U.S. bankruptcy filings hit record for period
Bill Zimmerman has been helping people straighten out their financial struggles via bankruptcy for more than 20 years, and what he's witnessed the past few months has depressed him.
( BY DEB GRUVER, The Wichita Eagle, 08/16/2002 11:34 AM PDT)

Finding life after filing bankruptcy
Is there life after bankruptcy? Yes, it's possible to rebuild your financial life, but it's going to take time and vigilance. "There is life after bankruptcy, but a person has to ask themselves what kind of life after bankruptcy do they want to have?" said John Ventura, a consumer-bankruptcy attorney in Brownsville, Texas, who's written several books on consumer money and legal issues.
( By Pamela Yip, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 08/12/2002 09:06 AM PDT)

Bankruptcies could burgeon as many try to avoid new rules
With a landmark bankruptcy bill speeding through Congress, consumer groups say that financially strapped Americans might start flooding into bankruptcy court now to avoid the new rules.
( By JESSE J. HOLLAND, The Associated Press, 07/30/2002 10:47 AM PDT)

Bill makes bankruptcy laws tough
Congressional negotiators announced Thursday that they had reached agreement on a bill that would rewrite the bankruptcy laws, making it much harder for people to escape their debts when they declare bankruptcy.
( By Philip Shenon, New York Times, 07/26/2002 08:39 AM PDT)

White House: Bush to sign bankruptcy bill
President Bush will sign into law compromise legislation overhauling the nation's bankruptcy laws, the White House said on Friday. "The president looks forward to signing that. That bill enjoys widespread bipartisan support for good reasons," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
( Reuters, 07/26/2002 08:27 AM PDT)

Equity shield cap proposed
Congressional staff trying to reconcile the House and Senate versions of bankruptcy legislation have added an Enron-inspired amendment to the list of items to haggle over: a proposal to severely cut the amount of home equity that an individual who has violated federal securities law could shield from creditors during bankruptcy.
( BY KATHLEEN DAY, Washington Post Service, 05/16/2002 02:53 PM PDT)

Bankruptcies rise to record level
Consumers spent so freely during the recession that record numbers found themselves in heavy debt and filed for bankruptcy.
( MARCY GORDON, AP Business Writer, 05/16/2002 11:17 AM PDT)