Debtless
Loans & bills
Forgiven debt and taxes: the 1099-C surprise
Why the IRS treats some forgiven debt as taxable income, what a 1099-C form means, and when to bring it to a tax professional.
Money decisions, made clearer.
The Debtless Journal
Debtless is a 100% free debt payoff app for iPhone. Practical ways to get out of debt, one decision at a time. Clear examples, useful routines and a free app to put your plan into practice. The Debtless Journal is a free debt blog of practical articles on payoff methods, credit card interest, loans, collections, budgeting and privacy, written for anyone deciding how to pay down what they owe. It turns reading like this into a plan, drawing on 442 articles in this library.
The Debtless Journal articles
442 articlesLoans & bills
Mortgage forbearance: what it pauses and what it does not
What mortgage forbearance actually changes, why it is not forgiveness, and the repayment options a servicer typically offers afterward.
Getting started
Your first hour getting organized about debt
Spend your first hour gathering debt statements, finding the next payment deadline, and choosing one useful action without needing a perfect plan.
Payoff methods
How to start a debt snowball with your smallest balance
Start a debt snowball with verified small balances, maintain required payments, and prepare to redirect the first finished account’s payment.
Free debt apps
What to check before choosing a free debt app
Choose a free debt app by testing price terms, required data, calculation clarity, and the complete monthly workflow you will actually maintain.
Budget & cash flow
How much of your paycheck can safely go toward debt?
Learn to calculate an affordable extra payment from your paycheck, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Credit card debt
Statement vs. current balance: which goes in your tracker?
Learn to distinguish statement and current credit-card balances, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Payments & progress
Scheduled, pending, posted: three stages of a debt payment
Learn to distinguish scheduled, pending, and posted debt payments, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Loans & bills
How to Track an Auto Loan Without Linking Your Bank
Start with the lender's current statement, record the balance and required payment, and track each payment after it posts.
Life & debt
How to Restart a Debt Plan After Moving
Rebuild the first month's cash calendar around the actual costs and dates of the move before restoring extra debt payments.
Privacy & habits
How to Use a Debt App Without Giving It Bank Credentials
Choose a manual workflow: read statements through your lender's own verified account, copy the figures needed for your debt plan, and update them on a.
Getting started
How to list debts without counting an account twice
Learn how to spot duplicate debt entries, compare account records, and keep a renamed or transferred obligation from inflating your debt total.
Payoff methods
How to start a debt avalanche using verified interest rates
Build a debt avalanche using verified rates and understand why the next extra dollar can have more effect on a higher-rate eligible balance.
Free debt apps
Free debt app or spreadsheet: choose by the work involved
Compare a free debt app with a spreadsheet by looking at setup, maintenance, formula clarity, and how you will keep one current account record.
Budget & cash flow
A bill calendar that makes room for debt payments
Learn to build a bill calendar around paydays and creditor deadlines, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Credit card debt
Why a $100 card payment can lower the balance by under $100
Learn to explain why a payment and net balance reduction differ, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Payments & progress
A ten-minute weekly debt review with one useful next step
Learn to build a short weekly review around one useful next step, with a worked example, practical checks, and free debt app guidance.
Loans & bills
How to Prepare for the Final Payment on a Car Loan
Ask the lender for a payoff quote that is valid for your intended payment date before treating an auto loan as finished.
Life & debt
How to Adjust Debt Payments During a Job Change
Plan around the dates and net amounts of the final old paycheck and first new paycheck before committing to extra debt payments.
Privacy & habits
How to Review a Scanned Debt Statement Before Saving It
Treat statement scanning as a starting point for data entry, then compare every extracted figure with the original document before saving.
Give your plan a place to live.
Track balances and compare payoff methods in Debtless. Free, with no account or bank connection.
