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.
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…
Growing older never was for the fainthearted, but it takes exceptional courage to navigate those Golden Years with dents on your credit report and a need for cash. Chins up,…
Choosing to declare personal bankruptcy can be among the most difficult decisions ever to confront an individual. Tougher still: Having to pick, under unmatched duress, which type of bankruptcy best…
There are plenty of reasons to consider making car loan payments with a credit card — everything from piling up rewards points or cash back, to scoring a bit of…
With President Biden declaring an end to pandemic emergency provisions effective May 11, and states and companies already having rescinded most of their debt collections suspensions, debt collectors are totally…
A bankruptcy discharge is the legal holy grail for anyone who files for bankruptcy. A discharge means there’s a court order in the bankrupt’s case that erases all qualifying debts.…
Debt Relief Programs in South Carolina Those who are struggling to pay off debt in South Carolina can find programs to help through banks, credit unions, online lenders, and for-profit…
Debt Relief Programs in Missouri Missouri residents struggling to pay off debt can find assistance programs at banks, credit unions, online lenders, and for-profit and nonprofit debt relief companies. These…
If you have so much debt that you’re considering filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you have enough debt to qualify. The U.S. bankruptcy code doesn’t specify a minimum dollar amount…
Debt Relief Programs in Minnesota There are banks, credit unions, online lenders, and debt-relief companies (for-profit and nonprofit) in Minnesota that specializes in helping consumers pay off credit card debt. These companies…
A rare silver lining to the Covid pandemic was Americans managed to pay down billions of dollars in credit card debt. Those days have screeched to a halt. Credit card…
If money is causing stress and anxiety in your house, take it easy. You’ve got company. The same thing is happening in the house next door. And the one across…
Most people know their financial footprint in the world, but probably couldn’t tell you their carbon footprint on the planet. Earth Day celebrations, which happen every year on April 22,…
Would you pay your bank $5 a month (or more?) just so you can withdraw money you have deposited there? As absurd as that sounds, a growing number of consumers…
McClary, B. (2015, April 7) Americans Are Overly Confident When It Comes to Finances, Yet Unprepared For The Future. Retrieved from https://www.nfcc.org/press/multimedia/news-releases/americans-are-overly-confident-when-it-comes-to-finances-yet-unprepared-for-the-future/
NA, (2013, January) College Students are Put to the Test: The Attitudes, Behaviors and Knowledge Levels of Financial Education. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/bfay/Downloads/Inceptia_FinancialAptitudeAnalysis_researchbrief.pdf
http://newsroom.transunion.com/one-third-of-americans-have-never-checked-their-credit-report-reveals-transunion-study
Want to put a smile on your face? Google images for summer vacations and take a look at what’s out there! Beaches, mountains, water parks, national parks, white-water rafting, arts…
In the summer of 1985, I was a sports writer in Tampa and an athlete I used to write about invited me to lunch to discuss a new professional summer…
There is a significant social, cultural and economic change happening so quietly in America that you may not even be aware of it: Multi-generational family living is back. Multi-what? Multi-generational…
By most accounts, the United States economy had a glowing year in 2014. Unemployment was down, spending was up, housing prices continued to bounce back and gas prices plunged to…
Billy Sexton is not a frugal man. In fact, he chuckles at the idea of cutting corners to save money. “I’m the guy who believes you get what you pay…
The day of reckoning is fast approaching for annual budgets and it may not be a good one for people who rely on credit cards. Annual bills often collide with…
Get ready America, the Holiday Shopping Circus is rolling into your town again this year and no one is immune from the excitement it generates. Least of all someone with…
What settles arguments in your house: Facts or opinion? That seems like a loaded, but relatively easy question. Facts win, right? Well, sometimes. A study by Dartmouth College suggested that…
Tamara Holleman wants a new car and at first glance, she could easily afford one. Holleman and her husband work in the medical profession, bring home comfortable incomes, live in…
The average credit score for American consumers is at an all-time high, but will almost surely go higher within the next year as credit bureaus and government tinker with one…
The duel between debt and income is spilling over into the retirement years for more and more people. At one time, it was common to have all the major bills…
Do you think you know your credit score? Credit scores – the numeric measure that shows lenders whether a person is likely to repay a loan – are a must-have…
I went shopping for a cell phone the other day and found out I’m not as special as I thought I was. I have never owned one and for at…
Admit it. You’ve considered de-friending the person that challenged you to the Ice Bucket challenge on Facebook. The videos that are flooding your news feed are all apart of the…
Not sure you are aware of this, but the cell phone industry will pass a fairly significant milestone this year and there is a good chance I could be the…
When the bell rings to start a new school year, college students, especially the 70 percent using loans to pay for expenses, need to catch up on a few news…