Free, private, and built to help
A public-service guide to debt and bankruptcy in Texas. Answer a few plain questions and get an honest read on your options, with no pressure and nothing to sign.
Nothing is saved or sent. We never ask you to file anything.
Drag your monthly payment and watch what happens.
Estimates only, not legal or financial advice. Eligibility and what discharges are state-specific. Some debts (most student loans, recent taxes, child support) do not discharge.
Texas has an unlimited homestead exemption, so your home equity is protected with no dollar cap. Retirement accounts, wages, and tens of thousands in personal property are protected too. Many Texans keep everything they own and still wipe their unsecured debt.
It is a real tool for a lot of people and the wrong move for others. Here is the honest version before you spend a dollar.
You are likely a strong candidate if most of your debt is:
These are unsecured debts, and Chapter 7 usually wipes them clean.
Talk it through carefully if you have:
Chapter 13 or some timing may serve you better than Chapter 7.
Bankruptcy rarely solves debt that is mostly:
These usually survive a filing. We will point you somewhere more useful.
The main tool
Answer about eight plain questions in private and get a personalized summary: what to be careful about, and whether bankruptcy looks like a reasonable option for your situation.
Start the questionnaireFree tools
No sign-up. Punch in real numbers and get an honest read in seconds.
See whether your payment is actually paying anything down, or just feeding the interest.
Open tool →Find out in one step whether your income likely qualifies you for Chapter 7 in Texas.
Open tool →Estimate how much of your home, savings, and property Texas law protects.
Open tool →Most Texans use one of two chapters. The right one depends on your income and what you want to protect.
Most of what scares people about bankruptcy is not true.
In Texas, almost never. The Texas homestead exemption protects your home equity with no dollar limit, as long as you are current on the mortgage and within the acreage limits. This is one of the strongest protections in the country.
No. A bankruptcy is a 7 to 10 year mark, but scores often start recovering within months because your debt-to-income drops to almost nothing. Many people qualify for an FHA mortgage about 2 years after discharge.
It is technically public record, but in practice almost no one looks. It is not published, your employer is not notified, and federal law bars an employer from firing you over it.
Run the calculator above. If your payment is below the monthly interest, you are not paying it down at all. The balance grows no matter how faithful you are. That is not responsibility, it is a trap built by the interest rate.