Reasons why people get into debt

With the holiday coming around, we all have a lot to be thankful for. It's a season where shopping, eating, and family are celebrated among love ones. Not surprisingly, my office usually slows down around this time of year because people are trying to stay positive and cheerful.

Reading some of the comments from my previous posts, there might have been some misunderstanding because I feel like I might have inadvertently misled some readers into thinking that debt issues/problems only occur to people who are irresponsible with their money or overspend. While there is some truth to that belief, the number one reason why people file bankruptcy in the United States is for medical reasons. This shouldn't come as a surprise since the U.S. still has a long way to go on health care policies.

Unless employed with a financially-sound company that subsidizes health insurance, health insurance is prohibitively expensive to many people who have to buy their own. Those with health insurance through their employer typically pay $40 per pay check toward health insurance; the employer pays the other $300-400. This causes a problem to those who are either unemployed or work for a company that can't afford health insurance for its employees. These folks can't afford to pay for health insurance. One bad health incident can lead to a life-time worth of debt.

The number two cause of debt issues is change in circumstances. Divorce, unemployment, market changes, etc. can transform someone who was making six-figure income into someone who depends on public assistance to pay rent in a matter of months. It is natural for humans to be financially optimistic about ones future. People borrow money to survive until the worse is over... unfortunately, creditors can't wait.

As you can see, the top two reasons that people go into debt have nothing to do with being irresponsible with money or living beyond one's means. Life is full of surprises, some will leave you debt!

Happy holiday everyone!