Guideline F: Financial Considerations
Financial problems, most often delinquent debt, that suggest irresponsibility or vulnerability to pressure, plus unexplained wealth.
15,237
decided hearing cases
32%
granted
The specific issues, and how they fared
Financial (unspecified)
29% granted · 12,437Credit-card debt
36% granted · 4,636Medical debt
34% granted · 3,803Unpaid taxes
27% granted · 3,142Auto-loan debt
29% granted · 2,752Utility / phone debt
34% granted · 2,311Mitigations judges credited most
Debt paid in full
506
Payment plan with creditor
38
Chapter 7 bankruptcy
36
Financial counseling
20
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
17
Counted only where the judge expressly credited the mitigation, not merely where it was claimed.
What the reference material says about financial cases
- Financial issues have been the most common concern in denials for over fifteen years, appearing in roughly half of them. (Practitioner compilations of DOHA statistics)
- For clearance holders at the Secret level and above, bankruptcy or any debt more than 120 days delinquent is a reportable event in its own right. (SEAD-3, Section G)
- Practitioner sources emphasize that documented good-faith repayment efforts count even when incomplete, and that debts to the government are viewed more seriously than commercial debts. (Practitioner sources)
From our verified reference library: paraphrased from the named sources and reviewed before publication. Descriptive background, not legal advice about any case.
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Descriptive statistics from decided public DOHA cases. Not legal advice or a prediction. † marks samples under 20 cases.