Bankruptcy Information Landing Page Experiment

Last registered on August 10, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Bankruptcy Information Landing Page Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019281
Initial registration date
August 05, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 10, 2026, 3:19 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Raymond Kluender
Affiliation
Harvard University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Samuel Antill
PI Affiliation
Harvard Business School
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PI Name
Eleanor Jenke
PI Affiliation
Harvard University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-08-05
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Finance & Microfinance
Additional Keywords
Consumer Finance, Debt Relief, Bankruptcy
JEL code(s)
D14, G33, G4, G5, H31, K35
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Many financially distressed households who could benefit from Chapter 7 bankruptcy never file. Common misperceptions about bankruptcy – such as underestimating the likelihood of receiving a debt discharge, overestimating the likelihood of surrendering assets, or underestimating future access to credit – may discourage filing. This randomized experiment will test two questions: (i) does providing information about Chapter 7 filing outcomes bankruptcy increase engagement with the bankruptcy filing process, and (ii) which informational message is most effective at doing so? We test three hypotheses for why individuals do not file: (a) individuals underestimate the probability that bankruptcy will lead to a debt discharge, (b) individuals overestimate the probability that they will have to surrender property, and (c) individuals underestimate the credit-score benefits of filing. We partner with Upsolve, a nonprofit that helps individuals file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. To test our hypotheses, visitors arriving at Upsolve’s website will be randomly assigned to one of four landing-page messages: (i) a control page with no information, (ii) the probability of receiving a debt discharge, (iii) the probability of receiving a debt discharge and not surrendering assets, or (iv) the average post-bankruptcy credit score improvement. We will assess how this exogenous shift in information about filing outcomes affects interest in filing, as measured through engagement with Upsolve’s website.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Antill, Samuel, Eleanor Jenke and Raymond Kluender. 2026. "Bankruptcy Information Landing Page Experiment." AEA RCT Registry. August 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19281-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Visitors arriving at Upsolve’s website will be randomly assigned with equal probability to one of four landing pages:
1. Control: No informational message.
2. Discharge treatment: “97% of Upsolve users who complete all of the steps erase their debt.”
3. Discharge + surrender treatment: “94% of Upsolve users who complete all of the steps erase their debt and keep everything they own.”
4. Credit access treatment: “The average Chapter 7 bankruptcy filer improves their credit score by 80 points within one year.”
The discharge and surrender statistics are calculated using Upsolve filers successfully linked to the Federal Judicial Center Integrated Database. These statistics are conditional on attendance at the required 341 meeting of creditors, completion of the required debtor education course, and closure of the bankruptcy case. The credit access statistic is based on average Equifax credit scores at filing and at discharge for individuals who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010 (Jagtiani and Li, 2015).
Intervention Start Date
2026-08-05
Intervention End Date
2026-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Click-through rate
a. Definition: A binary variable equal to one if the visitor clicks through from the landing page to begin the Upsolve screening process.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
2. Upsolve engagement domain (note: we will analyze these outcomes only if they are available through Upsolve’s analytics)
a. Screener completion rate
Definition: A binary variable equal to one if the visitor completes the Upsolve screening process.
b. Upsolve account creation rate
Definition: A binary variable equal to one if the visitor creates an Upsolve account.
c. Upsolve questionnaire completion rate
Definition: A binary variable equal to one if the visitor completes the Upsolve bankruptcy questionnaire.
d. Bankruptcy filing rate
Definition: A binary variable equal to one if the visitor files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy through Upsolve.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
See above
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization will be at the visitor level.
Randomization Unit
Website visit.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
We anticipate approximately 5,000 to 10,000 landing page views, although the final sample size will be determined operationally by Upsolve based on the duration of the experiment and whether it is expanded to additional advertising campaigns.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We anticipate 1,250 to 2,500 landing page views per treatment arm, although this number will depend on the final sample size.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

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