Bankruptcy is little more than a smack on the hand these days. Creditors are certainly not going to look at you as a wise credit risk after bankruptcy, but that will probably not stop them from extending credit to you anyways. It seems a bit odd that consumers appear to be rewarded for skipping out on their debts through bankruptcy. We would like to think that anyone who files for bankruptcy must really need the relief to be willing to tarnish their credit for up to 10 years. But how many people are simply abusing the system? Obtaining credit cards and other loans knowing up front that they are going to file for bankruptcy. Some people will even keep up the payments for a while to create the illusion that they really had good intentions of paying upon obtaining the credit. Then they laugh to themselves when they file bankruptcy, knowing they got one over on the creditor. Once bankruptcy has been discharged for a consumer, it if often easier, than before they filed for bankruptcy, to obtain new lines of credit. Some creditors, often ignorantly, view your clean slate as expendable income. Now that you have gotten rid of all of your debt through bankruptcy, you have more money to spend. Many creditors will be happy to take that money and lend to your next bankruptcy proceeding. This isnt to say that everyone who has a bankruptcy on their record is going to be irresponsible with credit again. But the harsh reality is, most will. Most people know what they are getting into when they add more and more payments to their monthly plate, but they are looking for instant gratification. Bankruptcy courts wouldnt be so full today if this country wasnt so bent on instant gratification, but bankruptcy is just another form of it, so off to court we go. |
