Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability by an individual, or business, to pay their creditors. The declaration is known as seeking bankruptcy protection (from creditors) or initiating a bankruptcy filing. Unsecured debts -- like credit card balances -- are typically in peril in bankruptcy filings. But recent changes to the U.S. bankruptcy code have seen more consumers forced to file Chapter 13, which requires a debt repayment plan, rather than Chapter 7, which effectively wipes out unsecured debt.

See all Topics

Subprime Loan Worries Hammer Stocks Tuesday; Delinquency Rate Near 5%

14 March 2007

CEO of Chase Card Services to Apologize to Senate Committee Today

7 March 2007

U.S. Business Bankruptcies to Increase by 12% in 2007

28 February 2007

Another Collection Agency Finds Success After Bankruptcy Reform

27 February 2007

Legislative Summit Aims to Create a Federal Law to Regulate Credit Counseling

13 February 2007

UK Debt Management Firms Hitting Snag Over Payment Plans

29 January 2007

UK Regulator Liquidates Two Commercial Collectors

18 January 2007

Supreme Court May Allow Creditors to Recoup Fees in Bankruptcy Cases

17 January 2007

Executive Change: Jody Jimerson to B-Line, LLC

19 December 2006

U.S. Corporate Bankruptcies To Rise 17% in 2007

18 December 2006

Unsecured Creditors - Challenges after Bankruptcy Reform

14 December 2006

AADMO to Release IRS Training Video for Credit Counseling Agency Investigations

8 December 2006

Court Appoints Chicago Debt Exchange to Sell Preference Judgments

8 December 2006

Bankruptcy's Big Winners: The ARM Industry

8 December 2006

U.S. Charges 78 With Bankruptcy Fraud

8 December 2006

Experian Sheds New Light on the Dramatic Rise in UK Insolvencies

8 December 2006

New Bankruptcy Law Leaves More Bad Debt For Asta To Collect

8 December 2006

Bankruptcy Filings Drop Under New Law

8 December 2006

Bankruptcy Reform is One Year Old: Consumer Education Emerges as Key Issue

8 December 2006

Bankruptcy Filings on the Rise Again, Likely to Return to Pre-2005 Law Levels

8 December 2006