You may think your paycheck is safe from garnishment once a debt is time-barred, but that's not always the case. J Studios/Getty Images Americans ended last year on a high, but perhaps not in the way they'd hoped. At the end of 2025, borrowers nationwide were carrying more debt than ever before. Credit card balances hit a fresh record in the fourth quarter of the year, rising to $1.28 trillion — up dramatically from where they were just five years ago. At the same time, delinquency rates climbed to 4.8% of all outstanding debt, a clear indicator of a widening gap between what borrowers owe and what they can pay.When a debt goes unpaid, the initial repercussions follow a predictable trajectory: collection calls, letters and damaged credit. If it remains unpaid, the creditor may write it off and sell it to third-party debt collectors for a fraction of what's owed.…