Man Fights Back From Bankruptcy: Graduates from College He Cleaned for a Decade

Michael Vaudreuil is living proof that there is life after bankruptcy. After being hit hard by the recession, the 54-year-old ultimately earned his college degree from the same school he served as a custodian for almost a decade. Vaudreuil was a thriving entrepreneur in 2007 until the recession wiped out his plastering business. In addition to his business, he lost his home and vehicle before filing for bankruptcy. The only job he could find to support himself was the custodial position with Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The school offered free classes for all its employees, so while he cleaned all night, he took classes during the day. On May 14, he graduated as a degreed mechanical engineer – a field with an average salary of $83,000. DOs and DON’Ts of Fighting Back From Bankruptcy We salute Michael for his determination – he worked for eight (8) years to earn his degree. As we wrote in a previous blog entry, rebounding from bankruptcy – while difficult – can definitely be done. Here are a few DOs and DON’Ts to keep in mind in fighting your back from bankruptcy:

DO	DON’T
Get copies of all credit reports and confirm that debts associated with your bankruptcy are listed as “discharged.”	Let creditors talk you into paying higher interest rates because of bankruptcy.
Use cash rather than credit cards.	Do business with those “Bad Credit? No Problem” vendors. Their interest rates will be outrageous.
Pay your bills on time. (Remember, the power company and phone company and water department are technically creditors, too.)	Fall for the “we’ll fix your credit” commercials. The only person who can fix your credit is you.
Set up a strategy for attacking any debts that aren’t discharged, and pay them off as soon as you can.	Open every credit card offer that is sent to you. Instead, get a secured credit card of your own.

To Do Bankruptcy the Right Way, Call the Oswalt Law Group Deciding whether or not to file for bankruptcy can be one of the hardest decisions of your life. Filing for bankruptcy has often proven to be smart decisions for many, but there are also a host of alternatives for avoiding bankruptcy. Here at the Oswalt Law Group, our skilled legal team will be happy to guide your through all of the options available to you – making sure you know and understand your rights. Call us at (602) 225-2222 for a free consultation.