When you run into financial problems and bills begin to
mount, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of what companies you owe money
to. You might receive calls from multiple collection companies and they often
do not identify who they are collecting for. In order to eliminate your debts
in bankruptcy it is important to list all of your creditors.
What can you do? You
can start by pulling credit reports.
There are three nationwide credit reporting bureaus and you can pull
free credit reports from all three credit bureaus at
www.annualcreditreport.com. Credit
reports will typically show credit card debts, bank loans, and other types of
debts with financial institutions. The credit report may show collection
agencies that have purchased delinquent debts or are collecting them on behalf
of another company. Credit reports typically do not show medical debts unless
they are with a collection agency.
If you come to see me, I can pull a three bureau
merged report for you. If you are not
sure what medical debts you have, you may want to call the hospital or other
medical provider and ask them for the amounts owed. If you have medical insurance you could
contact your insurance company. It may be able to give you a list of what
amounts were covered by insurance and what amounts you still are responsible
for. When you have this information, you
have the ammunition you need to eliminate your debts and get a fresh start.
