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.

House icon and red arrow pointing up on yellow background representing increasing mortgage.

Why Did My Mortgage Payment Go Up?

By Bill Fay | January 22, 2025

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,…

Bankruptcy reaffirmation agreement paper with glasses on top.

What Is a Reaffirmation Agreement?

By Bill Fay | October 29, 2024

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 and flying coins on blue background.

What Is a Balance Transfer Fee?

By Bill Fay | September 6, 2024

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…

Woman paying of her charged off credit card debt

Should I Pay a Charge-Off in Full or Settle?

By Bill Fay | March 27, 2024

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…

A toy car next to a judge's gavel

When Do You Have to Surrender a Vehicle in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

By Bill Fay | December 14, 2023

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…

Couple discussing bankruptcy together

How Bankruptcy Will Affect Your Spouse

By Bill Fay | December 6, 2023

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…

Senior citizen reading loan offer

Loans for Seniors With Bad Credit

By Bill Fay | September 7, 2023

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,…

Attorney discussing converting Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 with his client

Converting Chapter 13 to Chapter 7

By Bill Fay | August 23, 2023

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…

Woman paying her car payment with a credit card using her phone

Paying a Car Payment with a Credit Card

By Bill Fay | August 3, 2023

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…

Two individuals negotiating at a table

How To Negotiate With Debt Collectors

By Bill Fay | July 14, 2023

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…

Judge discharging debt in bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Discharge

By Bill Fay | June 7, 2023

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.…

Downtown Charleston, South Carolina

Debt Relief Options in South Carolina

By Bill Fay | March 10, 2023

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…

Bridge in Missouri

Debt Relief Options in Missouri

By Bill Fay | March 8, 2023

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…

Man discussing with lawyer about debt limits for chapter 7 bankruptcy

How Much Debt Do You Have To Be In to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

By Bill Fay | February 24, 2023

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…

Bridge over a lake in Minnesota

Debt Relief Options in Minnesota

By Bill Fay | February 8, 2023

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…

Couple discussing whether or not they should use a personal loan to pay off credit cards

Should You Use Personal Loan to Pay Off Credit Cards?

By Bill Fay | December 14, 2022

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…

Covered bridge in rural Indiana

Debt Relief Options in Indiana

By Bill Fay | December 14, 2022

Debt Relief Programs in Indiana There are banks, credit unions, online lenders and debt-relief companies (for profit and nonprofit) in Indiana that specialize in helping consumers pay off credit card debt.…

Wisconsin state capitol building

Debt Relief Options in Wisconsin

By Bill Fay | December 12, 2022

Debt Relief Programs in Wisconsin Wisconsin residents struggling to pay off debt can find assistance programs at banks, credit unions, online lenders, and for profit and nonprofit debt relief companies.…

Washington mountain view

Debt Relief Options in Washington

By Bill Fay | November 3, 2022

Debt Relief Programs in Washington There are a number of resources available for residents of the Evergreen State who find  themselves in financial peril. Banks, credit unions, online lenders, for…

Smoky mountains in Tennessee

Debt Relief Options in Tennessee

By Bill Fay | October 26, 2022

Debt Relief Programs in Tennessee Tennessee has a number of companies that specialize in helping consumers pay off credit card debt including banks, credit unions, online lenders, and both for…

Payroll tax hike affects everyone

Payroll Tax Hike Could Throw Economy into Reverse

By Bill Fay | January 14, 2013

The government is taking a bigger bite of American workers’ paychecks this year, which could mean another slowdown of the U.S. economy. American workers are paying 2 percentage points more…

New mortgage rules

New Lending Rules Protect Consumers from Predatory Lenders and from Themselves

By Bill Fay | January 14, 2013

It may be too late for a pound of cure, but half a dozen years after the bursting of the housing bubble helped precipitate the Great Recession, the U.S. Consumer…

New mortgage rules protect consumers

New Rules Protect Consumers from Overzealous Mortgage Lenders

By Bill Fay | January 11, 2013

A new federal regulation puts the onus on lenders to take meaningful steps to ensure a person can afford a home loan, before they actually give them one. The “ability-to-repay”…

Tax refunds delayed

Delay in Tax Filing Season Means Later Refunds for Many

By Bill Fay | January 9, 2013

Millions of taxpayers banking on refunds from the IRS will have to wait a little longer to get them this year. The last-minute passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act…

Bank of America settlement

Bank of America to Pay $10B to Fannie Mae to Settle Claims

By Bill Fay | January 7, 2013

The first week of 2013 has not been a happy new year for some of the nation’s largest banks, particularly Bank of America. On Monday, Bank of America agreed to…

Unemployment numbers steady

Positive News on Unemployment and Minimum Wage Laws

By Bill Fay | January 4, 2013

Workers starving for good news got a few morsels this week with positive reports on unemployment and pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says December’s unemployment rate was 7.8 percent,…

wind farm

Shifting Winds Bolster the Wind Industry

By Bill Fay | January 4, 2013

Here on the landless side of the fiscal cliff, there’s nothing but the wind. And as every parachutist and cliff diver knows, the wind can be tricky and unpredictable. Just…

wall street reacton fiscal cliff

American Investors among Winners in Fiscal Cliff Deal

By Bill Fay | January 2, 2013

Parties all over the world found reasons to celebrate the legislation that helped America avert the fiscal cliff. The bill, passed by the Senate in the early morning hours of…

Hedge fund

The Noose Is Tightening around Necks of Hedge Fund Execs

By Bill Fay | January 2, 2013

Ever wonder how some of the country’s richest hedge fund managers succeed in making such huge fortunes on their stock market bets? How guys like Steven A. Cohen, founder of…

Eric Cantor Opposed Fiscal Cliff Deal

GOP Leaders Defer as House Passes Bill to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

By Bill Fay | January 1, 2013

House Republicans dragged America to the rim of the fiscal cliff Tuesday before bowing to pressure from the Senate and passing legislation limiting tax hikes and spending cuts. The final…

joe-biden-fiscal-cliff-agreement

Fiscal Cliff Breached but Senate Deal Done; House Action Next

By Bill Fay | January 1, 2013

Congress allowed America to stumble over the fiscal cliff Tuesday morning but left itself enough rope to pull the country out of trouble, perhaps before lunch. Senate leaders of both…

NRA-Wayne-LaPierre-gun-industry-profits

Firearms Industry Hits the Bull’s-Eye in 2012

By Bill Fay | December 24, 2012

So the world didn’t end, after all. Whew! Looks like we dodged another bullet. Speaking of bullets, I hope everyone has their holiday shopping done. Just one last thought before…

Can fiscal cliff be avoided?

Lawmakers Head Home after Failing to Solve Fiscal Cliff Crisis

By Bill Fay | December 21, 2012

The clock is winding down on the Jan. 1 deadline for the fiscal cliff crisis, and the Republican Party has punted. House Speaker John Boehner, who introduced what he thought…

Jumping off the fiscal cliff

C’mon, America! Let’s Take a Dive Off the Fiscal Cliff

By Bill Fay | December 20, 2012

Are you ready to take a dive off the fiscal cliff? I am. I have read, written and regurgitated enough information about the economic doom that awaits all of America…

Obama, GOP at odds over fiscal cliff

12 Days to Fiscal Cliff: Obama, Republicans at Odds Again

By Bill Fay | December 19, 2012

The sword-fighting between Democrats and Republicans could get nasty in the next few days as the battle heats up over how to avoid the fiscal cliff. Republican House Speaker John…

Facebook IPO

Morgan Stanley Fined $5M; Fallout from Facebook IPO Continues

By Bill Fay | December 19, 2012

Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter for the Facebook initial public offering (IPO), was fined $5 million for creating an uneven playing field among investors, Massachusetts’s top securities regulator said this…

Progress on fiscal cliff

Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ for Fiscal Crisis Gets Panned By Congress

By Bill Fay | December 18, 2012

The momentum Republican House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama built Monday toward a resolution of the fiscal cliff crisis lasted less than 24 hours. It ended when Boehner chose…

Iceland economy heats up

Iceland’s Economy Heats Up Faster than Most

By Bill Fay | December 18, 2012

Four years after the crash, the United States is still limping along in what can best be described as an anemic recovery — better off than some nations, but not…

Alternative Minimum Tax

Taxpayers Beware: Alternative Minimum Tax Could Mean Huge Hit

By Bill Fay | December 17, 2012

If you’re a taxpayer worried about Congress not extending the Bush tax cuts by Jan. 1, brace yourself: An even bigger hit – the Alternative Minimum Tax – might be…

Fix-and-flip houses

FHA Extends Program that Allows Quick ‘Flips’ of Properties

By Bill Fay | December 17, 2012

As the nation continues to wrestle with high unemployment rates and a recuperating real estate market, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) decided to continue one of its popular programs. The…