For many people in Mississippi, student loans have offered a pathway to future career success. Excessive student loan debts, however, have proven burdensome for many people in recent years. Nationwide, outstanding student loan balances will likely hit $2 trillion by 2020. Delinquency or outright default afflicts over one-quarter of student loan borrowers today. Due to the inescapability of these debts, a group of lawmakers has proposed the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019.
CFPB seeks to change rule about debt collector contact
If a proposed rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes effect, debtors in Mississippi and elsewhere may be hearing a lot less from creditors. The rule would amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to limit debt collectors to seven phone calls to a debtor per week. Debt collectors would also be required to send a written notice containing information about a debt balance and how to dispute it.
How bankruptcy affects credit scores
Mississippi residents who are coping difficult financial situations are often reluctant to pursue debt relief because they are worried about what a bankruptcy will do to their credit ratings. While a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will appear on credit reports for seven years and a Chapter 7 bankruptcy will show up for 10 years, how they actually affect borrowing is more influenced by the actions taken after a bankruptcy has been discharged.
