Rating: 
Summary: This book is excellent!
Review: The ideas in this book really work. My credit scores started to go up after applying what I learned.
Rating: 
Summary: Mostly a waste of time
Review: Snyder takes on a very moralistic tone throughout the entire book. Granted, he does give some very useful ideas, but they're often accompanied by passages from The Bible, or other religious ramblings. He also insists that we all pay back all of our debt, even after its discharged through Chapter 7 bankruptcy, again, taking on a "holier-than-thou" stance on the issue. I became suspicious early in the book where he brags about all of the credit he and his wife obtained soon after filing for bankruptcy. It's odd: On one hand, he suggests that filing for bankruptcy is a terrible thing; on the other, his aggressiveness in obtaining new credit makes him sound like a bit of a shark. I'm also alarmed that he celebrates the huge loans and material possessions he and his wife acquired after filing for bankruptcy. Aren't these the reasons that many of us got into financial trouble in the first place? If you're a very religious person, or you truly feel a need to obtain large amounts of credit following bankruptcy, this book may be good for you. Otherwise, I recommend the no-nonsense books about bankruptcy and other legal issues published by Nolo Press.
Rating: 
Summary: Trying to be objective
Review: After my husband & I filed bankruptcy a few months ago, we received an "invitation" to Snyder's free seminar, promising information on avoiding predatory lenders, improving credit scores, etc. I RSVP'd for both of us to attend the seminar, then came to Amazon to check out the book (also mentioned in the seminar flyer) I read every review and frankly was astounded by the sheer emotion of the reviews! People either love this guy. Or they hate him. So I was intrigued. Having earned my living analyzing and teaching literature (until massive illness kept me from working for several years--thus our bankruptcy), I thought this would be an interesting project. I reviewed most of the post-bankruptcy books in the Seattle Library System. And I read this book, which does have the notorious "Church" chapter that advises getting in touch with God, going to church, and giving a larger chunk of money than most of us can afford to your church. Having read this, I admit, I was also was pretty worried that the seminar would be a "Come to Jesus" convention, in which my husband and I had absolutely no interest. But my husband is a good sport; so we went anyhow. (We sat by a door, just in case we decided to leave) To be on the safe side, I read the whole book BEFORE attending the seminar, so that my views of the book weren't affected by the seminar (good or bad). I realize that unlike many books, Snyder's is difficult to review without discussing the seminar that accompanies it for many readers. Here's my analysis:
1. The book, standing alone, is good. It's not great. It's not bad. Snyder simplified assertions (like never using "bancs" with a "c," only banks with a "k,") seem pretty ridiculous on the surface. His underlying idea, try to stay away from finance companies, and try to borrow only from mainstream lenders, is sound. "Bank vs. banc" is simple and easy to remember. But there are certainly numerous exceptions. Clever, but not great writing. Most of us know, by now, that we'll probably need to get secured credit cards, but Snyder's list of questions to ask before you even fill out an application is useful. If your new Visa is reported to the credit bureaus as "secured," that's kind of defeating the whole point. This book contains numerous tidbits of information that, if you're new to this credit-rebuilding game, could be beneficial. Yes, as several prior reviewers have said, most of the information in Snyder's book can be found for free if you take the time to research the Internet or your local public library. And if you're one of those people who likes to surf around and spend hours reading your monitor, then yeah, none of the bankruptcy books are going to tell you anything new. But many of us are busy, and perhaps, honestly, with a bit of soul-searching, some of us might admit to having been a bit sloppy with our finances. Printing up a ton of Internet webpages seems like a great idea at the time, but will you really read them, organize and refer to them in the future? Maybe a bound book (this or another like it) that you can keep on your desk or nightstand to refer to, isn't such a bad idea. 2. The book, if you've attended the seminar, is great to supplement the seminar, as a refresher (to read a few weeks/months after the seminar) and as a resource guide. Coordinated with the book, Snyder's seminar is quite good. He provides information that is not in his book (2nd edition in the works?). Yes, he has a "Church Speech" (which lasted about 5-7 minutes). He even provided an 800 number for a non-denominational national Bible study group. I thought that was a bit much. But included in the Church Speech were two points that I thought were valid 1. Forgive yourself. You declared bankruptcy. It's not the end of the world. You're not a bad person. Forgive yourself. 2. Learn to give some money away. It doesn't have to be to a church. Choose a charity. Any charity. Good things come back to those who give. Snyder himself is a dynamic speaker, although he can be smug (his references to his personal banker reveals that his book/seminar circuit is million-dollar venture, only 9 years after his own bankruptcy.) The seminar also included local lenders and experts who have programs specifically for those who have filed for bankruptcy (These "sponsors" pay for the seminar, so that it's free to attendees, including parking). The lenders seemed helpful but not pushy. If you buy the book, you can mail in a request for lender information, even if you have not attended a seminar. Even my husband thought the seminar was worth four hours of a Saturday morning. Conclusion: Snyder isn't the Savior some of the other reviewers think/profess he is. Nor does he deserve the venom from some of the others. It's a decent book. Skip the Church chapter if you're so inclined (and the church paragraphs which pop up here & there). I couldn't find any excellent books on life after bankruptcy. This about as good a book as you'll get on the topic, for now. As our numbers grow (unfortunately), there will be more (hopefully better) books published on the topic. And it's clear that Snyder's making a lucrative career out of advising the BK crowd, and is establishing connections along the way. I wouldn't be surprised if he writes another book, or cuts a 2nd edition of this one soon. In the interim, this one is pretty good...
Rating:
Summary: Credit After Bankruptcy
Review: Very usefull book!! Really helps you recover both financially and emotionally from this stressfull time of your life. I highly recommend this book and if you get a chance to go to his seminar...GO!
Rating:
Summary: SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ANYONE IN HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE
Review: This book should be required reading for anyone who has or will have credit. Even though the information is readily available FOR THOSE WHO KNOW HOW TO LOOK, and not everyone does, it is nice to have it all compiled in a single source. My oldest children are highly motivated to acquire the RIGHT kind of credit, and keep it. This is a good tool for them and well worth the price. The Snyders are not scam artists. We have friends who are using the service, we all attended a seminar together, and they have almost all of the negative information removed in less than 6 months. This should be required reading for high school students, as it really drives home the kinds of credit that are good, bad and neither, and the importance of keeping it clean. Too many kids are racking up high credit bills and learning the lesson the hard way. I wish I had known about good credit and how valuable it was before I racked up too much of it!
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Rating:
Summary: Help Is On The Way
Review: Great read to help educate yourself about how to proceed wih your life after bankruptcy. The layperson needs to understand what has just happened to them and their credit history after filing for bankruptcy. Life goes on but...individuals need to take an active role in getting their credit history back on track and this book explains what, when, where, and how to do so.
Rating:
Summary: Good Advice
Review: The advice in this book makes recovery after bankruptcy seem easy.....and it is if you follow the steps.
Rating:
Summary: A plethora useful Information
Review: This book is packed full of great information that one can put to use right away. Granted some of the info in the book is available for free from various agencies, but I can't imagine doing that much research on my own. In my opinion, the time-savings alone far outweigh the modest cost of the book.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must-read!
Review: In summary: I bought the book tonight, and finished it in one sitting. Absolutely critical, well written guide to re-establishing credit after bankruptcy... personal anecdotes from the author help to illustrate the process and prove it can be done, if done correctly. Everyone possible in my life has offered me advice; but then again, they've never gone through a bankruptcy and don't have a clue how stressful and confusing the process afterward can be. This book comes HIGHLY recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: General Bankruptcy Information along Christian Guidelines
Review: I received a piece of mail at home one afternoon. It was from the folks that wrote "Credit after Bankruptcy." I was excited to think there was valuable information in this book. After reading the brochure, I went immediately and purchased the book. I read it in 2 days - and can honestly say 80% of everything in the book I already knew - and that 80% of information was FREE. It has some good content, but I think there has got to be a better book out there. I am exploring my religious beliefs as a Christian - and if you are a Christian - he preaches the word well in this book. He ties it in nicely. But I didn't want a book about Christian principles, I wanted a book about CREDIT AFTER BANKRUPTCY.
When your trying to recover from something like that - you can not just give your money away. You have to rebuild - THEN START GIVING. Or you'll end up giving all your money away - and still have bad credit. Warning: 80% of this books knowledge can be obtained for FREE.
Check it out in a LIBRARY FIRST. Not quite worth the money.
As noted in the book, I called the foundation for information, and each time was told they no longer provide the service. ???
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