Russians have become less likely to fail: why debtors are denied credit write-offs

According to the Fedresurs, in July-September 2026, courts declared 125.1 thousand citizens bankrupt – 13.1% less than in the same period last year. For nine months, the indicator amounted to 402.5 thousand, declining by 0.3% in annual terms. The slowdown was noticeable in the spring: if in the first quarter the increase was 13.6%, then in the second – already 0.9%.

At the same time, it is clearly premature to talk about the disappearance of the debt problem. Almost all judicial proceedings are still initiated by citizens themselves, with 94.4 per cent of cases being filed. At the same time, the number of approved debt restructuring plans increased 2.4 times to 4,660 in nine months. This means that some debtors manage to agree on payments without completely canceling their debts. However, while this option remains rare.

Today, you can get rid of excessive obligations through the court or free of charge by applying to the MFC. However, an out-of-court procedure is available only under the conditions established by law. The total amount of debt should be from 25 thousand to 1 million rubles. In addition, a citizen must belong to one of the provided categories: for example, have completed enforcement proceedings due to the lack of property for recovery or meet special conditions for pensioners and recipients of child benefits.

Judicial bankruptcy is more complicated: the income, property and transactions of the debtor are checked. And even declaring a person bankrupt does not guarantee release from all obligations. Not written off, in particular, alimony, compensation for harm to life and health, some debts to employees, as well as obligations arising from unfair actions. Bankruptcy should not be considered as a universal way to get rid of any financial problems.

The completion of the procedure does not mean that a person is forever deprived of the opportunity to borrow money. The law does not establish a mandatory waiting period before applying to the bank. But within five years, a citizen is obliged to report his bankruptcy when applying for loans and loans.

“The period is not calculated from the date of declaring a person bankrupt, but from the completion of the sale of property. Permission to take loans does not mean that the bank is obliged to approve the application: it assesses income, debt load and credit history, explains Vladimir Kuznetsov, vice president of the Association of Lawyers in Liquidation and Bankruptcy.

According to the expert, it is also not worth counting on the instant restoration of credit history. Information about past delays and bankruptcy is stored in it. Each credit transaction record is kept for seven years from the last change. Therefore, before a new application, it is worth requesting a credit report and checking whether the termination of written off obligations is correctly reflected.

Lawyer Oksana Grikevich warns that an attempt to hide the bankruptcy from the bank can turn into much more serious consequences than a refusal of a loan.

“If a person fails to make payments again and goes to court, he or she may not be able to write off new debts. The law provides for such a consequence if, when obtaining a loan, the debtor gave knowingly false information. The courts may consider it a fraud and a silence about a previous bankruptcy.”.

According to the lawyer, in the first year or two, large banks often refuse former bankrupts. If the loan is approved, then often on less favorable terms - with a pledge, a guarantor or an increased rate. MFIs may be more affordable, but expensive microloans can quickly return a person to the old debt bondage.

Marjana Bituyeva, head of the law department “Keshokov, Bituyeva and Partners”, assesses the prospects of bankrupts for new loans cautiously: in the first 12 months, the chances of approval of the loan are close to zero. Banks often begin to consider applications after 6-18 months, and more stable opportunities to get a loan appear only after two to three years. At the same time, the limits can be lower, and the rates are higher than usual.

Bankruptcy does not mean a ban on regular work, salary or ownership of shares in the company. However, the former debtor will not be able to manage the organizations for some time. For three years, he was closed management positions in ordinary companies, five years in insurance organizations, NPFs and microfinance companies, ten years in banks.

There is another limitation: you can re-initiate bankruptcy on your own only after five years. If the creditor starts the procedure during this time, it will not be possible to count on the repeated cancellation of debts as a general rule.

“A new loan should be taken only when a person understands from what source it will be repaid. The hope that the debt will soon be able to write off again is dangerous, warns Vladimir Kuznetsov.

At the same time, after the bankruptcy is completed, the restrictions that were in effect directly during the procedure cease: the financial manager no longer manages the accounts and property of the citizen. If the court limited travel abroad, such a ban is also lifted.

Thus, the decline in the number of bankruptcies does not mean that the Russians got rid of debt problems. Rather, the ways of solving them are changing: some citizens are trying to negotiate with creditors and restructure debt. And those who still choose the path of bankruptcy, it is important to remember that debt cancellation helps to start financial life anew, but does not cancel the consequences of their own obligations.