Staff Writer

Bill Fay

Bill “No Pay” Fay has lived a meager financial existence his entire life. He started writing/bragging about it in 2012, helping birth Debt.org into existence as the site’s original “Frugal Man.” Prior to that, he spent more than 30 years covering the high finance world of college and professional sports for major publications, including the Associated Press, New York Times and Sports Illustrated. His interest in sports has waned some, but he is as passionate as ever about not reaching for his wallet. Bill can be reached at [email protected].

Photo of coupons piled on top of each other that say "sale" and "save"

How to Make Groupons Work for a Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 23, 2012

Groupon doesn’t work for all businesses — there are too many disappointed clients for that — but it works for enough to keep it thriving, spawning plenty of copycats trying…

Man holding a Gift Card

What to Do with Gift Cards to Businesses That Are Out of Business

By Bill Fay | August 23, 2012

Gift cards are always popular gift choices. They’re appropriate for any occasion, they never go out of style and they never lose their value. That is, of course, until the…

An infographic demographic breakdown of the economics of Democrats includes location, married status, income, age, education and race.

Economic Demographics of Democrats

By Bill Fay | August 23, 2012

The U.S. economy has been on the forefront of Americans’ minds for several years, and the state of the economy played a pivotal role in the 2012 election season. The…

Who are the Republican voters, where they live, what they believe and how they relate to the rest of America.

Economic Demographics of Republicans

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

It’s a good time to take stock of the Republican Party’s status. The year 2012 was a continuation of struggles among mainstream factions, tea party activists, special-interest groups and the…

Young businesswoman reaching over paper filled desk to access laptop

Prioritizing Your Bills as a Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

Should a sudden financial calamity or cash-flow crisis arise in your small business, you must have a plan in place for making essential payments — assuming you want to keep…

Businessman doing finances in his own small business

How to Juggle Your Small Business Finances and Make Payroll

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

At one time or another, most small businesses face a cash flow problem — money coming in does not cover money going out, including payroll. The dilemma may be caused…

Illustration of giant hand asking confused businessman for tax money

How to Handle Tax Delays as a Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

Just as it does with individual taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects all small business owners to file tax returns and pay taxes owed in full by the due…

Three people's hands on desk writing on papers and using laptop with sign that says "Employee Benefits"

Small Businesses and Benefits Packages

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

There are approximately 33.2 million small businesses (less than 500 employees) in America, according to the Small Business Administration. These small businesses employ 46.4% of the country’s private sector workforce,…

Illustration of small business making sales and increasing profits

Obtaining Credit for a Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

As every small business owner knows, financing is essential to the success and growth of an enterprise. Without outside financing, and without the ability to obtain and utilize credit, a…

Isometric model of finance people around coins, books, and an arrow growing upwards

Sources of Financing for Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

Approximately 80 percent of the estimated 27.5 million U.S. small businesses – defined as those with fewer than 500 employees – use some form of credit to help finance their…

Small Business

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

Choose Your Debt Amount SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE U.S. 0 Million SMALL BUSINESS CLOSURES 2008-2010 0 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN MAJOR DEBT 0% Small Business Funding When you first decide…

Obama and Romney 2012 Election

Consumer Debt and the 2012 Presidential Election

By Bill Fay | August 7, 2012

Consumer debt is quickly becoming one of the biggest issues in the 2012 presidential election. While standard concerns such as national defense, immigration and abortion continue to get their fair…

State of Florida Grass Beach Background

Debt Relief Options in Florida

By Bill Fay | July 31, 2012

Debt Relief Programs in Florida Debt relief is available in Florida to those who feel overwhelmed by what they owe. Relief comes mainly via banks, credit unions, online lenders and…

New York City 5th avenue photo taken from above

Debt Relief Options in New York

By Bill Fay | July 31, 2012

Debt Relief Programs in New York If you need debt relief in New York, credit counseling agencies (nonprofit and for-profit), banks, credit unions and online lenders specialize in helping consumers…

Woman typing on laptop using social media with icons appearing

Using Social Media for a Job Search

By Bill Fay | July 27, 2012

Using social media websites is now one of the most effective ways to connect with others. These sites are used not only for personal connections, but also are increasingly used…

How to take on and avoid default loans

Defaulting on Your Loans

By Bill Fay | July 26, 2012

A default on any loan is going to severely damage your credit score and leave you vulnerable to one or more collection procedures. The consequences of default depend on whether your loan is…

Young male putting up a sale sign in front of his house on walkway

Selling a House

By Bill Fay | July 26, 2012

If you own a home, these things are true: At one time, you probably bought the property, so you are familiar with what it takes to find real estate, apply…

What Is Debt Collection?

By Bill Fay | July 24, 2012

The picture that many people have in mind when they think about the stereotypical debt collector is a hard-hearted scoundrel of melodrama infamy, threatening to throw widows and orphans into…

Younger dissatisfied couple disputing their debt with a representative

Debt Disputes

By Bill Fay | July 13, 2012

Having to confront the consequences of outstanding debts can be an upsetting and worrisome experience. Regardless of how one fell into debt – whether from overspending, a medical or family…

Businessman choosing between paying off debt and saving

How to Prioritize Retirement Savings vs. Debt Payoff

By Bill Fay | July 13, 2012

You want to save for retirement, but you’re still getting billed each month for old debts. Can you really justify starting a retirement fund when you have credit card bills,…

Chalkboard with guide on how to survive inflation

How to Survive Inflation

By Bill Fay | July 22, 2022

With a nod to Mark Twain, inflation has replaced the weather as the thing everyone talks about it, but nobody seems to do anything about it. Until now. Not that…

Employee resigning from his job

The Great Resignation: Why Is It Happening?

By Bill Fay | February 8, 2022

America has turned into a nation of quitters, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Spurred by the COVID pandemic, millions of people have joined “The Great Resignation” that’s happening…

Man handing refund of cash

How to Get a Refund on Your Student Loan Payments During COVID-19

By Bill Fay | May 3, 2021

The rules governing repayment of federal student loans contain so many nooks and crannies that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you may have missed one created during the…

Envelope containing the third stimulus check

Third Stimulus Check

By Bill Fay | March 10, 2021

The average Joe – not Biden – figures to benefit most from passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Approximately 145 million Americans will receive a third round of…

$15 minimum wage

$15 Minimum Wage Increase: Will It Happen?

By Bill Fay | February 10, 2021

Biden wants the minimum wage – currently set at $7.25 an hour – to jump to $15 an hour by 2025. The increases would be phased in at approximately $1.75…

Joe Biden announces American Rescue Plan

Details on the American Rescue Plan

By Bill Fay | January 14, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden unveiled the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion war on the prolonged suffering of Americans hardest hit by coronavirus. Included in his proposal: a fresh round of…

Image of newspaper titled Covid-19 Relief Bill with ribbon attached

Covid-19 Relief Bill

By Bill Fay | December 30, 2020

The second COVID-19 relief bill is now law – all 3,126 pages of it. The people in Congress who passed it admit they don’t know what all is in it,…

Second stimulus check on top of the first stimulus check

Second Stimulus Check Update

By Bill Fay | December 29, 2020

If you haven’t looked at your bank account this week, now might be a splendid time. The long wait for a second stimulus check from the U.S. government finally is…

Calendar with dart on second stimulus date

When Will a Second Stimulus Check be Delivered?

By Bill Fay | December 23, 2020

A second stimulus check – the financial gift from the U.S. government to help consumers recover from the economic belt coronavirus gave the American economy – needs only a signature…

Google search bar with phrase student loan benefit

Google Is the Latest Company to Offer Student Loan Repayment Benefits

By Bill Fay | November 3, 2020

If the biggest employee benefit you receive is when your company bothers to fill the toilet paper rolls in the employee bathroom, you might not want to read this: Google…

Woman deciding whether or not to pay down student loans during COVID-19

Paying Down Student Loans Before the COVID Suspension Is Lifted

By Bill Fay | October 28, 2020

If you are paying on a federal student loan, you probably already know that the government CARES Act has provided benefits that suspends payment and interest requirements through May 1,…

Campaign buttons for Trump and Biden

Trump vs. Biden: How Their Plans for Student Loan Debt Compare

By Bill Fay | October 16, 2020

Americans with student loan debt have a $1.6 trillion question on their minds: What would President Trump or a President Biden do about all that money these 45 million borrowers…

Gavel on table

Court Ruling Favors Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharge

By Bill Fay | October 2, 2020

There hasn’t been much good economic news in 2020, but if you’re buried in student loans, there was an astoundingly positive development recently. Thanks to a recent court ruling, you…

Woman applying for a new credit card on her computer

Should I Apply for a New Credit Card During COVID?

By Bill Fay | September 24, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has created record unemployment, erased profit margins, closed businesses and wreaked havoc on almost every family’s money outlook. It has even affected America’s ultimate get-out-of-jail financial symbol…

Sign for VA office

VA Extends COVID-19 Debt Relief to Veterans Through 2020

By Bill Fay | September 15, 2020

Veterans indebted to the Department of Veterans Affairs won a partial payment reprieve this summer that will last at least through the end of 2020. The VA action extends a…

For sale sign in front yard of house

Coronavirus and the Real Estate Market

By Bill Fay | August 14, 2020

Dorothy surely wasn’t thinking of life in a COVID-19 pandemic when she clicked those heels in the “Wizard of Oz” and opined that ‘there’s no place like home.’ But her…

Senator Mitch McConnell at a podium

Details on the HEALS Act

By Bill Fay | August 5, 2020

Congress and the White House are still debating whether the HEALS Act, HEROES Act – or some compromise Act in between – will deliver the next round of coronavirus relief…

Nancy Pelosi at a podium

Details on the HEROES Act

By Bill Fay | July 21, 2020

When the House of Representative passed the $3-trillion HEROES Act on May 15, it all but guaranteed that a second stimulus check would arrive for Americans in need of financial help…

Bankruptcy court with COVID-19 sign

COVID-19 Bankruptcies

By Bill Fay | July 16, 2020

The storm is coming. American consumers will be filing personal bankruptcies in record numbers by the end of 2020. That is the projection from bankruptcy attorneys, bankers and other experts…

Image of the stimulus COVID-19 relief check distributed by President Trump

Stimulus Checks for COVID-19 Relief

By Bill Fay | July 1, 2020

The phrase “stimulus check” is second only to “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” as something to talk about these days and people are definitely talking. About 159 million Americans have received the…