Zaro Law

12/11/2024

Our Salem office has moved! We are all settled into our new space at 350 Mission St. SE, Suite 102, Salem, OR 97302. AND we still have our original office in Tigard at the same address on SW Greenburg Road (a mile or two down the road from Washington Square Mall) 😊

08/19/2020

We are excited to announce that our second office, located in Salem, is now open! We are located at 1698 Liberty St SE in Salem, about 1/2 mile north of Skyline Ford.

If you are struggling with overwhelming debt, you have options; call our office today for a free consultation: 503-549-4444

06/08/2020

A study by the Federal Trade Commission found that 𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝟓 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬. These errors may lower your credit score, which can make it more difficult to obtain new credit.⁣
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You can get your free credit report from each credit reporting agency (Equifax, Experian, Transunion) on www.annualcreditreport.com. You can pull your credit report each week from this website (previously was once a year).⁣
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Check your credit report often and dispute any errors directly with that credit reporting agency. Call our office if you have questions about your credit report, or if you have questions about how bankruptcy may affect your credit: 503-549-4444.

When you’re reviewing your credit report make sure to look for these common errors.

05/07/2020

If you have medical or credit card debt and are considering bankruptcy, you’re not alone. Many people and businesses are in the same boat.

We want to clear up some common questions about filing bankruptcy:

- 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗰𝘆?
No, there is almost always a way you can keep your assets. If you have a home with a lot of equity (or other valuable asset) you may have to pay back some of your creditors in a chapter 13. If you don’t own any major assets (or have a home with minimal equity) and make below a certain income, you can generally file a chapter 7 and wipe out your debt.

- 𝗜𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱?
Technically yes, but it’s not easily accessible to the general public. Generally, only a law firm/lawyer with an account on the federal court website can view the paperwork.

We want to assure you that filing bankruptcy is not the end of the road, it is a tool that gives you a fresh start. Call our office today for a free consultation: 503-549-4444.

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving thousands of people and businesses into bankruptcy.

04/24/2020

Unemployment rates are at an all time high and our economy is taking a massive hit.

If you have more than $6,000 of debt (credit cards, medical bills, collections, personal loans, etc.), bankruptcy may be a good option for you to get a fresh start.

Filing bankruptcy is not as bad as many people think, and is more common than you may realize. In 2019 alone, there were over 750,000 bankruptcy cases filed in the US.

Call us today for a free consultation and learn how bankruptcy can give you a fresh start: 503-549-4444

03/20/2020

Don't get stuck paying for "free" tax software. The IRS has free online resources available to people who make less than $69,000 a year - go to www.irs.gov/freefile and click on "Free File Online Lookup Tool".

Major tax preparation companies advertise free tax filing services, but NBC’s Vicky Nguyen found that many of those programs have added fees. The IRS has a “free file” program for people who make $69,000 or less a year, no strings attached.

02/14/2020

One of the major differences between a chapter 7 and chapter 13 is the length of the bankruptcy. Learn more in the quick 2 minute video below!

01/04/2020

The first question in our FAQ series: Can I keep my house and car if I file bankruptcy?

Answer: yes, it is almost always possible to keep your house and car in a bankruptcy. You are allowed to protect a certain amount of equity in your house and car; these protections are called “exemptions”.

There is almost always a solution to protect your assets in a bankruptcy. Call our office to discuss your options: 503-549-4444

Keep an eye out for more FAQs we'll post in the future that answer other questions about bankruptcy and debt resolution

12/13/2019

Unfortunately, I see a lot of these high interest rate car loans (as much as 29%!). They often leave borrowers underwater on their car loan with limited options.

Here’s why: high interest rate car loans make it very difficult to pay down the total loan balance. That’s because in the beginning, your monthly car payment is mostly paying off the interest; not much goes toward paying down the principal loan balance.

So if you’re unable to continue making payments, the lender will repossess the vehicle, sell it at auction, and apply the proceeds to your loan balance. This usually is not enough to pay off the loan, so the lender will demand the remaining amount be paid in full.

If you aren’t able to pay, the lender will sue you, and get a judgment against you - this allows them to garnish 25% of your wages and your bank account for up to 20 years until it is paid off.

For many people in this situation, filing bankruptcy is a great option. It stops creditors from garnishing you and typically wipes out this debt and most other unsecured debts.

A WNYC investigation shows how auto lender Credit Acceptance took advantage of sub-prime borrowers to become a Wall Street darling.

12/09/2019

You've heard of bankruptcy, but did you know that it's really not as bad as you might think? Watch the video below to learn the pros and cons of filing bankruptcy.