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I have a question for anyone...

Any advice to someone like me who has played their financial cards very conservatively, but will soon have family members who have been finacially irresponsible coming begging?

I have a brother and two sisters - who have financially sucked my mother and father dry. When they all go bankrupt and lose their house / apartment and don't have a place to live, what do I do when they come calling me / knocking on my door?

Thats a hard one. Sounds like you have worked hard and did without to get were you are at and don't want to be sucked dry even by family. The best thing you could do for them is if they go belly up and come to you for help is to feed them if they are hungry and no more. Well you could help them get hooked with low income housing in your area, chech with feds or state on the web, they can help, you don't want to destroy your family with them living with you. I know that sounds hard and it is, but if you continue to enable them on their wrong way of life they will never learn. They have to go thru the hard times to learn.

Teach them what you have done, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. It won't be easy, but its the only way they will ever stand on their own and stop being leaches.

Good luck, I'll say a prayer for ya. :)

BigMack

First off, you have no obligation to take care of them. That being said, if you want to do it, make them sign a promisory note for any money you lend them. Charge them a rate of interest (it could be a favorable rate such as Prime). This will be a legal obligation for them to pay you back and since you would be considered a creditor, it would put you ahead in the line of others if they have to declare legal bankruptcy as secured creditors get paid off before unsecured. they might get ticked off that you want them to do this but you have an obligation to yourself to protect your interests.

Good luck.