ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons showed the August consumer bankruptcy total is trending two ways.

The American Bankruptcy Institute reported this week that August bankruptcy filings fell 8 percent compared to the previous month to 127,028. National Bankruptcy Research Center data indicated the July figure was 137,698.

However when looking at a year-over-year comparison, ABI learned the August figure still represented an increase. In fact, it was a 6-percent jump from the August 2009 consumer bankruptcy total, which was 119,874.

Also of note, ABI indicated Chapter 13 filings constituted 29 percent of all consumer cases in August, a slight increase from July.

Describing the current filing trends, ABI executive director Samuel Gerdano said, "While monthly filings are volatile, consumer bankruptcies are still the highest they have been since Congress overhauled the bankruptcy law in 2005. Consumer filings remain on track to top 1.6 million filings in 2010."