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].
1099 forms are federal income tax information forms from businesses and other institutions to document certain financial transactions conducted during a tax year. The forms are filed with the U.S.…
The state of New York is ready and willing to help first-time homebuyers who want to fulfill that part of the America dream. If home ownership seems out of reach,…
When the coronavirus hit in March of 2020, governments and businesses scrambled to create programs that would soften the gut punch they knew COVID-19 would deliver to the U.S. economy.…
We Help You Build Financial Strength Advertiser Disclosure Expand Debt.org wants to help those in debt understand their finances and equip themselves with the tools to manage debt. Our information…
Just as there is no such thing as a free lunch, there’s really no such thing as refinancing a mortgage for free, no matter how appealing a no-closing-costs refi may…
Talking to a credit counselor is probably the last thing on your mind when you’re shopping for a home. The list of people you already have to speak to —…
The reality is about half of all marriages end in divorce, a shattering experience that forces partners to divide assets and debt. Things can get really complicated, especially when mortgage…
There’s a lot to think about when buying a house. Deciding between a 15- or 30-year-mortgage may not seem like something you want to use a lot of mental energy…
The United States operates under a progressive tax code, which means — all things being equal — the more you earn, the more income taxes you owe. (Exceptions apply; we’ll…
Even if you weren’t a fan of the hit TV comedy “The Office,” you may sympathize with its main character, office manager Michael Scott, whose financial difficulties and general cluelessness…
More than 50 million people depend on Social Security benefits for part or all of their income during retirement. Although most working Americans do not plan on funding their retirements…
Choose Your Debt Amount Consolidate Debt in Minutes Advertiser Disclosure Expand Debt.org wants to help those in debt understand their finances and equip themselves with the tools to manage debt.…
Debt.org compiled information on six of the top debt consolidation companies in the United States and reviewed them based on services, fees, reviews from the Better Business Bureau and complaint…
You can get a mortgage with bad credit. Just ask Scott and Sally Champion, 30-somethings in Dallas, who set a goal of becoming homeowners no later than five years after…
Differences in Services & Costs The debate over receiving treatment at a hospital emergency room versus treatment from an urgent care center is worth having for anyone concerned about medical debt,…
Ah, the credit card. Easy to get, lovely to hold, and for those hardwired to instant gratification, absolutely fabulous to use. In fact, now that the Great Recession is a mostly…
If you use a wallet full of credit cards, spend freely with them, struggle every month to make even minimum payments – and are tired of the financial fatigue that causes…
The spirited revival of the housing market over the last decade has re-opened the door for consumers to use home equity as their bailout tool for high-interest debt – the…
COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. While that may not sound like it has anything to do with health insurance, it’s actually a federal law designed to…
You don’t have to be drowning in debt to know what it describes: someone floundering in the deep end of the financial pool who’s about to go under if he/she…
After years with little or no oversight, more than 30 U.S. consumer reporting firms will fall under the eye of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) starting September 30. It…
Between mortgages, home equity loans, credit cards and hospital bills, millions of Americans are said to be living on the financial edge, deep in debt. Companies and banks, frustrated with…
While the once sluggish real estate market has reportedly been on an upswing in recent months, it may actually become more challenging to take advantage of current low housing prices…
There is good news for small business owners and entrepreneurs considering a new venture — lenders are steadily increasing their volume of small business loans. In May, the overall number…
America’s mortgage crisis affected millions of older homeowners just at the time when their retirement nests should be heavily feathered, according to a study from the Public Policy Institute of…
They can be found diligently working in local grocery stores, offices, department stores and within the health care industry – they’re Americans aged 65 and older who remain active in…
There’s good news on the horizon for homeowners and the national economy this financial quarter: More than 700,000 U.S. households regained positive equity in their properties, according to a new…
Responding to complaints from thousands of veterans, Congress, the Obama administration and various veterans groups are condemning some of the practices of for-profit schools and colleges that receive hundreds of…
Economists around the globe are crunching the latest G.19 credit numbers released by the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, numbers that show that consumers around the world are still borrowing…
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.…
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…