Lending Your Credit Can Lead to Bankruptcy

Sunday’s Washington Post included an article by syndicated columnist Michelle Singletary in which I was quoted as an expert on bankruptcy law and consequences of bankruptcy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072200106.html?sub=new. I post the article primarily because the article’s lessons address a frequent financial planning mistake that can lead to ruined credit and bankruptcy. The article warns about risks you take when you let someone else become an authorized user on your credit card. The most frequent problems I see are parents who lend their credit card, or their signature, to children to help the children buy something a lower interest rates. If the child fails financially the well-intentioned parents bear the financial burden, often leading to their own bankruptcy. You should read the article and pay attention to what Ms. Singletary’s grandmother, "Big Mama" , had to say about this subject.