Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Instructs Credit Reporting Agencies To Remove Bald-Faced Lies From Consumers’ Credit Reports
Did you hear the one about the guy who continued paying his bills on time even after he was dead? Did you hear about the lady who applied for her first car loan before she was old enough to get a learner’s permit, or the one who opened a credit card account several years… Read More »
Even The IRS Forgives Debts Sometimes
Even with the tax credits available to people who have no sources of income other than the work of their own hands, the feeling of owing money to the IRS but not being able to pay it is all too familiar to many working Americans. How many times have you filed for an extension… Read More »
Pennsylvania Attorney General Sues Two Used Car Dealerships That Sold Cars That Were Not Roadworthy
As new cars, along with almost everything else, become less and less affordable, demand keeps growing for used cars. Meanwhile, the price of used cars has increased 42 percent in the past three years, according to Kelley Blue Book. The law requires dealerships that sell used cars to be transparent about the history of… Read More »
Being Judgment Proof Is Not As Cool As It Sounds
The law makes it possible for creditors to force borrowers to pay debts, but the creditors must go through a long process to get to the point of judgments and wage garnishments. Even if a creditor follows all the steps and has the law on their side, it is not possible to collect money… Read More »
Is Patient Financing The Lesser Of Two Evils?
When it comes to seeking medical treatment, the worst-case scenario is that you are sick enough to require treatment but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, and that, even if you have medical insurance, but even after it pays its portion and negotiates write-offs with the providers, you are still left with tens… Read More »
Do Store Credit Cards Help You Build Your Credit?
Getting started building your credit is the hardest part. If you have no credit history, have filed for bankruptcy, or have just started earning a steady income after a period of financial hardship, you must first break out of the vicious cycle where no one approves you for loans because you have not built… Read More »
Do Utility Bills Affect Your Credit Score?
The optimist appreciates the fact that your bank account balance at the end of each month is a positive number instead of a negative one, but in some cases all you have to show for your hard work and disciplined spending habits is the motivation to work just as hard next month as you… Read More »
Is Another Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis On The Horizon For Pennsylvania?
Being stressed out about money is the rule rather than the exception for working Americans. Most households are surviving paycheck to paycheck, even if more than one member of the household works full time; some people with annual income in the six figures still find themselves with bank account balances in the double digits… Read More »
FTC Proposes Stricter Rules To Prevent Deceptive Sales Practices At Car Dealerships
If you ever have a free afternoon, read that series of articles in which a man who worked at used car dealerships in the 1990s describes all the shady practices that his colleagues employed to sell cars at prices much higher than their value. In the last installment in the series, he said that… Read More »
Why Do Insurance Claims Get Denied?
Buying an insurance policy and paying the premiums every month or every year is simple, but when it comes to getting your insurance company to pay you the money it promised to pay, things get much more complicated. After you file an insurance claim, you might get an unpleasant surprise in the form of… Read More »
