Welcome back to our series of blog posts on the history and philosophy of the economy, bankruptcy, and debt – today we continue to discuss public benefits in the 20th-century public, other than traditional social security. 

One of the questions that we commonly hear is whether there are types of debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. Unfortunately for many debtors, there are, indeed, types of common debts that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, as well as some uncommon types. Over the course of the next several blog posts, we will discuss some of those debts. Note: this is not meant to be an all-inclusive list.

When a creditor has failed to obtain payments from the debtor, the creditor may sell the debt to a debt collector. If the debt collector or creditor is still unable to collect on the debt they may employ a law firm to pursue the debt through a lawsuit. The initial start of the lawsuit begins with notice to the debtor that they are being sued.  

It’s very common for people to be jointly liable for debt as co-signers. For example, students going to college often require their parents, or another adult, to be a co-signer in order to be approved for a student loan. People who do not have a great credit history may need someone to co-sign on other types of loans like home mortgages, car loans, or personal loans in order to be approved for financing. It’s also common for married couples to be jointly liable for other debts such as credit card and medical debt.

If you have debt that is piling up and you have found yourself in a situation where you just simply cannot keep up with your monthly bills, but you also have been wise about saving for retirement, it can be awful tempting to see that retirement fund as a piggy bank that you can use now to pay off your debt and get back on track. DON’T DO IT! Read more to find out why!

     If you live in Minnesota, and you are struggling with a debt problem, you can solve your debt problem for good in 2 steps:

Within your bankruptcy schedules, there are two types of debt that the bankruptcy court require you to disclose – secured and unsecured.  Understanding what type of debt a bankruptcy debtor has will help them understand their bankruptcy better and with their finances once they’ve completed their bankruptcy. 

Are you considering foregoing a bankruptcy filing in favor of attempting to settle your debt? Whether you're attempting to settle debt directly with your creditors or with some third-party debt relief agency, it is important to first consider the potential tax consequences that will arise from pursuing debt settlement.