5 signs your debt could lead to wage garnishment

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money 5 signs your debt could lead to wage garnishment We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications. Read Full Bio Angelica Leicht June 2, 2026 / 1:08 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google If you're worried about garnishment, it's important to keep an eye out for the signs that it could be coming your way. Pla2na/Getty Images Millions of Americans are carrying debt right now, and while that's hardly an uncommon issue, it can easily become a serious one if you aren't careful. After all, today's inflation issues, coupled with the high interest rate landscape and rising consumer goods costs, are putting a lot of pressure on people's budgets. Add in any debt-related issues, and this landscape becomes ripe for missed credit card payments and other delinquent debt.While missing a payment or two may not seem catastrophic at first, over time, it can trigger a chain of collection events that becomes increasingly difficult to stop. The process starts with phone calls, letters and attempts to negotiate repayment, but when those efforts fail, some creditors may pursue more aggressive legal remedies, like lawsuits and wage garnishments, instead.Having a portion of your wages garnished over unpaid debt can have serious repercussions for your finances, but wage garnishment typically doesn't happen overnight. In most cases, there are warning signs along the way that indicate a debt situation is escalating. So, what signs should...