Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Freeing Up Funds for Debt Repayment on a Shoestring Budget?
Tough economic times have been going on for so long that it is hard to imagine anything else. Having to wonder every month if you can keep up with the minimum payments on your debts is incredibly stressful. There must be a way to break out of this cycle of debt, but where do… Read More »
Actions You Can Take to Stop Your Debts From Getting Bigger
You are not the only person who is struggling financially. You have already heard the statistic about how two thirds of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency expense without using a credit card and how two thirds of households with annual income above $100,000 live paycheck to paycheck. An even starker sign of how… Read More »
What Counts as Debt Collector Harassment?
The worst part of your day is seeing email from debt collectors in your inbox or getting calls from numbers you don’t know, since you assume that it will be a creditor calling about a new debt or a new collection agency calling about an old debt. You avoid checking your physical mailbox for… Read More »
CFPB Asks Court to Order Debt Collection Company to Pay Penalties for Illegal Debt Collection Practices
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has the authority to seek court orders against companies that engage in unfair and illegal debt collection practices. The CFPB typically pursues legal action against debt collectors only after receiving numerous complaints from consumers who allege that the company attempted to collect debts they did not owe or… Read More »
Refinancing Auto Loans Is About More Than Getting A Lower Interest Rate
The conventional wisdom about refinancing loans is that it either leads to the rich getting richer or to the poor getting into an even more desperate financial situation. If your financial situation has improved since you took out the loan, then your new, shiny credit score qualifies you for a loan with a lower… Read More »
Harrisburg Couple Face Criminal Charges for Defrauding Consumers Through Online Vehicle Sales
Despite legal regulations that aim to prevent it, fraud is always a possibility when you buy a used car. Car dealerships that sell used vehicles sometimes go out of their way to live down the sleazy image that had attached itself to the profession of used car sales. You can tell that a car… Read More »
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Orders Wells Fargo Bank To Pay Billions To Customers Whose Loans It Mismanaged
Almost everyone who can afford to own a house or a car has a home mortgage or a car loan. Most of us don’t read the fine print when we sign to take out these loans. It would seem that the lenders also do not always read the fine print, at least given the… Read More »
Fewer Surprises And Negative Remarks On Credit Reports, But Still A Mountain Of Medical Debt
When it comes to healthcare in the United States, good news is hard to find. Three years into the pandemic, Americans’ life expectancy has started getting lower for the first time in decades. COVID, gun violence, and drug overdoses are just some of the causes of untimely death. Of course, as long as you… Read More »
Columbia County Home Builder Accused Of Financial Crimes After Abruptly Closing Business
Building a house from the ground up is a major investment of time and money, even when everything goes according to plan. If you embark on a project to build a house as a celebration of your prosperity, then even in the best of circumstances, by the time the house is finished, you will… Read More »
Pennsylvania Homeowners Can Still Get Mortgage Assistance If They Are Still Struggling With The Fallout From the Pandemic
Amidst the turmoil, the pandemic brought glimpses of what life would be like if slightly more public funds were available to help struggling individuals and families afford necessities. Many states used federal funds to expand public benefit programs and offer rent relief. Several years later, millions of Americans continue to face economic uncertainty. In… Read More »
