Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Do You Qualify for Miami-Dade County Mortgage Relief?
If you own your house, then you are in a stronger financial position than most, but struggling to keep up with your mortgage payments is as stressful as falling behind on your rent. The foreclosure notices fill you with dread. You call your mortgage lender and try to negotiate, but there is only so… Read More »
Is Catch the Solution to Your Debt Problems?
Advertisers telling customers that they will save money by buying the seller’s products is the oldest trick in the book. It is one thing to offer your products at a lower price than your competitors, but if you buy something, you invariably spend more money than if you had not bought it. The exceptions… Read More »
Subchapter V Is a Boon to Small Businesses
You have probably heard the gloomy statistic that most businesses close within the first five years of opening. What that statistic does not take into account is that even the businesses that are still operating take a while to become profitable. Debt is a virtually inescapable part of operating a small business, even a… Read More »
Beware of Zombie Debt
It is bad enough when debt collectors keep sending you notices in the mail every month, when it is obvious to everyone that you cannot pay. It is even worse when a debt collector pops up out of the blue and starts bugging you about a debt that you barely remember that you owed. … Read More »
Understanding The High Interest Rates On Credit Card Debt
It is not just your imagination that your credit card bills are the highest they have been in many years. Part of the problem is the persistently high prices. Rent, fuel, and groceries are so expensive that you find yourself using your credit card for everyday expenses, even if, before the pandemic, you only… Read More »
How To Avoid Junk Fees When Buying A Car
When it comes to the sale of new and used vehicles, it is a seller’s market these days. Buyers are often willing to pay the full sticker price, or even more, just because the cars they want are in short supply. Shopping for a car is a lot of work, even if you enjoy… Read More »
Quick Fixes to Avoid Defaulting on Your Car Loan
As of the spring of 2023 the average car on the road is 12.5 years old; this means that our roads are experiencing the highest percentage of geriatric vehicles they have witnessed in decades. The price of cars is so expensive these days that more people are holding onto their cars until they have… Read More »
Is There Really Such a Thing as Good Debt?
An old saying goes that if you have zero debts and you have ten dollars in your pocket, you are the richest person you know. Many of us would love to live debt free, but we simply cannot afford to provide for all our necessary expenses without borrowing. Most debt free people have benefited… Read More »
Dave Ramsey Has No Idea How Broke You Really Are
You have been in debt for so long that you have probably read Dave Ramsey’s baby steps to financial independence multiple times. Now that you are a grown adult, a member of the generation on whom everyone depends, it is painfully obvious to you that “baby step” is a subjective term. For example, Dave… Read More »
What Can Go Wrong With Buy Now Pay Later?
Remote learning, homemade banana bread, and Paycheck Protection Program loans have gone the way of the socially distanced social gathering, but buy now pay later (BNPL) is one pandemic-era habit that seems to be here to stay. You can set up installment plans for online purchases using BNPL services such as Affirm, Afterpay, or… Read More »