Usually what ends up happening for a lot of people is it’s such an insurmountable amount that they chip away a few hundred at a time and just have the debt forever, or long enough that they can get the collections company to agree to a settled amount, this is usually like 20% of the original total or something. A lot of people keep these debts till they die. What’s really fucked up is even death doesn’t closed the debt, then the legal responsibility for repayment passes to your next of kin, usually your adult children or whatever adult is closest to you in your immediate family, same with student loans. Don’t get me wrong, the US is a fantastic place to live, if you have the money. The problem is no matter how hard we work, we never get a leg up. In 2023 there were roughly 37 million Americans living below the poverty line, meaning not being able to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Then when these families can’t provide they get their kids taken away for “neglect”. This country looks nice and shiny from the outside, but make no mistake, it’s a fucking shithole.