A couple of readers have asked about mortgage fixes when they have a poor credit record or simply a lot of other debt: Ms A: We are in a DMP and we were told it would make it very hard to remortgage. So we are now on Santander’s SVR and it’s over 7%. Can we really just ask them for a new fix and they won’t say no? Mr B: I'm worried about talking to Nationwide when our current mortgage fix ends. … [Read more...]
How does a DMP or a payment arrangement affect your credit rating?
A debt management plan (DMP) is a good debt solution for many people who can manage to repay their debts if interest stops being added. If you are trying to decide whether you need one, you may want to know how bad the effect will be on your credit file, and how long it will be before your credit rating recovers. There isn't a simple answer: DMPs are used in a lot of different … [Read more...]
“My energy direct debit can’t be right”
Has your energy supplier told you to pay a Direct Debit (DD) amount that sounds wrong? Not just more than you can afford, but one that doesn't sound right at all?: some numbers seem simply incredible, plucked out of nowhere; some seem to ignore the large credit on your account. You can't complain if the DD is so high just because prices are high - but you can complain if your … [Read more...]
Options if you have an interest-only mortgage
When an interest-only mortgage ends, you have to repay all the amount you borrowed. You can't just carry on paying the interest. The money to repay it can come from three sources: savings or investments; by getting a new mortgage; or by selling your house. How many interest-only mortgages are there? FCA research found that at the end of 2022: There are now fewer than 1 million … [Read more...]
Car finance – what happens in an IVA?
Cars on finance can be a big problem with an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). Sometimes they can cause difficulty getting the IVA approved. Sometimes you face a major problem when the car finance end. With more than a million cars a year in the UK being bought on finance, this is an increasingly common situation. And one that is being made worse in 2023 by the cost of getting a … [Read more...]
Can you get a mortgage with debts?
People often think that a mortgage lender will look at how good your credit score is. That isn't right - sometimes you can get a mortgage with a not good credit score or you may be rejected with a great credit score. Three key factors in getting a mortgage are: your deposit the affordability calculation - this is affected by current debts that you are repaying; your credit history - … [Read more...]
Buddy Loans administration – no money for cash refunds
UPDATE Advancis was dissolved in December 2023 Advancis Ltd, trading as Buddy Loans, went into administration on 7 September 2021. Buddy Loans was a small guarantor lender. Its loans were typical of the UK guarantor market - between £1,000 and £10,000 lent on a 1-5 year term at a 49.9% APR. The FCA describes these loans as "high cost". Buddy's slogan was: If you've got a good BUDDY, you … [Read more...]
Big hikes in Paypal interest rate & minimum payments
Paypal's interest rate increases Readers have reported getting an email from Paypal in June or July saying their interest rate will be going up a lot. In the email, Paypal warns: You will pay more each month and take longer to repay any outstanding balance on your account. Not good! A poll I ran on Instagram suggested more than half the Paypal accounts in the UK may be seeing an interest … [Read more...]
Making a claim to the Morses Scheme [old article]
UPDATE - Morses Club went into administration on 17 November 2023. This scheme has now been terminated. See Morses Club goes under – in administration – Scheme fails for details and what customers should do. Morses sent out a batch of decisions on 6 July 2023. Many people have found these confusing - see the comments below this article. At one point the email says in a grey box: "Morses … [Read more...]
Are you still paying fees on an old Gregory Pennington DMP?
For many years Gregory Pennington (GP), part of the Financial Wellness Group (FWG), has charged its clients monthly fees for running Debt Management Plans (DMPs) But MaPS awarded Gregory Pennington a contract that began on 1 February 2023. And it can't charge fees for DMPs under this contract. StepChange, Payplan and CAP have always provided "fee-free" DMPs, where all a client's payments go … [Read more...]
IVA mis-selling must stop – FCA finally acts to ban debt packagers
Many people have been mis-sold IVAs when they had a better (cheaper, quicker, less risky) debt option available. These other options were ignored or not properly described by some firms that should have given proper debt advice. IVAs are the only debt solution in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that generates large fees for the firms setting them up. These fees can distort debt advice given … [Read more...]
How to repair your credit record after bankruptcy
Bankruptcy badly affects your credit record for six years. This article looks at what should show on your credit record after you are discharged from bankruptcy. For almost everyone, discharge happens after a year. But if lenders don't record bankruptcy and your discharge correctly, they will continue to damage your credit record for longer than they should. Even if you … [Read more...]
Affordability complaints for two credit cards from a lender
My article on credit card affordability explains when you should make a complaint and has a free template letter to use. Some people have two credit cards from the same lender. Or two catalogue accounts from the same lender. The most common lenders this affects are: Newday - brand names include Aqua, Marbles and Fluid; Capital One - some people have been given two Capital One cards. … [Read more...]
IVAs and secured loans – how to complain
The IVA protocol, which applies to most new IVAs that started before July 2025, says that in the last year of your IVA, if you have a house with equity, you may have to release equity by either remortgaging or getting a secured loan. Most IVAs that started after July 2025 will use the "Protocol 2025" that does not require equity release, so this article is not relevant. Some of the proposed … [Read more...]
Has your debt with Hoist been sold to Lowell?
In September 2022, the debt collector Lowell bought Hoist's UK business, with over 2 million defaulted accounts. Most of these debts were loans, credit cards or overdrafts from lenders such as Barclays, Egg, HSBC, Newday and Santander. Lowell is moving over the Hoist accounts to its system. With so many accounts to be transferred, this is being done in batches. When yours is switched … [Read more...]
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