Get Out of Debt Guy

The Hospital Denied My Charity Care and the Bill Is Going to Collections. Here’s What to Do Right Now.

Steve Rhode — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:25:30 +0000

Denied charity care and the bill is heading to collections? Get the reason in writing, fix it, re-apply or appeal, and notify the collector. Here's how.

Treasury Yields Just Plunged. Here’s What That Does (and Doesn’t) Mean for Your CD and Savings Rate

Steve Rhode — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:02:45 +0000

Will CD rates go down after Treasury yields plunged? The notice rule most savers miss, and what the 1-year yield really did.

The Defense Production Act and Your Gas Bill This Week: What the October 22 Order Does and Doesn’t Change at the Pump

Steve Rhode — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:02:27 +0000

Defense Production Act gas prices: the Oct. 22 order authorizes purchases and financing for oil and refining projects but sets no pump price.

Still Paying for Last Christmas? Fix Cash Flow First

Steve Rhode — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:18:30 +0000

Steve Rhode and Damon Day explain why Christmas debt lingers, why a consolidation loan will not fix cash flow, and what to do in the 60 days before Christmas.

Damon Day Passed on a $41 Walmart Spark Order for a $28 One. Here’s the Per-Mile Math.

Steve Rhode — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:13:27 +0000

Damon Day passed on a $41 Walmart Spark order for a $28 one. I ran the per-mile math after miles and tax. One driver, one video, not typical pay.

Did a Debt Relief Caller Say They Were Your Bank? A Court Just Permanently Banned the Accelerated Debt Settlement Operation

Steve Rhode — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:27:27 +0000

A court banned the Accelerated Debt Settlement operation after the FTC said it posed as banks and agencies. There's no refund yet. What to do if you paid.

They Said My Old Federal Student Loans Are Past the Statute of Limitations. Age Alone Won’t End Them.

Steve Rhode — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:28:44 +0000

Age alone doesn’t end a federal student loan; the CFPB says they have no statute of limitations. Private student loans do have state time limits.

The $4.225 Million ViaPath (Telmate) Data Breach Settlement: Who Qualifies and How to File by December 21, 2026

Steve Rhode — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:19:17 +0000

ViaPath (Telmate) data breach settlement: $4.225M fund, up to $5,000 for documented losses. Claim by Dec. 21, 2026. Who qualifies and how to file.

Got Calls or Texts From Coast Dental After Saying Stop? Claim by December 24, 2026 in the $3.84 Million TCPA Settlement

Steve Rhode — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:17:27 +0000

Got texts from Coast Dental after saying stop? Opt out or object by Oct. 30, 2026; claim up to $59 by Dec. 24 in the $3.84M TCPA settlement.

Damon Day’s First Instacart Shop Paid About $25 and Took Three Hours. Here’s the Math.

Steve Rhode — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:30:08 +0000

Damon Day's first Instacart shop grossed about $25 and took three hours. I'm in this episode: beginner lessons and the math after miles and tax.

Snap Finance Will Cancel $662 Million in Charged-Off Lease Balances in 17 States: Who Qualifies (October 2026)

Steve Rhode — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:46:12 +0000

Snap Finance settlement cancels $662.1M in charged-off lease balances in 17 states. See who qualifies, what's automatic, and what the document doesn't say.

T-Mobile Price Guarantee Plans: Who Qualifies for the NY Attorney General Deal (October 2026)

Steve Rhode — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:44:03 +0000

NY's attorney general deal with T-Mobile over 2024 Price Guarantee plan hikes: who qualifies, the 45-day choice, what's unsaid, and fake-text red flags.

My Hospital Billed Me for Something Insurance Should Have Paid, and It’s in Collections. Here’s What to Do Right Now.

Steve Rhode — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:43:46 +0000

Hospital bill insurance should have paid, now in collections? Compare the EOB to the bill, dispute in writing, and fix it at the source before you pay.

Village Capital Will Pay $500,000+ in a DOJ Servicemember Case: Here’s the Letter That Turns On the 6% Cap

Steve Rhode — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:43:18 +0000

DOJ says Village Capital will pay $500,000+ in a servicemember mortgage case. Who gets paid, what the documents omit, and the letter that turns on the 6% cap.

Damon Day’s Worst Gig Night in a Long Time: The Math After Miles

Steve Rhode — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:50:42 +0000

Damon Day calls this his worst earning night in a long time. A 21-bag pickup and a vanished order show why gig math starts after miles and taxes.

A Debt Collector Keeps Calling Me About Someone Else’s Debt. Here’s What to Do Right Now.

Steve Rhode — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:33:58 +0000

A debt collector keeps calling about someone else's debt? See what it may legally say, how to dispute it in writing, and what to do in the next 48 hours.

They Said the IRS Only Has 10 Years to Collect, So Just Wait It Out. The Clock Stops More Often Than You Think.

Steve Rhode — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:31:33 +0000

The IRS generally has 10 years from assessment to collect a tax debt, but the clock pauses for payment plans, offers, hearings and bankruptcy.

Instacart’s $5 Million Settlement Is About Job Applicants, Not Shopper Pay. Here’s Who It Covers and What Shoppers Should Do Instead

Steve Rhode — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:30:44 +0000

The Instacart $5 million settlement is for job applicants, not shoppers. See who it covers, how to spot a fake claim site and what shoppers should do.

Damon Day Asked for an Order Going His Way and DoorDash Delivered. Here’s the Math.

Steve Rhode — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:43:23 +0000

Damon Day logged $72.87 gross on one Sunday night of Walmart Spark and DoorDash. Here is the math: miles, wear and taxes come out first.

A Second Robocall Lawsuit Against American Debt Protection, Filed in California One Day After Illinois

Steve Rhode — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:37:15 +0000

Second TCPA class action against American Debt Protection filed in California Oct. 8, 2026 (allegations only): what it says and what to do about the calls.

A Debt Collector Called My Job. Here’s What to Do Right Now.

Steve Rhode — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:13:47 +0000

A debt collector called your workplace? Here is what the law lets it say to your boss, what it bans, and the steps to take in the next 48 hours.

Homeowners Are Suing Unison Over Home Equity Agreements. A Judge Paused One Case, and Here’s the Math I’d Run First

Steve Rhode — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:12:57 +0000

Unison home equity lawsuit: a judge paused one couple's case on Oct. 15, 2026. What homeowners allege, what isn't proven, and the payoff math to run first.

Damon Day Saw $73 on an Instacart Order, Then Got $10.67. Here’s the Math.

Steve Rhode — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:13:17 +0000

Damon Day says an Instacart order showed $73 and paid $10.67. Here is the math to run on any gig offer: miles, wear and taxes come out first.

Brown v. American Debt Protection, Case No. 8:26-cv-02962

Research Department — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:59:03 +0000

Quick Answer: Angela Brown sued American Debt Protection in the United States District Court for the Central District of California under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. §§ 227, et seq. The complaint alleges that American Debt Protection made unsolicited telemarketing calls and sent text messages to Brown's cellular phone using a pre-recorded voice without her consent, violating her privacy rights. Brown seeks injunctive relief to stop these practices and monetary damages for herself and others affected. This is a legal filing containing allegations; no finding of liability has been made.

The 3.6% COLA Isn’t 3.6% for Every Military Retiree: Who Gets Less and How to Rebuild Your 2027 Budget Around the Real Number

Steve Rhode — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:47:47 +0000

Military retirement COLA 2027: the 3.6% isn't every retiree's number. Find your group before you spend the raise or sign for a new payment.

10 Things to Do After You File Bankruptcy

Steve Rhode — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:30:10 +0000

Steve Rhode and Damon Day walk through 10 steps to take after you file bankruptcy, from shame and credit reports to budgeting and restarting retirement savings.

The $8.75 Million University of Phoenix Settlement Isn’t Student Loan Forgiveness. Here’s Who Can Claim It, and Where Phoenix Borrowers Should Actually Look

Steve Rhode — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:52:26 +0000

The $8.75M University of Phoenix settlement pays up to $25 for website tracking, not student loans. Claim by Nov. 5, 2026; see where borrowers should look.

The FTC Is Sending Walmart Wire-Transfer Scam Refunds (October 2026): Is Yours Real?

Steve Rhode — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:47:25 +0000

Walmart FTC refund check in your mailbox? How to tell if it's real, the 90-day clock, who to call, and what a real FTC refund never asks.

DHS Made the End of Automatic Work Permit Extensions Final. If Your Paycheck Depends on an EAD, Here Are the Money Calls to Make Before Your Card Expires

Steve Rhode — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:47:08 +0000

DHS finalized the end of automatic EAD extensions on Oct. 14, 2026. What the rule says, and the money calls to make before your work permit card expires.

They Said My Student Loans Die With Me So My Family Is Safe. Federal, Mostly. Private Depends on the Loan.

Steve Rhode — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:44:54 +0000

A federal student loan is discharged at death, apart from two old joint types. A private cosigner must be released on loans signed from Nov. 20, 2018 on.