Now Leaving, Debtors Prison

Prior to its abolishment on the Federal level in the early 19th century, citizens could be placed in prison for failure to repay their debts. Debtors prisons were cold and unwelcoming buildings with no heat, cramped living quarters, and overcrowding. This made for unbearable and nausiating living conditions for citizens that owed as little as fifty cents, sharing their misery with criminals and mentally ill patients.
Today, citizens can still be jailed in the traditional sense for debts owed, but are traditionally limited to those that do not pay alimony and child support, and those who have committed fraud.

But the rest of us who have trouble repaying our consumer and business debts face a different type of debtors prison. One that allows us to freely walk the streets and shop the wealth of consumer goods found in the United States, but only if we bear enough cash to make the purchases. Credit reports and representative FICO score tells potential creditors in three numbers if they should lease an individual a place to live, provide an individual with monthly working capital, and offer an individual larger debts for capital expenditures. With strong credit all of these options are feasible but become limited as an individual’s credit rating declines. I have spent the past three years in nouveau debtors prison watching as my friends elevated themselves into new cars, new homes, and new lives while I put all of my efforts into erasing $13,645.22 in consumer debt. But today marks the end of my tenure here, after my final payment of $1,198.98.
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American Express - $0
Best Buy - $0
Circuit City - $0
Chase - $0
Target - $0
Total - $0
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This experience has taught me that taking responsibility for my mistakes, continuous hard work, and patience can lead to unexpected dividends. First and foremost, I have become accustomed to living effectively within an urban environment on a strict budget. My automobile and the associated insurance, maintenance, and gasoline expense has made way for walking, biking, and taking public transportation. And within walking distance, I have access to restauraunts, retail shopping, doctors, grocers, and many other services that I have needed or may need in the future. This experience has also driven me how to set goals, maintain focus on those goals, and attain them sooner than expected. Three years ago my goals were to repay old debt and build a small amount of savings. Today my goals are to buy a house, save for retirement, and build bootstrap | economist into a viable business. And finally, it has taught me how to be a better banker. My experience has provided me with first-hand insight into the warning signs of an over-leveredged customer, and the understanding to work with at-risk customers to provide them an opportunity to repay their debts.

As I journey through the entrance gate of debtors prison, the self-gratification of fully repaying my debt in an expeditious manner is a gift that I will own for my entire life.

Posted on June 6th, 2008 | By: bootstrap economist | Filed under Personal Finance

One Response to “Now Leaving, Debtors Prison”

1. bootstrap | economist » Blog Archive » Teaching America’s Youth about Personal Finance Says:
   February 21st, 2009 at 6:22 pm

   [...] that the lesson of pulling myself up on my own would go much further than a personal check. And when I made that last payment, I saw their [...]

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