U.S. Consumer Bankruptcies Rose 24 Percent in August

U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings rose 24 percent in August from the previous year to 119,874, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute and National Bankruptcy Research Center.

“Consumers continue to turn to bankruptcy as a shield from the sustained financial pressures of today’s economy,” said Samuel Gerdano, the executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute. “As a result, we expect consumer filings to top 1.4 million this year.”

While the August figure was an increase over the prior year, filings declined from July’s total of 126,434, the groups said in a statement. (more)