After days of finger-pointing and politicizing, our government shutdown came to an end. And during those toxic few days, as a bankruptcy lawyer in Memphis, I recognized a common fear: families were terrified of losing a paycheck.
From military forces to civil servants who work in the National Parks, you could see the uncertainty on every news channel. And it makes perfect sense. The vast majority of American workers live paycheck to paycheck, and that includes government employees.
CNBC recently reported these sober numbers from CareerBuilder:
“Seventy-eight percent of full-time workers said they live paycheck to paycheck, up from 75 percent last year. Overall, 71 percent of all U.S. workers said they’re now in debt, up from 68 percent a year ago. While 46 percent said their debt is manageable, 56 percent said they were in over their heads.”
56% of all American workers have debt they feel totally unable to pay back?!
Look, it’s easy to make the shutdown into a political mess, since that’s what it was. But it was also a deeply personal mess for families wondering if their paycheck would come in. One missed paycheck and you might go into default on a loan, or lose your car, or find yourself digging into your retirement funds (if you have them).
What Can You Do If the Paychecks Stop?
Government employees aren’t alone. 78% of American workers hope and pray for every paycheck they get, because without it they’ll be totally buried in debt. Most of America is one week of unemployment, injury, or family emergency away from losing control. And that could mean wage garnishment that steals 25% of your future paychecks. It’s a nightmare.
If you have small debts that you feel confident you can pay off with a little help, you may want to try a debt counseling service. Some churches even offer programs to advise you. But, as the numbers show, that’s not most of us. Most of us are on the brink and don’t want to admit how scary losing that one paycheck really is.
The thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way. I help people get out of debt – even people in that 56% who feel totally overwhelmed. And what’s more, at my firm, we help you rebuild your credit and start over stronger than you were before.
We help you protect your retirement funds and start saving again. You can shield your paycheck from wage garnishment and prevent someone from taking your car or your house.
It’s easy for our well-paid Congress to forget what economic insecurity does to so many Americans. But if you’re consumed by debt, you haven’t forgotten. It keeps you up at night and affects how you live your life every single day.
So let’s do something about it. Contact me today for a free consultation. We’ll help you get started on your debt-free life.