Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Public Benefits Cannot Tell Your Creditors To Get Lost, But A Consumer Law Attorney Can
The economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed hundreds of thousands of Americans to apply for public benefits such as rental assistance, unemployment benefits, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Many of these applicants had never applied for any kind of government assistance before, and they quickly learned what people who had received… Read More »
Can Credit Card Companies Hold You Responsible For Credit Card Transactions You Didn’t Authorize?
When you live paycheck to paycheck and struggle with debt, as most of us do, you probably experience mixed emotions when your bank statements or credit card billing statements arrive or when you view transactions on your bank account. On the one hand, just looking at how little money you have left for the… Read More »
What Could Go Wrong With Buy Now Pay Later Services?
Several decades ago, an affordable Swedish brand became all the rage in America. IKEA furniture costs a fraction of what most furniture retailers charge, and the shopping experience was unbeatable, from the trendy blue color scheme to the Swedish meatballs and non-alcoholic champagne. The feeling of euphoria would always dissipate, however, once you got… Read More »
Keeping Your Debt Repayment New Year’s Resolutions
2021 has been a year of feast or famine, where evidence that things were getting better alternated with the all too familiar feelings of impending doom. Debt and your constant strategizing to repay it were parts of your life even before the COVID-19 pandemic. During times when there was no place to go and… Read More »
Beware Of Predatory Loans In Pennsylvania
New financial goals are among the most popular types of New Year’s resolutions. Whether your finances changed for the worse or for the better in 2021, your financial goals in 2022 may involve taking out some kind of loan. Perhaps you filed for bankruptcy last year and are trying to rebuild your credit, so… Read More »
Avoiding Debt Traps With Buy Now, Pay Later Services
Financial experts agree that budgeting is more useful for diagnosing debt problems than for paying off debts more quickly; even if you pare your food budget down to instant ramen noodles for dinner and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, it takes a major effort to have more money available for debt repayment. An entire… Read More »
What Not To Say To Debt Collectors
In a perfect world, you would not have to deal with debt collectors at all. If you have debts you cannot afford to pay, as more than half of all Americans do, then eventually the debt collectors start calling you. Your instinct might be to curse them out and hang up the phone or… Read More »
The No Surprises Act Is Good News For Uninsured Patients, Too
Now that 2021 is well into its fourth quarter, the speculations are beginning about what 2022 will hold. New, scarier variants of the SARS-COV-2 virus? Midterm elections that are every bit as ugly as the last few election cycles have been? Rising prices of food and other consumer goods? One thing that has to… Read More »
Is A Credit Limit Increase On A Credit Card Good Or Bad For Your Finances?
Most people aspire to pay down their debts and encounter considerable challenges in doing so, but not everyone has the same motivation for paying more than the minimum payments on their credit card bills. A small but vocal minority wants to pay down their debts, including credit card bills and home mortgage, and never… Read More »
Yes, Debt Collector Harassment Can Cause PTSD
When most of us were children, kids who were the targets of bullying by classmates could expect their parents to tell them to toughen up and their teachers to tell them to stop being a tattletale. Today, parents and teachers recognize peer bullying for what it is, namely harassment and emotional or physical abuse. … Read More »
