Debt
Series
The Bad Bet
How Illinois Bet on Video Gambling and Lost
Driven Into Debt
How Tickets Burden the Poor
Too Broke for Bankruptcy
How Bankruptcy Fails Those Who Need It Most
Debt Inc.
Lending and Collecting in America
Foreclosure Crisis
How Banks and Government Fail Homeowners
Stories
How Illinois Bet on Video Gambling and Lost
Lawmakers said legalizing video gambling would generate billions of dollars for the state. Instead, it’s proved to be little more than a money grab.
Do You Know Someone Struggling With Video Gambling? Help Us Understand Video Slot and Poker Addiction in Illinois.
More than 30,000 video gambling machines are scattered across Illinois, and gambling addiction appears to be on the rise.
How We Analyzed Video Gambling in Illinois
Here’s how we conducted an in-depth look at the rapid expansion of video gambling in the state and its financial and social costs.
Feeling Trapped by Vehicle Tickets? Let’s Talk About It — Live
We’re hosting a community forum on Jan. 30 and would love to see you.
How to Use the Ticket Trap, Our New Database That Lets You Explore How Chicago Tickets Motorists and Collects Debt
We hope you’ll play around with it and let us know how we can make it better.
The Ticket Trap
We’ve collected data on 54 million tickets issued over the past two decades in the city. Search for your address and compare your ward with others, and see how Chicago’s reliance on ticketing affects motorists across the city.
We Want to Hear About Your Experiences With Vehicle Tickets, So We Created a Facebook Group
We’ll share our latest stories there and give you a preview of an upcoming project.
Chicago Task Force Will Take on Ticket and Debt Collection Reform
The group is part of an effort to make vehicle ticketing less unfair.
Chicago Throws Out 23,000 Duplicate Tickets Issued Since 1992 to Motorists Who Didn’t Have Vehicle Stickers
The move is the city’s latest effort to reform its troubled ticketing and debt collection practices.
Chicago City Council Approves Modest First Reforms on Ticketing and Debt
The changes signal a growing acknowledgement that the city’s reliance on fines and fees to generate revenue has come at a significant cost for some residents.
Top Chicago Alderman Adds to Growing Momentum for Ticket and Debt Reform
The proposal, the latest in a series of reforms aiming to respond to growing public pressure, would make it easier for motorists to avoid having their driver’s licenses suspended.
Chicago Considers Wiping Away Old Ticket Debt for Motorists Who File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
The proposal is intended to discourage drivers from filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but it does nothing to change onerous payment plans for motorists who don’t file at all.
Chicago Alderman Proposes Reining in Ticket Penalties That Drove Thousands of Black Motorists Into Debt
The proposal would cap late penalties and create community service alternatives to some fines.
Chicago City Clerk Calls for Reforms of Vehicle Sticker Program
Anna Valencia proposed creating city sticker options so low-income drivers can afford to be in compliance and avoid costly tickets.
Download Chicago’s Parking Ticket Data Yourself
For the first time, the city’s database, which tracks more than 28 million parking and vehicle compliance tickets, is easily available to the public.
What’s the City of Chicago Doing About Its Problem With Duplicate Sticker Tickets?
Seven weeks after the city pledged to address the issue, drivers are still on the hook — and now Chicago’s ticketing practices are becoming an issue in the mayor’s race.
The “Terrible” Consequences of Chicago’s Ticketing Policies
The city tried to raise revenues by hiking the cost of sticker tickets, but instead hurt motorists in low-income, black neighborhoods.
Chicago Hiked the Cost of Vehicle City Sticker Violations to Boost Revenue. But It’s Driven More Low-Income, Black Motorists Into Debt.
Now, a former official regrets the move and wants the city to revisit it. Some policies, she said, are “terrible.”
How ProPublica Illinois and WBEZ Worked Together to Find Thousands of Duplicate Tickets in Chicago
We heard from you about how ticket debt, especially from $200 city sticker citations, has affected you. And we would like your help as we continue our reporting.
Chicago Begins To Rethink How Bankruptcy Lawyers Get Paid
Judges are demanding that lawyers tell their clients that their other debts might not get paid, but their lawyers will.
Some States No Longer Suspend Driver’s Licenses for Unpaid Fines. Will Illinois Join Them?
Our analysis shows suspensions tied to ticket debt disproportionately affect motorists in largely black sections of Chicago and its suburbs.
She Owed $102,158.40 in Unpaid Tickets, but She’s Not in the Story
Still, we want to tell you a little bit about her, and about some of the other people we interviewed, because they helped inform our ticket debt investigation.
How Chicago Ticket Debt Sends Black Motorists Into Bankruptcy
A cash-strapped city employs punitive measures to collect from cash-strapped black residents — and lawyers benefit.
The Many Roads to Bankruptcy
Here are some stories of Chicagoans driven into ticket debt.
Without Fanfare, Equifax Makes Bankruptcy Change That Affects Hundreds of Thousands
For years, an Equifax policy has treated some Chapter 13 filers differently than the other two major credit rating agencies. After ProPublica asked about it, the company said it would change the policy.
Chicago’s Bankruptcy Boom
ProPublica’s analysis of racial disparities in bankruptcy revealed a skyrocketing number of filings in Chicago’s black neighborhoods. But most of the cases will fall apart before the debts are wiped away.
Bankruptcy: What’s the Difference Between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?
Key differences between the chapters make choosing the right one critical for success. Using our analysis, we explain how they work and how people fare under each.
In the South, Bankruptcy Is Different, Especially for Black Debtors
Only in the South is Chapter 13 the predominant form of bankruptcy. We mapped Chapter 13’s usage to show that it breaks not only along regional, but also racial lines.
Data Analysis: Bankruptcy and Race in America
An in-depth discussion of racial patterns in bankruptcy filings and outcomes
Have You Seriously Considered Filing for Bankruptcy?
If you’ve really thought about filing for bankruptcy, ProPublica wants to hear from you — even if you ultimately decided against it.
How the Bankruptcy System Is Failing Black Americans
Black people struggling with debts are far less likely than their white peers to gain lasting relief from bankruptcy, according to a ProPublica analysis. Primarily to blame is a style of bankruptcy practiced by lawyers in the South.
The Color of Debt: How Collection Suits Squeeze Black Neighborhoods
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, ProPublica reveals that the suits are far more common in black communities than white ones.
