RE: Never heard of it Stephen Snyder and his wife put these on in major cities periodically. My understanding is that they have written a book called "credit after bankruptcy". I hope I got the title right. They will be in S. Cal. soon.
Snyder's seminars are great Jim, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend Stephen Snyder's seminar and book to people who have been through a bankruptcy or are considering it. (Every BK attorney should give clients copies of Snyder's book.) Snyder is a good speaker with lots of learned-hard advice and "been there" stories. And yes, the seminar and even parking are free. How is he able to do this? Well, the seminar has about a half-dozen sponsors -- folks such as Ford Credit (which, if I remember correctly, has helped both of us get new vehicles at great rates right after discharge), Bradley Ross (a credit-repair law firm that the Snyders' foundation owns -- I believe Snyder bought the firm after it got his BK deleted), mortgage brokers, etc. But all of the folks the Snyders associate with seem to be first-rate, and there is no hard sell. (Other than Ford. He's talks about Ford the way we do -- if you're just out of a BK and want great rates, it's the only way to go. But he also says if another car company starts offering the program Ford does, he'll be happy to tell people about it.) No, it's more "these folks help folks with a BK -- you can talk to them during the break if you want." Heck, he'll even tell you that if you attend the seminar you don't need to buy his book -- they both cover the same things. And Snyder also uses the seminar to let folks need they are not alone. He's a little religious, so he'll talk about the important of charity (though he'll tell you the choice of charity is a personal matter). He'll talk about not making the same mistakes again, and the importance of saving and investing. He'll have you shake your neighbor's hand and say "I'm Jim, and I declared bankruptcy." Sounds hokey, but it sure helped me feel better a few months after discharge. Even the mortgage banker got up before the crowd and announced he once declared bankruptcy. I was so great to come out of there thinking I haven't ruined my life for the next 10 years. (Look at the people on the board who are six, eight years past discharge and still have trouble getting credit -- because they didn't realize they should start rebuilding as soon as they received the discharge letter.) That said, you seem to be pretty well on your way to rebuilding your credit. You already know a lot of the things he'll tell people. From what you've posted, your credit report is looking good, and you're getting good credit now. Still, now I know most of the things he talks about, too, and I plan to go again when he is back in the area. I'll be closer to being ready to buy a house, so I'll want to focus on that. I hope to talk to a mortgage broker at that time. ShyGuy PS -- He's not a big fan of credit unions, but only because the ones he came across didn't report to the CRAs. (I remember you've had pretty good luck with credit unions.) He's big on doing everything you can to build your FICO.
Thanks - Very interesting. I have not talked about Ford credit as it upsets 2 people here who apparently had bad experiences. But the invitation mentions auto loans at 2.9%. So I am not surprised that it is Ford. What's ironic is that I really wanted my truck (Explorer). I didn't know that Ford was trolling for customers at these seminars. Yes I am a big fan of credit unions. Belong to 5 of them now. Will be mortgage shopping in 2 years.
Website? Also, when and where are the seminars. I might consider flying out. Is there a contact number for his seminars?
RE: Thanks - Very interesting. I don't think Ford is trolling for customers. I think when Snyder is coming to a town, he calls the local Ford dealers and says he knows Ford Credit has the best program for people rebuilding credit after a BK. Then he interviews the business managers to see if he can find one he thinks will be especially helpful to people coming off a BK. If he finds a dealership he likes, he invites them to be a sponsor. Actually, his story about how he ended up at Ford -- after his car was repossessed -- is pretty funny when he tells it. Now he can probably tell you what FICO score you need to get financed at any dealership. Maybe it's an act, but Snyder seems to be sincere in wanting to help people. As for the people who hate Ford, well I hate American Express -- yet I don't keep harping about it on the board and keep trying to talk people out of applying for an Amex card. Let's face it: Ford has the best program for people recovering from a BK. If they would rather pay double-digit interest rates to a no-name finance company, so be it. I'm happy the local Ford dealer got me a Taurus at 4.9 percent three months after discharge. And like you, I got the car I wanted. My wife and I are thrilled with how Ford has treated us. As for credit unions, I think Snyder would probably say if you find one that reports to the CRAs, go for it. One of his big themes is you need creditors who report your good payment history so you can rebuild your FICO scores.
http://www.afterbankruptcy.com Snyder has seminars all over the country, and they are free. Unfortunately, the web site no longer lists the seminar schedule. But the contact info is still there, so maybe you can email or call and ask about getting an invitation. Again, the URL is: http://www.afterbankruptcy.com Also, his book is Credit After Bankruptcy by Stephen Snyder. You can order from his web site, or you should be able to get it from your favorite online. (I think I got mine from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.)
