Bad debt can really harm your credit history

If you are a creditor and the person who owes you money declares bankruptcy, this bad debt can be a problem. After all, even though a good deal of the remaining estate will be separated out to the many different creditors, you will probably not get all of the money that you are owed. For this reason, most creditors try to work with the debtor in order to make it possible to pay back the debt - that way, they'll get all of the money back, instead of just a little.

When you have a bad debt, it makes a big hit on your credit history. This can be a big problem, especially if you need to get a credit card or a loan. In fact, the credit history can effect pretty much anything you do in the financial world, including mortgages, buying a car, and being able to take out a much needed loan. Therefore, you should do whatever you can to make sure that you'll be able to pay off the debts you have.

To prevent bad debt, you should first minimize the number of debts you incur to begin with. For instance, if you can possibly avoid buying something, then you should wait until after you've saved the money for it, instead of buying on credit. If you already have a lot of debt, then you should look at some of the debt solutions, for instance, debt consolidation

Source :http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-29-2005-67755.asp