The characteristics of bankrupt households (such as income and asset levels) vary widely across states. This paper asks whether these variations can be attributed to state exemption laws or state garnishment laws. Using a new household-level dataset, the author finds that high exemption levels encourage high asset households to file for bankruptcy while high garnishment rates encourage low income households to file for bankruptcy.
This paper looks at the extent that differences in foreclosure and bankruptcy laws can jointly explain variation in default rates across states. The author finds that more generous homestead exemptions raise the cost of unsecured borrowing. Households in states with high exemptions therefore hold less unsecured and more mortgage debt compared to low exemption states, which leads to lower bankruptcy rates but higher foreclosure rates.