Debtors Dealt Blow by New Bankruptcy Laws

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After debating the issue for almost adecade, Congress has decided to give theUS bankruptcy laws a makeover. The alterationswill essentially make it more difficultfor Americans to escape the burden ofhigh debt through bankruptcy's back door.No, Chapter 7 isn't going away; it will stillbe an option for those who need extrahelp digging out of debt, but now there's acatch. Filers must first pass an income-basedtest before the government allowsthem to file Chapter 7. Under the newlaws, those who can prove asset andincome insufficiency pass the test. However,those who earn more than the medianincome in their state and can payat least $6000 over 5years (ie, $100 a month)must file Chapter 13 insteadand agree to a repaymentplan. The BankruptcyReform Bill also requires those inbankruptcy to attend credit counseling.