Can you have multiple wage garnishments at the same time?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money Can you have multiple wage garnishments at the same time? 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 April 29, 2026 / 9:55 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Wage garnishment can seriously damage your budget, so it makes sense to worry about facing multiple at once. Tim Robberts/Getty Images A concerning mix of record-high debt levels, elevated credit card interest rates, rising inflation and a tough jobs market is putting quite a bit of financial pressure on borrowers in the current economic landscape. And credit card balances are particularly troubling right now, with total credit card debt nationwide at over $1.23 trillion as interest charges rack up at an average of over 21%. That rapidly compounding issue is causing more borrowers to fall seriously behind on payments, putting them at risk of legal action — and eventually wage garnishment.A wage garnishment order results in a creditor taking a portion of your paycheck before you ever receive it to recoup the money you owe for unpaid debts. That, in turn, can cause big issues for your finances, especially if you're already on a tight budget. And if you're currently dealing with one wage garnishment but have fallen behind on other debts, a new concern may emerge: What happens if another creditor comes calling? Many people are currently juggling multiple debts across credit cards, personal loans and medical bills,...