I cannot afford the min payments on my credit cards any longer. Any advice?

There is a better answer than bankruptcy or making minimum payments. Our local legal aid societyhas a class on being collection proof that served me well. If your only income is Social Security you are protected from ordinary creditors like credit cards or medical bills. Quit making the payments. Send them a certified letter that says that. Get appropriate wording for your state,most likely from a free law clinic. Making payments or acknowledging your debt just extends the statute of limitations on collecting the debt.

To add what I had previous written, be careful about bankruptcies or having creditors forgive any debt as the IRS would see the forgiven amounts as "income" even though the money isn't in your pocket... and that "income" could cause issues with Medicaid. As others had said above, get credit counseling.

Since Ann is so much older than you it is reasonable to assume that she will pass first. And it is certainly wise to at least consider that possibility.

I agree with blannie that seeing a non-profit financial counselor might be useful. At the very least they should be able to help you understand the consequences of various actions, and how being signers on each other's accounts impacts things.

If your only income is SS creditors cannot touch that. I am not sure that bankruptcy would be better for you than simply paying whatever you can. But see a professional to learn about all your options.

BTW, are you and Ann married? That status does change your responsibilities for each other's debts.

Wanda1949, curious on which home was the roof and air conditioning system replaced? If it is your home, it might be time to downsize if you are unable to budget enough income to help cover maintenance and repairs to your home. As those who are homeowners well enough know, there will always be some type of speed bump that needs fixing.

As for either of you being responsible for each other debts, that would only happen if you had co-signed the credit card application saying that you would also be responsible for any debt. Or if you marry and reside in a State has is *community property* meaning you both are responsible for each others debts.

Well, with the additional information, I see that you weren't intentionally trying to get something for nothing. Sometimes crap happens and it will inevitably happen all at once. You are wise to plan for the future. I was going to suggest negotiating a lower payment, but you said you couldn't even afford the minimum, so it sounded like it may be too late for that. Have you missed any payments yet? If so, they are less likely to negotiate.

There are credit counseling services that are no cost. They will not only negotiate on your behalf, but they will help you to work out a budget.

Does Ann have health issues that make you concerned that she will pass before you? Does she have a life insurance policy and are you the beneficiary?

As you are familiar with bankruptcy, I know you are wanting to avoid that route. Good luck.

Wanda there are non-profit credit counseling agencies who can help you manage your credit. It's not easy. I was a human resources manager and went with one of our factory employees to her counseling session that I got set up for her. The agency negotiated with each of the credit card companies to lower the interest rates and set up a payment plan. The employee had a budget that the agency worked out and she would pay them a set amount each month and they would pay the creditors. It took away most of her "fun" spending. She decided it was too hard and she'd rather take the easy way out (in my opinion) and file for bankruptcy.

If you want to really work out a way to pay off your debt with some help, you can start with these folks. This is a non-profit credit counseling group in your area, from what I can tell. It's worth a phone call to see if they can help you. If you do go to a credit counselor, make sure they're a non-profit. There are a lot of scams out there that wind up costing you more money than you started out owing.

cccswfl./about-cccs

Sorry that I am so late to txcamper. Thank you so much for sharing. I am not trying to get out of what is owed, it's just that my cards were all we had after Ann's bankruptcy in 98. Since then we just used mine for a roof replacement,ac replacement and an engine replacement etc. she now has 2cards but she put my name as a signer.on one of them, over 9000.00 on that one. She is making all card payments at $100-$200 over the min amount necessary. I am just concerned that I will be overwhelmed if she passes before me. I own my own mobile home in a senior park and she has a life estate on her former property. I know that there are those worse off than me and I am thankful for what I have. When someone tells me "not to worry about what may happen" I feel very cautious as I really need to know wher I Stan and where Ann stands if I pass first. Thanks.

Wanda, you are a grown woman and you knew when you made those charges on the credit card that you were taking out a loan that would have to be repaid.

However, I suppose you could file bankruptcy and perhaps get it all cleared away. You will lose those credit cards and for many years will not have access to any other credit. Do you have a way to live that doesn't involve borrowing money? Since you are on Medicaid, you are probably eligible for food stamps and other benefits of that nature.

It would be nice for your partner to pay off your loans if she has the money, but I don't suppose she is legally bound. You will need to consult a lawyer to file for bankruptcy. Make that call today. Don't mention your partner until the time when they may ask about her. Good luck.