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2013 Conference

April 10–12, 2013

The Benson Hotel, Portland, Oregon

This section lists poster sessions as well as concurrent sessions by day, time, and room. Concurrent sessions have multiple presentations. You may search by title, author names, or keyword. A Schedule-at-a-Glance is posted on the Website and will provide the overview. This is the detail.

The Risk of Becoming the Biggest Loser: Using Bankruptcy to Save the American Dream

Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 2:15 PM–3:45 PM PDT
Oxford Room (Breakout Session C)
Major Area of Focus

Other

If you selected "Other," please describe in 250 characters or fewer

Bankruptcy

Secondary area of focus

Housing

Short Abstract

Consumers often find that attaining an asset, like a house, is a challenge, only to discover that maintaining it can seem impossible. For participants of the study, bankruptcy was used as a measure of asset protection. Twenty-four consumers filing Chapter 13 were interviewed while waiting for creditor meetings at bankruptcy court. Twelve had mortgages and half of these participants, representing couples, were selected for the study. Data from surveys, interviews, and bankruptcy records were used to identify themes that reflect the status of participants’ employment, housing, and financial condition. Results indicated that changes in employment status modified income, adversely affecting the consumer’s ability to meet their monthly mortgage. According to participants, bankruptcy was a last resort measure to avoid foreclosure after efforts to negotiate better mortgage terms failed. This study addresses this gap by using qualitative research to explore bankruptcy as a form of asset protection, based on feedback from consumers. 

Corresponding Author

[photo]
Rita W. Green, Ed.D., Mississippi State University-Extension Service
Job Title

Family Resource Management Extension Agent

City & State (or Province & Country)

Grenada, MS

Additional Authors

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