There could be more than 150,000 new potential customers who might be seeking auto financing from a buy-here, pay-here dealership soon.

That’s because there were 150,009 total bankruptcy filings registered during the first quarter of 2026, according to data provided by Epiq AACER on Monday. That’s 14% above the 132,094 cases filed during the first quarter of last year.

Analysts determined consumer filings also increased 14% to 141,573 filings Q1 of this year from the 124,719 consumer filings during the same period in 2025.

Epiq AACER also indicated individual Chapter 7 filings during the first quarter came in at 89,259, marking a 17% increase over the 76,489 individual Chapter 7 filings during Q1 of last year.

The firm added individual Chapter 13 filings in Q1 of 2026 totaled 51,962, representing an 8% rise above the 47,966 individual Chapter 13 cases filed a year earlier.

Furthermore, commercial filings jumped in the first quarter, with Subchapter V elections for small businesses increasing 67% from 499 filings to 833 registered during the first quarter.

Total overall commercial bankruptcies increased 14% in Q1, moving up from 7,375 filings to 8,436 cases, according to Epiq AACER

“The first-quarter numbers paint a clear picture: bankruptcy filings are up 14 percent overall, driven by a 67 percent jump in Subchapter V elections and solid increases in both commercial and consumer cases,” Epiq AACER vice president Michael Hunter said in a news release.

“This acceleration aligns with broader economic pressures, including household debt nearing $18.8 trillion and delinquency rates worsening to 4.8 percent across outstanding balances in late 2025, with notable upticks in credit card, mortgage, and student loan delinquencies amid persistent inflation and elevated interest rates,” Hunter continued.

“We are also seeing large pockets of concentrated increases within creditor portfolios, underscoring the need for proactive monitoring, which Epiq’s technology tools — including real-time portfolio monitoring for new filings, active-case alerts for key events, and comprehensive management and research platforms — track across the bankruptcy landscape,” Hunter went on to say.

Looking at Epiq AACER’s data only for March, total bankruptcy filings came in at 58,278, marking a 16% rise year-over-year.

Analysts said there were 36,784 individual Chapter 7 filings in March. That represented a 20% increase from a year earlier.

Epiq AACER also mentioned the 18,478 individual Chapter 13 filings in March 2026 constituted a 10% jump year-over-year.

“Persistent inflation, high interest rates, restricted credit, and global instability continue to compound the economic challenges of struggling families and small businesses,” American Bankruptcy Institute executive director Amy Quackenboss said in the news release.

Quackenboss recapped that legislation introduced recently by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in the U.S. Senate and Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) in the House of Representatives would permanently increase the debt eligibility limit to $7.5 million for small businesses looking to restructure under the streamlined process of subchapter V.

She added the legislation would also raise the debt limit for individual Chapter 13 filings to $2.75 million and removes the distinction between secured and unsecured debt for that calculation.

“ABI supports the efforts of Congress to permanently expand access for both distressed small businesses looking to restructure under subchapter V and for consumers looking to file for Chapter 13,” Quackenboss said.

ABI has partnered with Epiq AACER to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers, and members of the news media.