I don’t see anything wrong with the author’s actions and morals aren’t really relevant to finance, so I largely dismiss any rationalizations (valid or otherwise). IBRP is a perfectly legal option and won’t land you in legal trouble. Saul seems willing to earn under the threshold required to qualify.

Some people get a credit card and run it up because they don’t understand the ramifications of their spending — or other reasons which might be considered more or less ‘valid’. If bankruptcy makes financial sense, then that’s what they should do.

Some people repeatedly run up their credit and declare bankruptcy. I still don’t see much wrong with this. The credit industry is a business that offers a service. If someone is willing to endure the hardships of a damaged credit score repeatedly and not accumulate assets then ok — much like purposely keeping your earnings eligible for IBRP.

In many cases, I think someone can live a more comfortable life by paying off their loans — so that’s logical. But if that’s not the case, I don’t see a moral obligation to the credit services industry.