LendingTree

The exact form of this relief will depend on what type of bankruptcy you qualify for.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy can discharge eligible debts entirely, but requires the filer to forfeit non-exempt assets and property, whereas with Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you won't have to forfeit any property, but you'll need to set up a repayment plan to pay back creditors, said LendingTree.

Why do people file for bankruptcy? In short, for relief.

as soon as you file for bankruptcy an automatic stay takes effect temporarily halting creditors from pursuing collection actions against you including lawsuits foreclosures and wage garnishment said investopedia And while it is generally a last resort, if you have exhausted all other alternatives, bankruptcy may be the only way to get the financial relief you're seeking, potentially even offering a fresh financial start after you do the requisite work said Experian.

If you are approved, you will likely pay a steeper interest rate.

Bankruptcy can also result in you losing some of your assets, for instance.

Under Chapter 7, if you have a lot of home equity and your home isn't protected from sale, your trustee might choose to sell it, said LendingTree.

As such, before you go down this path, it is worth considering some bankruptcy alternatives.

Three Florida metro areas are among the nation's top ten boom towns.

According to a recent LendingTree study, the report ranks Tampa fifth.

Jacksonville, 7th, and Orlando, 8th, among the country's 50 largest metro areas.

Researchers looked at factors including population growth, housing construction, job growth, earnings, and new business activity.

I mean, it's actually really interesting because we see this in the data.

There's an online platform called LendingTree, and they released a study earlier this year which showed that nationwide, people who have a mortgage pay more every month, pay 37% more every month than people who rent.

And the place where that gap is the widest is the San Francisco Bay metro area.

It seems like there's always going to be have to be a trade off if you decide to have kids here.

Despite 88% of cardholders feeling confident in their understanding of how credit cards affect scores, 59% say carrying a small balance will improve their score.

Now, I think LendingTree is completely wrong here.

I do think carrying a small balance on...

Basically, if you have a zero balance across all your cards, I've seen this many times in my own credit report, your score will go down compared to having a small balance on one card or some cards.

Because remember, when your statement prints, they report that and you can still pay it off every month and you don't pay interest.

So you can show a balance on your credit report and not pay interest.

Yeah, I think that's what LendingTree is leaning into here.

They didn't do a great job of explaining that, but I think it is like carrying a balance and they think that helps them, which isn't the case.

But increasingly, how people are using pay later services is changing and maybe not for the good.

Nearly half of BNPL users say they've made late payments in the last year, according to LendingTree.

And more people are using these loans to cover rent and utilities.

Stacey Cowley wrote about this for The New York Times.

Nearly all retirees carry debt that isn't a mortgage, car loans, or credit card balance, for example.

The median amount is $11,349, according to a 2025 analysis by LendingTree.

That can cost you dearly.

LendingTree also says the average credit card interest rate in June of this year was 24%, meaning that on an $11,349 balance, you would pay about $227 in monthly interest fees.

Pro tip, pay down the debt with the highest interest rates first.

Take the required minimum distribution.