Can debt counseling help consumers? The service is intended to guide consumers out of debt and steer clear of bankruptcy or other life altering consequences, yet the legitimacy of such debt counseling is being called into question after recent reports showed bankruptcies up 20%. The stark reality of the economic downturn is reflected in court statistics showing U.S. bankruptcy filings rose 20% from June 2009 to June 2010.
A report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts released Tuesday indicates Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings, which forgive most debts, were up 25 percent over the 12-month period to more than 1.1 million filings.
Chapter 13 filings, which require debtors to repay some of their debt, rose 10 percent and Chapter 11 filings, used mostly by businesses to reorganize debt, were up 2 percent with 14,272 filings.
The more than 1.5 million filings marked the highest number of bankruptcies in a 12-month period since Congress passed the bankruptcy reform act five years ago, The Hill said.
Overall, bankruptcy court filings by individuals increased 21 percent and business bankruptcies were up 8 percent from June to June.
