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].
Bankruptcy World has two distinctly different “Dis-lands.” One, “Dis-charged,” is the magnificent, joyful, cherished holy grail of bankruptcy outcomes. Every bankrupt wants to get through the Discharged finish line —…
Would you be able to pay off your credit card debt, if creditors forgive 40% to 50% of your debt? And agreed to those numbers up front without negotiating? And…
Filing for bankruptcy may or may not offer all consumers the clearest path out of debt but one benefit might just feel like the arrival of the cavalry. Filing for…
Bankruptcy is meant to give consumers drowning in debt a second chance, which a lot of people who overspent heavily using credit cards, think they need. But if you look…
This is the story for anyone who thinks a bankruptcy is a bankruptcy is a bankruptcy. Not so. In fact, bankruptcies are like Nike sneakers: They come in a variety…
Imagine logging on to Facebook and finding a new message in your inbox. It’s not from a family member or an old friend. Instead, it’s a debt collector asking why…
You may know your credit score, but understanding how you are graded can be a tool to help you raise your score in the future, and avoid repeating the mistakes…
You don’t have to be a millionaire to know what achieving that financial ranking means. Being a millionaire means you have crossed a huge economic threshold. Doors open. Opportunities are…
As the temperature outside drops, your utility bill is on the rise. We get it. It’s cold outside and you want to keep warm and cozy inside, but before you…
There have been so many dispiriting numbers resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that it’s hard to pick which one is the worst, but here is one that belongs somewhere near…
If the pile of bills you’re dealing with from credit card companies has grown out of control, it might be time to consider a debt consolidation loan. In many cases,…
The decision to get yourself out of debt is a life changer, if you are willing to make the necessary commitment that goes with that. You can learn how to get out of debt and how…
Do you know anything about the California Relay and Community Surcharge or the Texas Poison Control Fee? How about the Federal Excise Tax? Or the Universal Service Fee? Those are…
There are 250 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. today — and just 115 million American households. According to government statistics, 57 percent of those households have two or…
Compound interest is a powerful tool for building wealth. It’s also a devastating tool that can destroy wealth. It just depends on which side of the financial equation you use…
Everyone wants investments, but far fewer have them. In some cases, a catastrophic health problem or some other disaster wipes out a person’s savings, but most of the time the…
They say money makes the world go ’round. That well may be true, but you don’t have gravity and other universal constants to keep your financial world in a constant…
Humans are creatures of habit, and a lot of us creatures are in debt. What habits got us there? How did we fall into a life of anxiety over credit…
Stretching dollars until the next paycheck arrives has become a regular practice in America. More than 38 million U.S. households are pinching pennies between paydays and the surprising fact about…
We all know traveling isn’t cheap or easy. Depending on the destination and the length of stay, a vacation can take months of researching, planning and saving. Despite this, people…
Unlike other sectors of the mortgage market, which appear to be steadying after years of turmoil, FHA loans are falling into delinquency and foreclosure at an alarming rate. A recent…
A recent consumer report indicated the government-insured reverse mortgage program, once intended to help seniors continue living in their homes free from financial constraints during the retirement years, contains possible…
After several challenging economic years, the sluggish housing market is said to be on the mend as the number of total home sales show a sales gain. In fact, economists…
The results are troubling for economists. In a country riddled with consumer debt — the next generation of American consumers, college students, seem to be following in their parents’ footsteps,…
Fallout from the collapse of the U.S. housing market is ongoing, and consumers are only now beginning to learn the effectiveness of various mortgage modification strategies that they used after…
Veterans and active duty service members of the U.S. military and their families are struggling as much as everyone else in America with substantial financial problems in the wake of…
It came down to the wire, but Congress finally voted to help out millions of current and former college students who have accumulated up to $1 trillion in student loans.…