State and federal law protect categories of property from execution. Knowing them shapes both collection strategy and pre-judgment planning.
Homestead. A dollar amount or, in a few states, an unlimited value of equity in a principal residence, subject to acreage limits. Amounts vary by orders of magnitude between states.
Personal property. Household goods, clothing, tools of the trade, a motor vehicle up to a value, and a wildcard amount in many states.
Wages. Federal law caps garnishment at a percentage of disposable earnings or the amount above a multiple of the minimum wage, whichever is less. Several states protect more, and a few prohibit wage garnishment for most debts.
Retirement accounts. Qualified plans are protected by federal law, and individual retirement accounts are protected by state law and, in bankruptcy, up to a statutory cap.
Public benefits, insurance proceeds and support payments are commonly exempt.
Tenancy by the entireties protects jointly held marital property from the creditors of one spouse in states that recognise it — often the single most significant protection available.
Procedure. Exemptions are usually asserted by claim after a levy or garnishment, within a short period, and are waived if not raised.