When To Declare Bankruptcy

If you're overwhelmed by your debts,

bankruptcy is just one option.................. By GREG DAUGHERTY Updated April 03, 2022 Reviewed by ERIKA RASURE Fact checked by JIWON MA

If you have large debts that you can’t repay, are behind in your mortgage payments and in danger of foreclosure, are being harassed by bill collectors—or all of the above—declaring bankruptcy might be your answer. Or it might not be. Bankruptcy can, in some cases, reduce or eliminate your debts, save your home and keep those bill collectors at bay, but it also has serious consequences, including long-term damage to your credit score. That, in turn, can hamper your ability to borrow in the future, raise the rates you pay for insurance, and even make it difficult to get a job.