Phoenix – According to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, bankruptcy filings and discharges are escalating. 101,753 American households filed or discharged a bankruptcy between Jan. 1 to 23, 2009, compared to 78,278 during the same period in 2008.

"We have been monitoring the steady growth of personal BK cases," said Robert Davies, president of www.OnlineBKmanager.com. "The good news is franchised dealers are working with lenders like Tidewater, CapOne, AmeriCredit, Wachovia and many others to offer sub-prime loans to these individuals. It's a win-win situation; families are buying quality automobiles from franchised dealers while re-establishing their credit with loans that reports to the credit bureaus."

The Break Down-

•101,753 bankruptcy cases reported so far in January 2009

•52,207 discharged chapter 7s and 13s. (20% increase vs. 2008)

•Chapter 7 BKs represented over 71% of all cases reported

•Filed bankruptcies increased by 30% to 49,546

As of January 6, 2009, there are nearly one million open bankruptcies being processed for discharge by the U.S. bankruptcy courts.

"Last year our average franchised dealer grossed over $180,000 with our program. In 2009, bankruptcy marketing will continue to prove its value to automotive retailers throughout the U.S.," concluded Davies.