In 2000, over 1.2 million households filed for personal bankruptcy, which represents more than 1percent of all U.S. households. Figure 1A shows that there has been a significant increase in the numberof bankruptcy filings over the last twenty-eight years. Filings increased steadily since 1985, with the totalnumber of filings exceeding one million per year since 1997. Interestingly, as inclusion of the GDPgrowth rate in Figure 1A suggests, bankruptcy filings do not seem to be sensitive to the business cycle.
In 2000, over 1.2 million households filed for personal bankruptcy, which represents more than 1percent of all U.S. households. Figure 1A shows that t...
