In January, we're supposed to sit down and organize our personal finances. This year I'll risk my good-girl reputation with a subversive idea: go bankrupt in 2009. If you're reaching the end of your rope, don't try to hold on. Save what you can.

It's painful and humiliating even to consider bankruptcy, let alone join that crowd in the courthouse corridor, waiting for your name to be called. Normally I'd say suck it up, cut spending and repay your consumer debt. But that's not always possible, especially with an economic tsunami rolling over your home, job and health insurance.

Most families, honorable to the end, struggle longer than they should, says Katie Porter, a law professor at the University of Iowa. By the time they give in, they've lost assets they could have used to start over again. That defeats the point of bankruptcy—to stop the self-blame and hopelessness that goes with bad luck and bad bills, and give yourself a second chance.

The right time to go bankrupt is when you're financially stuck but still have assets to protect. You can use Chapter 7, the most popular type, only once in eight years, so draw upa "no kidding" plan for living on your income when you're finally clear. "If you're out of work, try not to go bankrupt until you have a new job and can see what's ahead of you," says Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren.

It's a mistake to tap your retirement accounts to make minimum payments on monstrous bills. IRAs and 401(k)s are largely protected in bankruptcy, as is most of your child's 529 college-savings account. This money is your future. Leave it alone and use credit cards for your necessities. Card issuers know that some of their customers will fail. That's why they charge elephant fees.

Your health is your future, too. You're doing your family no favors by forgoing medical treatment because you can't pay. Bankruptcy eliminates medical as well as consumer debt.

在一月份的时候，我们似乎都应该坐下来好好规划一下我们的个人理财问题。而今年我却有一个颠覆性的想法，想用我的好名声来来冒一次险：在2009年破产。如果你已经走到了悬崖边缘，不要想着再垂死挣扎，努力保全一些还能够留下的吧。

对于破产，一个人走进法院的走廊里和一大群人在一起，等着自己的名字被叫道，即使是想到它就会觉得相当的痛苦和耻辱。一般来说我会说收敛一下，减少开支来偿还你的消费透支。但是这也不是一直可行的，尤其是当一场金融风暴席卷你的家庭，工作和医疗保险的时候。

爱荷华大学的一名法学教授卡蒂·波特（Katie Porter）说，大多数的家庭都会光荣的奋战到最后。当他们放弃的时候，他们也已经丧失了那些本可以用来重整旗鼓的资产。这就打败了破产这一点——停止伴随着厄运和坏账而来的自我谴责和绝望，给自己一个重新开始的机会。

最适合破产的时机就是当你经济上受困但是你仍然有一些资产是需要保护的时候。你可以运用最常见的一种方式就是第七章，只要在八年内一旦当你的经济问题清除了以后你就可以绘制一个“不开玩笑的”依靠工作生活的计划了。哈佛法学院教授伊丽莎白·沃伦（Elizabeth Warren）说，“如果你没有工作，在你还没找到新的工作或者清晰的看到面前的路时，不要去申请破产。”

用退休工资的账号来支付巨额账单以换取最少的支付额度是相当错误的。个人退休帐户（IRA)和个人养老金体系（401k）在破产的时候是收到极大保护的，基本上和你孩子的大学储蓄帐户一样，这些钱是你的未来。把这些钱放下，用信用卡来支付你的生活必需品。信用卡发行商知道他们的一些客户会破产，这也是为什么他们会收取大量的费用。

你的健康也是你的未来，如果因为你无法支付医疗费而放弃医学治疗，你并不是在为你的家庭做好事。和消费透支一样，破产也会清除医疗债务。