Is a debt-free life achievable?
June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

A recent survey found that the average American has over $54,000 worth of debt. What type of debt are these people carrying? According to the survey 57% is credit card debt; 30% mortgages; 30% automobile loans; and 28% medical debt. The results of this survey are staggering, but not surprising. Total household debt increased by $394 billion (that's with a "b") in the fourth quarter of 2022. Confidence that these numbers will decrease is extremely low when considering the rising cost of living; rising interest rates; and all too often unexpected expenses associated with daily life.


Debt has the uncanny ability of derailing our short-term and long-term goals. So, what would you do if you were debt free? Popular answers include: living a "stress free" life; pursuing a different career; building that dream home; or finally take that dream vacation. 


Is a debt-free life achievable? First, analyze your situation. If you prioritized paying off your debt, would your standard of living change drastically or would you still be able to maintain a basic level of living? Also, how long would it take to pay off your debt? Will it take two years or ten? Is it sustainable under the current economic conditions?



If, after careful analysis, paying off your debt is not achievable or realistic, then you may want to consider bankruptcy.  While nobody wants to consider this option, bankruptcy exists for those who have no feasible way of climbing out of their situation. Justification for not filing bankruptcy is easy: decline in credit score; loss of property; or just the stigma associated with this option. However, most of those reasons are either short-sighted or simply non-existent. Bankruptcy is a viable option to eliminating the unrelenting struggle with debt. Even if you are having a difficult time accepting this as a viable option, contact a bankruptcy attorney to discuss your situation. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you find out.

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Your finances should be able to help you live the life you deserve. They shouldn’t be a source of constant stress. If you never have enough money to cover your bills, it is probably time for you to make some tough choices. One of these is whether you are going to continue to struggle to pay off debts or if you are going to file for bankruptcy. Just to be clear, bankruptcy isn’t an easy answer to your money woes. Instead, this is something that is going to take time and effort. You will have to go through counseling and take other steps before you will have the case finished. There are several considerations that you need to think about before you file. These can impact your life now and might have longer-lasting ones. For example, your credit report will reflect the fact that you did seek bankruptcy relief. This alone can make it more difficult for you to get credit in the future. We understand that you might feel like you don’t have any options right now. While bankruptcy isn’t usually anyone’s first choice, it can certainly help you regain control of your finances. Once you have this handled, your stress may decrease so that you can enjoy your life again.  If you are ready to file, be prepared to provide an accurate account of your financial situation. The court requires you to do this so that it can determine if you are eligible to file. Don’t worry – we are here to help you with this part of the case, as well as any others that need to be addressed.
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