Americans are going broke in record numbers. In 2005 Congress overhauled the bankruptcy system to stem the tide of filings. What's behind the boom in going bust?

Download the radio documentary or read the transcript.


Millions of people work on the fringes of the collections and credit industries, profiting as Americans rack up record amounts of personal debt.


Has bankruptcy affected you? Tell us your story or read the stories of others.


Are you a candidate for bankruptcy? Use these financial calculators to find out.


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Memphis is a city bedeviled with high rates of bankruptcy. Spend a day in bankruptcy hearings and hear stories from the economic edge.

Meet two people who filed for bankruptcy with very different attitudes toward the experience.

A fed-up bankruptcy judge wants people to learn to handle their money better so they don't wind up in his court.