The Numbers That Define American Financial Reality
$14.9 trillion. That’s not the national debt—that’s how much American consumers owe in credit cards, medical bills, student loans, and other personal debt. To put this in perspective:
- 140 million Americans are trapped in consumer debt
- Average household debt exceeds $6,000 in credit cards alone
- Medical bankruptcies account for 66% of all personal bankruptcies
- Student loan debt has increased 1,200% since 1980
This isn’t a crisis of individual responsibility—it’s a systemic failure that requires systemic solutions.
The Individual Solution Myth
For decades, the financial industry has sold us the myth that debt problems are individual problems requiring individual solutions:
The Classic Advice That Doesn’t Work
“Just make a budget” - Ignores that wages haven’t kept pace with costs for 40 years “Cut out the lattes” - Assumes debt comes from lifestyle choices, not medical emergencies “Increase your income” - Places burden on individuals in a system designed to extract wealth “Use debt consolidation” - Usually increases total debt through fees and longer terms “Declare bankruptcy” - Destroys credit for 7+ years while creditors write off losses as tax deductions
Why Individual Solutions Fail Systematically
The reason individual debt solutions fail isn’t because people lack discipline—it’s because the debt collection industry operates with structural advantages that individual debtors can never overcome:
Information Asymmetry: Debt collectors know your complete financial history; you don’t know their settlement thresholds Resource Imbalance: Collections agencies have teams of lawyers; most debtors represent themselves Regulatory Capture: Industry lobbying shapes debt collection laws in favor of creditors Economic Scale: Collectors buy millions in debt portfolios; individuals negotiate single accounts
The $14.9 Trillion Solution: Collective Power
Citizens Reunited approaches the debt crisis the same way the debt collection industry does—through scale, information, and collective action.
How Debt Collectors Actually Work
Most people don’t understand how debt collection really operates:
- Original creditors (hospitals, credit card companies) write off unpaid debts as tax losses
- Debt buyers purchase these “written-off” portfolios for 3-5¢ on the dollar
- Collection agencies pursue the full balance, keeping 100% of collections as pure profit
- Legal threats and harassment pressure debtors into payment plans they can’t afford
The dirty secret? That $10,000 medical bill was probably sold for $300-500. The collector isn’t trying to recover a legitimate loss—they’re trying to extract maximum profit from your financial desperation.
Citizens Reunited: Fighting Fire with Fire
We use the same tactics as debt collectors, but for the opposite purpose:
Bulk Purchasing: We buy debt portfolios at the same 3-5¢ rate as collectors Immediate Forgiveness: Instead of pursuing collections, we forgive the majority of member debt Legal Expertise: Our legal team knows collection law better than most agencies Technology Scale: Our platforms handle millions of members as efficiently as thousands
The Economics of Collective Debt Relief
Here’s why Citizens Reunited’s model works mathematically:
Individual Negotiation (Current System)
- Debtor: Owes $10,000, has $1,000 available
- Collector: Paid $300-500 for the debt
- Negotiation power: Collector has all the leverage
- Typical settlement: $3,000-5,000 payment plan
- Collector profit: 600-1,500% return on investment
Collective Negotiation (Citizens Reunited)
- 10,000 members: Collectively owe $100,000,000
- Citizens Reunited: Purchases the entire portfolio for $3,000,000-5,000,000
- Immediate relief: Forgive $85,000,000+ in member debt
- Member cost: $25-100/month sliding scale membership
- Outcome: Members save thousands, we operate sustainably
The Network Effect of Debt Relief
As Citizens Reunited grows, our power increases exponentially:
At 10,000 Members
- Purchase $50 million in debt annually
- Negotiate with individual collection agencies
- Save members average of $5,000 each
At 100,000 Members
- Purchase $500 million in debt annually
- Negotiate directly with original creditors
- Launch own credit services for members
At 1,000,000+ Members
- Purchase $5+ billion in debt annually
- Influence industry-wide practices
- Challenge predatory lending through regulatory advocacy
Beyond Debt Relief: Systemic Change
The $14.9 trillion debt crisis won’t be solved by helping individual debtors one at a time. It requires changing the system that creates predatory debt:
Regulatory Reform: Use our collective voice to advocate for debt collection reform
Industry Pressure: Large-scale debt forgiveness forces creditors to reconsider predatory practices
Alternative Banking: Provide member-owned financial services that serve people over profits
Education: Teach Americans how the debt system really works, not financial victim-blaming
The Choice: Individual Struggle vs Collective Power
Every day, 140 million Americans wake up trapped by debt they often can’t afford to pay. The financial industry wants them to believe this is their individual problem requiring individual sacrifice.
Citizens Reunited offers a different path: your debt is our debt, your freedom is our freedom.
When you join Citizens Reunited, you’re not just getting debt relief—you’re joining a movement that’s proving collective action can defeat even the most entrenched financial exploitation.
The $14.9 trillion debt crisis is too big for individual solutions. But it’s exactly the right size for 5 million Americans working together.
Ready to join the collective solution to America’s debt crisis? Become a member and help us prove that together, we’re stronger than any collection agency.