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‘You Threw A Hornet’s Nest In The Closet’ — Couple Buried In $91,000 Debt Turns to Dave Ramsey After Panicking, Making Their Situation Worse
When Elizabeth and her husband filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, they thought they were making a smart move to manage their growing debt. But fast-forward a few months and they’re having serious second thoughts. Elizabeth explained during a call with Dave Ramsey, “We panicked and did some stupid things,” and boy, has that panic come with a price –$91,000 in debt and two car payments they can barely handle.
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It all started when Elizabeth lost her job, leaving the couple to juggle everything on one income. Trying to stay afloat, they made what she describes as “some stupid decisions” to dig deeper into debt rather than step back and assess the situation. They filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which, in their words, “seemed like the only way out” at the time. However, as Elizabeth shared, they quickly realized the payment plan tied to Chapter 13 was putting a strain on their monthly income, even after she landed a better job.
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They’re working hard to turn things around – having yard sales and selling everything they can – but there’s one big obstacle they can’t shake: that Chapter 13 payment. It’s become an unwanted guest at the table, eating up their income and standing in the way of their debt-free dreams.
“You’ve Got a Hornet’s Nest in the Closet”
When Elizabeth called into the Ramsey Show for advice, Dave Ramsey painted quite the picture for her. “Pretend like you took a baseball bat and you hit a hornet’s nest and you threw the hornet’s nest in a closet and closed the door,” he said. If they dismiss their bankruptcy, “you’re getting ready to open the door” to all the creditors they owe money to – credit cards, personal loans and those pesky car payments.
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In other words, those creditors won’t be pleased. They’ll come after the couple “with everything they’ve got.” And Elizabeth knew it: “Oh Lord,” she responded, immediately grasping the gravity of what that meant. Filing for Chapter 13 might have put their creditors on pause, but dismissing the case would unleash the swarm and they’d need a solid plan to deal with the fallout.
“Some Stupid Decisions” and $91,000 in Debt
Let’s breakdown the numbers. Elizabeth and her husband owe $30,000 on each of their two cars and have about $25,000 in credit card debt. On top of that, there’s $6,000 in personal loans hanging over their heads. The irony? According to Elizabeth, these cars aren’t even worth what they owe – probably closer to $26,000 or $27,000.
Now that she’s back to work and they’ve stabilized their income, they’re ready to take control and dump their debt, but the bankruptcy payments are still choking their budget. With a combined monthly income of $5,100 after taxes, health insurance and a $1,400 rent payment, those debts feel like an anchor they just can’t pull up.
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The Path Forward: Opening the Door to the Hornets
Dave’s advice? If they want to voluntarily dismiss the Chapter 13 bankruptcy and avoid the hornets, they need a plan. “You’ve got to have a plan for taking care of every one of them if you’re going to open the door,” he explained. For starters, it’s time to sell those cars. And the good news is, Elizabeth and her husband have been saving up from their yard sales and hustling in gazelle mode. They’ve got enough to cover the difference and pay off the cars.
The personal loans, according to Dave, will be the toughest to deal with because those lenders are “bottom feeders” who will come after them hard and fast. On the other hand, credit card companies are “incompetent and inefficient,” giving them a bit more breathing room to set up payment plans. But once the bankruptcy protection is gone, the couple must stay on top of things and negotiate with creditors to keep the swarm at bay.
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Lesson Learned
Looking back, Elizabeth and her husband wish they hadn’t panicked and rushed into bankruptcy. Now, with a clearer head and some solid advice from Dave, they’re ready to dig out of debt the old-fashioned way – through hard work, sacrifice and patience. But one thing’s certain: they won’t forget Dave’s warning. They’ll be ready for whatever flies out when they open that door.
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This article ‘You Threw A Hornet’s Nest In The Closet’ — Couple Buried In $91,000 Debt Turns to Dave Ramsey After Panicking, Making Their Situation Worse originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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Sales of existing homes fell in September as house hunters remained on the fence about buying a home despite mortgage rates easing during the month.
Existing home sales slipped 1.0% from August’s tally to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That marked the lowest rate since October 2010. Economists polled by Bloomberg expected a pace of 3.88 million in September.
On a yearly basis, sales of previously owned homes were 3.5% lower in September. The median home price rose 3.0% from last September to $404,500, marking the 15th consecutive month of annual price increases.
“Home sales have been essentially stuck at around a 4 million-unit pace for the past 12 months,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a press release.
There have been significant challenges that have weighed on sales activity, including a lack of inventory, escalating prices, and elevated mortgage rates. Last month, however, those factors turned around.
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate by half a percentage point in September. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions influence their direction of movement.
Mortgage rates hit the lowest level since February 2023 ahead of the Fed decision to ease, while listing inventory picked up.
But overall, that hasn’t been enough to entice buyers.
“Some consumers are hesitating about moving forward with a major expenditure like purchasing a home before the upcoming election,” Yun said.
Tesla (TSLA) reported mixed third quarter results after the bell on Wednesday, but the stock jumped in after-hours trading as investors cheered the earnings beat, higher gross margins, and news that Tesla’s cheaper EV is on track for production next year.
For the quarter, Tesla reported revenue of $25.18 billion vs. $25.4 billion per Bloomberg consensus, higher than the $25.05 billion it reported in Q2 and also topping the $23.40 billion Tesla reported a year ago. Tesla posted adjusted EPS of $0.72 vs $0.60 expected, on adjusted net income of $2.5 billion and free cash flow of $2.9 billion.
The closely watched gross margin figure came in at 19.8%, much higher than the 16.8% expected.
Tesla shares were up nearly 8% in after hours trade.
“We delivered strong results in Q3 with growth in vehicle deliveries both sequentially and year-on-year, resulting in record third-quarter volumes,” the company said in its earnings deck. “Preparations remain underway for our offering of new vehicles — including more affordable models — which we will begin launching in the first half of 2025.”
Earlier this month, Tesla (TSLA) announced third quarter deliveries that slightly missed expectations, sending the stock lower.
Tesla said it delivered 462,890 vehicles in Q3, up 6.4% quarter over quarter, to mark the first quarter of delivery growth this year. The numbers also came in ahead of the 435,059 EVs the company delivered in the year-ago period. But Wall Street had expected Tesla to deliver closer to 463,897, according to Bloomberg.
“Refreshed Model 3 ramp continued successfully in Q3 with higher total production and lower cost of goods sold quarter-over-quarter. Cybertruck production increased sequentially and achieved a positive gross margin for the first time,” Tesla said in its report.
Tesla said it expects vehicle deliveries to achieve “slight growth” in 2024.
Ahead of Tesla’s Q3 disclosure, shares were down approximately 11% since Tesla revealed its robotaxi, dubbed the Cybercab, at its showy “We, Robot” event from the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, Calif., on Oct. 10.
The debut and release of a cheaper EV is what many analysts and industry watchers believe will spur the next leg higher of EV sales, as even CEO Elon Musk has said before. During its Q2 report, Tesla and Musk said the company remains on track for the production of new vehicles, likely including a cheaper EV, in the first half of next year.
Investors and analysts were left wanting more details from Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on the Cybercab itself and detailed testing plans, along with questions about the development of Tesla’s sub-$30,000 EV, dubbed the Model 2.
Transak disclosed a data breach affecting over 92,000 users after a phishing attack compromised an employee’s laptop.
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The Dow plummets more than 600 points and is on track for its worst day in more than a month
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and other major indexes suffered a steep decline Wednesday afternoon as the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note continued its upward climb, reaching 4.23%—a level not seen since July.
In the afternoon, the Dow dropped 631 points, or 1.4%, heading for its worst day in over a month. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the S&P 500 declined by 2.2% and 1.4%, respectively. However, there was some relief for investors as oil prices eased, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures trading around $70.65 per barrel.
The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released in the afternoon, reported that economic activity remained largely unchanged across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts, with the Southeast significantly impacted by a harsh storm season.
On Wednesday, all eyes are on Tesla (TSLA) as the company prepares to release its latest earnings report. Analysts expect earnings per share to be 60 cents, down from 66 cents a year ago but an improvement from 52 cents in the previous quarter, according to FactSet estimates. Revenue is projected to hit $25.4 billion, compared to $23.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and $25.5 billion in the preceding quarter.
Apart from Tesla, investors are closely monitoring earnings reports from other major corporations, including AT&T (T), Boeing (BA), and Coca-Cola (KO).
McDonald’s stock plunges over 5%
McDonald’s (MCD) shares took a sharp hit, falling over 5% after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the chain’s Quarter Pounder burgers to an E. coli outbreak. The outbreak has led to 10 hospitalizations and one death, driving a significant decline in McDonald’s stock during the afternoon trading session.
As of now, 49 cases have been reported across 10 states between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, with a majority of illnesses occurring in Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. The CDC noted that most of those affected had eaten a Quarter Pounder. Investigators are working swiftly to identify the contaminated ingredient.
Spirit Airlines stock soars 30%
After a failed attempt at merging with JetBlue (JBLU-0.80%), ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE+28.01%) is reportedly turning back to a familiar partner. The Wall Street Journal (NWSA-0.34%), citing people familiar with the matter, reports that Spirit and Frontier Airlines (ULCC+3.05%) are in early talks over a potential merger. The news sent Spirit’s stock soaring nearly 30% on Wednesday.
–Francisco Velasquez and Rocio Fabbro contributed to the article
The semi-autonomous region of Tanzania is taking advantage of a sandbox regulatory framework adopted in July.
Bitcoin’s correction ignited selling in altcoins, which are slipping below critical support levels.
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