With commercial bankruptcy filings trending upward in Tampa Bay, Lara Roeske Fernandez was quoted in the Tampa Bay Business Journal on April 25, 2023 discussing the trend and impact of inflation’s persistence longer than many businesses anticipated.
“Business owners are finding themselves ‘squeezed on both ends’ as consumer spending slows and interest rates remain elevated,” Fernandez explained. “Higher rates are making it more difficult to refinance current debt on more favorable terms, which eliminates a key mechanism to avoid filing for bankruptcy.”
She further discussed the increase in Chapter 7 liquidations and how to determine consumer health.
“Small business bankruptcies are a more useful indicator of overall consumer health than person bankruptcy filings, and they’re also on the rise in the Middle District.”
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