Before you file bankruptcy, you should take steps to plan for bankruptcy in terms of protecting assets that you wish to retain, and considering whether to reaffirm any of your debts. Some assets are exempt from bankruptcy proceedings, in that you cannot be forced to forfeit them in order to pay off your debts. Other assets, however, are non-exempt, which means that they can be seized in order to pay your creditors. By converting some assets from non-exempt to exempt status, you may legally be able to protect some of your assets during your bankruptcy proceedings. You also may wish to reaffirm, or continue paying, some of your debts. For instance, if you wish to retain a vehicle, and are able to afford the loan payments thereon, you may be able to sign a reaffirmation agreement that keeps the terms of your vehicle loan in effect.