Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings climbed above 1,000 in November thanks to a push from such consumer product companies as Circuit City Stores Inc. and Lenox Group Inc.

Don't let other headlines fool you. On a daily basis, the bankruptcy filing rate rose in November and went over 5,000 for the first time since the 2005 changes to the U.S. bankruptcy law.

Bankruptcy filings in the U.S. have almost topped 1 million this year, with one month to go.

You've probably gotten the email - the one warning not to buy holiday gift cards at this or that retailer because it's either bankrupt or ailing.

The email is a sign of the times for retailers, showing that many are struggling amid the weak U.S. economy and that more will be pushed over the edge to insolvency after the holiday season.

The economy’s deep troubles are pushing a growing number of already struggling consumers into bankruptcy, often with far more debt than those who filed in previous downturns.

Plummeting home values, dwindling incomes and the near disappearance of credit have proved a potent mixture. While all the usual reasons that distressed borrowers seek bankruptcy — job loss, medical bills, divorce — play significant roles, new economic forces are changing the calculus of who can ride out the tough times and who cannot.