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.
Debt trouble does not discriminate. It comes to every demographic. However, because of their service to the nation, military veterans often travel a financial path unique among Americans. The transition…
If you need money in a hurry, you can get cash through your credit card or a payday loan. It’s quick and convenient, but don’t be fooled. It can be…
The answer to the question posed here — Should I pay my credit card bill early? — is frustratingly vague: It depends. Whether it’s wiser to pay early or wait…
Military members and veterans often struggle to make ends meet. That leads to bad credit scores, which makes them prime targets for predatory lenders. The base pay for new military…
You can have as many credit cards as you want. That doesn’t mean you should get as many as you want. What is the right number for you? That depends…
The average American has about four credit cards. If you’re an average American, you might want to get rid of at least one of them, thinking it will help you…
Few concepts are more rooted in the ideal of the American dream than owning and operating your own business. But making the dream a reality demands more than a great…
When the federal government shuts down, the first question millions of federal employees ask is: Who still has to work, and who gets paid? Shutdowns happen when Congress fails to…
Among the myriad wonders of medical care in the United States, medical debt stands stubbornly as the one incurable malady. And like any lingering condition, it can quietly weaken your…
A lot of people would rather inherit a doghouse than a timeshare. At least the doghouse won’t require a $1,000 annual maintenance fee. If someone dies and leaves you a…
If you can’t pay your credit card bills, you’re probably losing sleep. But there is at least one thing you don’t have to worry about – you can’t be thrown…
Bankruptcies are increasing in the U.S., which means financial dishonesty is also on the rise. The legal term is “fraud,” which is an all-purpose word for lying, cheating, or other…
Divorce does more than end a marital contract. It also severs most of the couple’s financial entanglements — most being the keyword. Debt is stubborn; as surely as it dogs…
Collections — the process of pressing a borrower to repay money owed to a business or organization — can present a thorny patch in the road to your financial goals.…
You’ve bought a house. You’ve locked down all the details, signed all the papers, and are set to make a monthly payment for at least 15 years. Then one month,…
Anyone new to bankruptcy can’t be blamed for thinking the whole process equals doom, gloom, and forfeiture. After all, filing bankruptcy is not going to look good on your resumé…
Credit card debt has skyrocketed to more than $1.1 trillion. So has looking for ways to avoid paying interest on that mountain of money. For millions of Americans, the search…
Borrowers who’ve gotten themselves tangled in a charge-off situation face difficult choices. Pay the debt in full? Try to settle for a lesser amount? Run away and hide? “The world…
For those seeking a fresh financial start, Chapter 7 bankruptcy has plenty of upsides. It’s the cleanest, most straightforward, least time-consuming, and least expensive of the various bankruptcy options. The…
When people get married, they often vow to take each other through thick and thin. Bankruptcy can get pretty thick for a husband and wife. Bankruptcy is when a person…
So much news, so little time and space. It’s Friday, and the big news is two-fold: release of the final U.S. jobs report before next week’s presidential election and the…
Private sector hiring increased in October as the total unemployment claims, including first-time unemployment benefit claims, fell slightly again, market analysts said. According to the payroll processor ADP, private employers…
Even though the presidential race is in its last full week, campaigning has come to a standstill across America as the east coast recovers from Sandy, a mammoth hurricane-turned-superstorm. Or…
Sandy the Superstorm is still winding its way through the Northeast – it’s the biggest and baddest tempest the heavens have unleashed in a generation. But scientists warn that it…
What if the federal government nationalized the mortgage industry and became the sole originator, servicer, guarantor and holder of all home loans across the country? You know, sort of a…
As Hurricane Sandy creeps toward the Eastern Seaboard at 14 mph, millions of people living in coastal states – especially New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut – are preparing…
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CEPB) continues to flex its administrative muscles. Beginning in January, the year-old federal agency created in the wake of the recent financial crisis will begin…
The United States Department of Justice sued Bank of America today for more than $1 billion, accusing the company of deliberately generating substandard home loans and selling them to Fannie…
The final presidential debate was supposed to be about foreign policy, but President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney preferred to talk about domestic issues, including a slow-to-recover U.S. economy.
Earlier this year, the federal government, the District of Columbia and 49 state attorneys general negotiated a financial agreement with five of the country’s largest banks: Ally (formerly GMAC), Bank…
As the countdown to Election Day continues, President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney diligently prepare to duel in their final televised debate tonight. Millions of Americans plan to…
The price of an education has risen once again, along with the amount of debt students take on by the time they reach graduation. According to The Institute for College…
With only three weeks left until Election Day, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney went head-to-head Tuesday night in the second of three planned presidential debates. Held at Hofstra…
As Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama take to the podium tonight in the second presidential debate, American voters hope to hear some encouraging news about job…
Annie Bell Adams may have recently lost her house to foreclosure but she’s fighting back. The 65-year-old pensioner is currently leading a class-action suit in New York against a dozen…
Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan shared center stage Thursday night in a lively vice-presidential debate. It was the only one planned between the two candidates for…
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…
Amazon.com, Inc., the international electronic commerce giant with a cheerful smile logo, is giving many retailers another reason to grin this holiday season as they extend participation in a new short-term…
A sign that the economy is inching back to normal, or a warning that banks are looking for new ways to squeeze money out of consumers? Either way, zero-interest credit…
President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney squared off Wednesday night in the first of three televised presidential debates. Although many voters have already made up their minds, political…