Friday, March 23, 2012

Protocol for Filing of Bankruptcy at the Insolvency Service UK



The Procedures Laid Down by the Insolvency Service UK for Bankruptcy Petitions

Insolvency Service UK
 
How to File Petitions at the Insolvency Service UK

The Insolvency Service UK has implemented a system for UK citizens who wish to file for self bankruptcy or petition someone else, a debtor who owes them money, to have a bankruptcy order.

The first thing petitioners have to do is to visit the local court of the place where they’ve resided for the last six months and acquire Form 6.27. This is the bankruptcy petition form that will get the petition for bankruptcy started. They also need to fill out form 6.28 or the statement of affairs form. This is actually a declaration of insolvency that will also contain details of assets, liabilities and creditors’ information.

Like all other processes involving the services of government offices, there are fees to be paid for those who are filing for bankruptcy. Although forms 6.27 and 6.28 may be acquired for free and are also available through the internet, petitioners need to submit these forms and formally file them to the courts.

Fees Imposed by the Insolvency Service UK

An administration fee or deposit worth £360 is required upon filing the petition for bankruptcy. This could be followed by a court fee, which is worth £150. The Insolvency Service UK does not make this compulsory and the addition of this fee depends on the financial capacity of the person being petitioned for. It is possible that it will no longer be charged if the debtor is already too bogged down by the additional burden of debt repayments and asset liquidation.

There is a £7 additional fee too if the petitioner who wishes to file for self bankruptcy swears his statement of affairs or declaration of insolvency at the High Court or before a solicitor.

The insolvency practitioner and trustees assigned to the case are also entitled to receive their own fees. However, their pay is taken from the estate of the bankrupt individual. These amounts are therefore dependent on the money derived from the bankrupt’s assets and are already agreed upon along with the creditors at the very beginning. The creditors may have their input in this matter since the insolvency practitioner and trustees will practically be taking portions of the money which, by rights, should all be used for debt repayment.

Speaking of debt repayment, all other payments will be directed towards repayment of debts. Additionally, the Insolvency Service UK is very strict at demanding honesty from bankrupts. Those who are found to have hidden assets in an attempt to exclude them from the bankruptcy process will face serious legal consequences.

A Proposed Adjustment for Bankruptcy Applications to the Insolvency Service UK

Last November 2011 a proposal was forwarded to the Insolvency Service UK regarding the involvement of the courts in the filing for bankruptcy. It suggests that for cases where the debtor files for bankruptcy himself, or when the parties involved in a bankruptcy order aren’t in conflict, the courts should no longer have to get involved. The proposal goes that the courts should only interfere when there are disputes and conflicts to settle among debtors and creditors.

Be guided in dealing with the Insolvency Service UK and filing for bankruptcy with Bridgestones UK.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Corporate Debt Spreads: A Guide for the Finance Illiterate


Understanding Corporate Debt Spreads and Their Uses

What are Corporate Debt Spreads?

Corporate Debt Spreads
 Corporatedebt spreads (often used interchangeable with corporate bond spreads) are the net values or the calculated difference between the yields of corporate bonds and government bonds. These values are demonstrated by a yield curve or a graph plotting the yields of bonds for various maturities. These maturity periods are usually measured by years.

Other than this basic definition of corporate debt spreads, it is difficult to delve deeper into what are its determinants, how to say that a given value for a spread is good for a corporation or not, or what causes the occurrence of variations. Even finance and economic experts themselves are unable to come up with a single, universal explanation for it.

What are the Uses of Corporate Debt Spreads?

According to a study published at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (FRBSF) Economic Research and Educational Resources publication, there are many components in corporate debt spreads. Each of them has its own significance and can inflict an impact on the variations of a spread. This is why experts can only give partial explanations as to what constitutes the variations, and these explanations often vary too.

It is therefore difficult to use corporate debt spreads as a tool for measuring the financial health of a corporation. To insist in doing so would require a systematic breakdown and analysis of the components of a corporate debt spread.

What a spread does do, however, is determine the value of a bond. Investors use spreads for evaluating the risks involved when faced with the prospect of purchasing corporate bonds instead of government bonds.

Spreads are also used to determine whether or not a corporation has a high risk of defaulting on its debts. This has got to do with how a credit rating agency rates a corporation. For instance, if the credit rating agency upgrades a bond, the spread will show a narrowing between the government bond and corporate bond. If it does otherwise, the spread will show a widening gap between the two.

By observing corporate debt spreads, we can also gain an idea about the current condition of the economy. When a corporate debt spread widens it means, as stated above, that the credit risk of a corporate bond—and therefore its possibility to go on default—has increased. This can then be alluded to a poor economy suffering from inflation. A narrowing spread, on the other hand, suggests that a corporation is enjoying high-priced bonds. This can be assumed as due to an economic expansion.

Learn More about Corporate Debt Spreads from Bridgestones’ Experts

There’s still more to corporate debt spreads that finance and economic experts can explain further. If you want to know more about them and their potential role in a corporate financial problem, the experts here at Bridgestones can help you. As a company dedicated to providing corporate debt solutions, Bridgestones will discuss and explore all viable options available for corporations to finally break free of their respective financial problems.  

Understanding corporate debt spreads and whether or not it can work as a forecaster of a corporation’s financial climate will be easier with Bridgestones UK.