makes on creditors...well, I think it is significant.
I don't think she'll have to worry about whether or not she'll be responsible with credit cards the next time around. She won't get an unsecured card with more than a $250 limit for a long, long time.
I would have elt better if she said, "I'm done with credit cards".
Why do so many of these women come to SO house on the verge of financial collapse or tipping the scales in their 20's and 30's?