What Those Economists Won’t Tell You About Your Debt Options
Steve Rhode just wrote about how 10 out of 13 economists agree that household debt is a major concern. And he’s right—but here’s the thing: economists are great at identifying problems. They’re not so great at telling you what to actually DO about it.
That’s where I come in. I talk to people every single day who are living what those economists are describing. So let me translate their academic concerns into something actually useful.
The “K-Shaped Economy” in Real Life
One of the economists talked about the “K-shaped economy”—where higher earners are doing fine while everyone else is drowning. I see this play out in my consultations constantly.
Here’s what that looks like in real life: I had a client last month. Household income of $95,000. On paper, that sounds pretty good, right? But between the mortgage, car payments, childcare, and minimum payments on $67,000 in credit card debt, they were short about $800 a month.
Every month. Short $800.
So what were they doing? Putting groceries and gas on the credit cards. Which is exactly what that economist meant by “forced debt accumulation.” They weren’t buying vacations or designer clothes. They were buying milk and filling the tank to get to work.
When I looked at their situation, they had three realistic options. Not five. Not ten. Three. And two of those options, nobody had told them about.
What the Economists Missed
Steve made a great point in his article: the economists are debating whether this is a problem “for the economy.” But if you’re lying awake at 3 AM wondering how you’re going to make your payments, it’s already a problem for YOUR economy.
Here’s what I tell my clients: stop waiting for economists to agree on solutions. They’re not going to. That’s not their job. Their job is to identify trends and publish papers. Your job is to figure out what works for YOUR situation.
And every situation is different. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but it’s the truth. The client I mentioned above? A Chapter 7 bankruptcy made the most sense. Wiped out the $67k, kept the house, kept the car, took about 90 days. Done.
But I had another client last week, similar debt level, and bankruptcy would have been a terrible idea for her. Different circumstances, different assets, different goals. We ended up settling her debt for about 45 cents on the dollar over eight months.
Same problem on paper. Completely different solutions.
The Three Things Nobody Tells You
When I read articles about household debt being at “concerning levels,” I always think about what’s missing. So let me fill in the gaps:
1. “Delinquencies at 2008 levels” doesn’t mean what you think
Yes, delinquencies are rising. But here’s what the economists don’t mention: creditors are more willing to negotiate now than they were in 2008. They learned from that mess. If you’re strategic about it, you can often settle debts for 40-50% of what you owe.
The key word there is “strategic.” Don’t just stop paying and hope for the best. That’s how you end up getting sued. Have a plan.
2. Your credit score fear is probably overblown
I can’t tell you how many people stay trapped in debt because they’re terrified of what will happen to their credit score. So they keep making minimum payments for years, never getting ahead, all to protect a number.
Here’s what I tell them: a credit score measures how profitable you are to lenders. That’s it. It doesn’t measure your worth as a human being. And in most cases, it recovers faster than you’d think—especially after bankruptcy, which sounds crazy but is actually true.
Life is easier with good credit, sure. But staying in debt for a decade to protect a score that’s going to take a hit anyway? That math doesn’t work.
3. The “average” is hiding your reality
Steve nailed this one. When economists say “household debt as a percentage of GDP is manageable,” they’re averaging the billionaire with no debt against you with $50,000 in credit cards.
Nobody lives on an average. You live on YOUR income, with YOUR expenses, in YOUR situation. So stop comparing yourself to national statistics and start looking at your actual numbers.
What Should You Actually Do?
If you’re one of the people those economists are worried about—and let’s be honest, if you’re reading this, you probably are—here’s my advice:
Step 1: Stop the bleeding. Before you do anything else, figure out if you’re actually underwater every month. Track your spending for 30 days. Not what you think you spend—what you actually spend. Most people are shocked.
Step 2: Know your options. All of them. Not just the ones debt relief salespeople want to sell you. That means looking at bankruptcy (yes, actually looking at it—talking to an attorney doesn’t put anything on your permanent record), settlement, credit counseling, and doing nothing.
Step 3: Talk to someone who doesn’t have a product to sell you. Debt settlement companies want to sell you settlement. Credit counselors want to sell you a debt management plan. Bankruptcy attorneys want to file bankruptcies. They’re all competing for your business.
What you need is someone who can help you figure out which option makes the most sense for YOUR situation. Through process of elimination, you find the one you dislike the least. That’s how real decisions get made.
The Bottom Line
Those 10 economists are right: household debt is a problem. But knowing there’s a problem and knowing what to do about it are two different things.
Here’s what I know after doing this for almost 25 years: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. And that includes the debt relief salesperson who sounds really sincere on the phone but was selling alarm systems three months ago.
Your situation is different. Your solution should be too.
If you want to talk through your options with someone who’s not trying to sell you a program, reach out. That’s literally what I do—help people figure out what makes sense for them, not what makes sense for my commission check.
Because I don’t have a commission check. I have advice. And that’s a different thing entirely.
Read Steve’s full breakdown of the economist survey: 10 of 13 Economists Say Household Debt Is a Major Concern
