If your debts are so bad that you are going to have to choose one of the three types of insolvency, you know this will wreck your credit rating, but how long will this continue? This article answers this and other you may have about the effect of insolvency on your credit record such as Will you ever be able to get credit again? What about a mortgage? Is bankruptcy worse than an IVA or a DRO for … [Read more...]
Frugal Finances or Increasing Income?
If you have a pile of debt you need to clear, is it better to increase your income or cut your expenses? Obviously either can be a big help, which is why they are both included in Debt Camel's Toolkit for Improving Your Finances. But I asked two of my favourite personal finance bloggers in Britain to write about which approach feels more important to them. Jane Clark is the blogger … [Read more...]
Using bankruptcy to collect council tax arrears
More councils are using bankruptcy and charging orders as a method for collecting council tax arrears according to research by accountancy firm Moore Stephens. In 2013/14, 32% of councils used bankruptcy for some council tax debts - a sharp increase from 20% in 2009/10. It is estimated that councils petitioned to make 1,100 people bankrupt in 2013/14 because of council tax debts. But is … [Read more...]
Creditfix’s proposed PJG IVA variation (2014)
In October 2014, some people who had IVAs with PJG Recovery had their cases transferred to Creditfix. The people who have been transferred were told that nothing else would change in their IVA. Two months on in December 2014 however, they are being asked to agree to a variation in the terms of their IVA, including increasing the fees that Creditfix charge. Some people have expressed unhappiness … [Read more...]
FAQs about how your DMP may affect your partner
Debt problems come in all shapes and sizes. So do personal relationships. And debt management plans (DMPs) are very flexible arrangements. The combination of all of these means there isn't a simple answer to the question about how your DMP will affect your partner, but here I look at the most common questions people have. Will my partner's income be taken into account? In debt management, you … [Read more...]
Is your pension safe in a DRO?
You may be worried about whether your pension will be safe if you are already in, or have finished, a Debt Relief order (DRO), or if you are thinking about applying for a DRO. The 2015 pension changes mean that many people over 55 can now withdraw some or all of their pension. so what happens if you take money out? Can you lose your pension? Can you get a DRO if you have a good pension? I … [Read more...]
Helping your son or daughter with debt or a house deposit
It's natural to want to help your children if they are in difficulty. But if your son or daughter has debts, can you afford to help them? And is paying their debts or giving them a loan the best thing to do, or are there better alternatives? I've written before about whether someone should help their parents with a debt problem - but helping your children has different implications, both … [Read more...]
Helping your mum or dad with their debts
Is paying your mum or dad's debts really a good idea? There was a lovely story a couple of years ago about Tyrone Mings paying off his mum's debt But he was a successful professional footballer so he could no doubt afford it. For the not so rich, there isn't a simple answer as every case is different, but I've put together some pointers for you to look at the options. I'll talk … [Read more...]
Will my pension be safe in a DMP?
The pension changes that came in in 2015 gave many people over 55 a new option for paying off their debts, by taking money from their pension pot. I've looked at whether this is generally a good idea in Should you use your pension to pay your debts? but in this article I focus on people who are already in a Debt Management Plan (DMP). This article is relevant for people who are over 55 (or … [Read more...]
Should you use your pension to pay off your debts?
More people than ever are retiring with significant amounts of debt. One in three people planning to retire now expects to have debts - an average of over £17,000. And annuity rates have been low for a long while, although they should be starting to rise as interest rates edge up in 2022. So with more debt to pay and their likely pension income getting less, it's not surprising that many people … [Read more...]
Is your pension safe in an IVA?
Many people who are over 55 can take some or all of their pension pot in cash before they actually retire. You need to know how this may affect you if you are considering an IVA. If you already have an IVA, you may be wondering if your pension is safe. First a warning: IVAs are individual arrangements and it is possible for almost anything to be included or excluded in the detailed terms and … [Read more...]
New Insolvency Service guidelines on pensions
On 26 March 2015, the Insolvency Service published Undrawn pension entitlements: Summary of guidance for insolvency practitioners and debt advisors. With "pensions freedom" coming into force on 6th April 2015, the Insolvency Service's aim was to clarify the murky situation around bankruptcy and pensions. Further clarification then came with the Guidance Issued to Receivers and Guidance Issued to … [Read more...]
Splitting up – how to separate finances
Emotions and coping with the children's concerns may be your immediate worries when you split from your partner. But even if financial concerns don't seem as important, it's a good idea to try to sort out any money problems and get separate finances as soon as possible. I'm going to look at four main areas which are important for separate finances: benefit claims; establishing a … [Read more...]
Repossession after bankruptcy – be careful!
What do you need to do if you want your house to be repossessed after you go bankrupt in England, Wales or Northern Ireland? Perhaps the house is unaffordable, has negative equity, or it's the wrong size for you. For whatever reason, you want to move out, are happy for the mortgage lender to repossess and may want to "hand back the keys" as fast as possible to get it all over with. The … [Read more...]
Bad credit loans to avoid
Logbook loans, guarantor loans, "pay weekly" shops such as BrightHouse - these may sound attractive if you are short on cash but have a poor credit rating or have been refused a payday loan. But this sort of debt can end in disaster if you have money problems. This article looks at bad credit loans, how they create a lot more problems than they solve and what alternatives might work better for … [Read more...]