So THAT’s What *Lehman Bros. Did

If all you did was skim The Wall Street Journal’s headlines today, you could be mistaken for thinking that the average American’s financial health was improving — sort of like a dieter finally losing those pesky, excess pounds.

The reality is a bit different.

As the Journal article makes clear a couple paragraphs in, the reason household debt is falling dramatically at the moment isn’t because consumers are taking out less debt, or repaying what they owe. Rather, it’s because they’re filing bankruptcy and defaulting, in record numbers, on their mortgages.

If that’s nuance (spin?), so is the difference between successfully completing Weight Watchers and having your stomach stapled.

Or having no food to eat (the “ultimate diet,” or what used to be called “starving”).

*If you didn’t know (or already forgot), Lehman Bros. filed for bankruptcy — the largest in U.S. history — in September, 2008.

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.
2 Responses
  1. debt relief

    Now that the bankruptcy is over a person can begin to plan for their new life after bankruptcy. At this point, depending on the type of bankruptcy that was filed, a person now knows whether or not they have any debts to pay and if so how much those debts will cost a month.

  2. debt relief

    Now that the bankruptcy is over a person can begin to plan for their new life after bankruptcy. At this point, depending on the type of bankruptcy that was filed, a person now knows whether or not they have any debts to pay and if so how much those debts will cost a month.

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