I know there are extenuating circumstances, and big medical bills are certainly one of them, but the rest of you sound like dead beats. Just like when I see the commercials for tax relief. "If you owe over $10,000 to the IRS call us now..." it makes me sick to see those commercials. I get so angry at those people. How the fuck do you owe that much money to the IRS? and why should you get a break because you didn't pay your taxes in full and on time like I did? I was responsible and did what I was legally required to do, so fuck me, meanwhile you didn't pay your debts and now you essentially get free money for it?
My wife and I have 790 FICO scores and have never missed a payment on anything. The banks, through THEIR greed, and unscrupulous lending practices, have erased our equity and put us underwater about $140,000. The banks have taken our money in the form of bailouts. Every home that gets foreclosed on, WE the taxpayer subsidize the banks' loss. The system is stacked against good folks like you and me. They count on us being "moral" while they are not. They pay no taxes, but take our money. who, really, is the f'in deadbeat?
You can keep being a naive lemming, or do what THEY do and walk away from bad investments (made bad by the banks, and no fault of your own). Credit cards are a huge ripoff. The ultra wealthy rigged the game. When they fail, they get bailouts. Where's the disgrace, and uproar?
I'm at the crossroads, myself.