If you are paying high interest on credit cards or other debts should you use every penny possible to reduce your debts? Or should you stop if your finances have been squeezed by cost of living increases? There are many good reasons why you should continue to make pension contributions. More than 10 million people save into their pension through auto-enrollment, where employers have to … [Read more...]
Provident Scheme – the voting and approval process
UPDATE - the Scheme has now been approved by the court. See Provident Scheme – 4 million people can now claim a refund for how to make a claim and what will happen in the Scheme. Provident Financial Group (PFG proposed a Scheme of Arrangement to reduce the refunds it has to pay to customers given unaffordable loans through its Provident Personal Credit (PPC) subsidiary. There are … [Read more...]
Save a house deposit or pay off debt?
A reader asked: "A friend said not to pay my defaulted debts off but save money towards a deposit for a mortgage - is this a good idea?" It's often unwise to rely on friends for debt advice... They may be guessing, their situation may have been quite different from yours, or they may be assuming what happened to them years ago is still useful today. And in this case, the friend may know … [Read more...]
Santander gives NOSIA refunds on some credit cards
UPDATE in August 2021 Barclaycard is sending out some letters saying "they have noticed a mistake was made with one or more statutory notices(s) in the past". That's very vague! But those too may well be the "NOSIA refunds" described in this article. In June 2021, Santander sent some credit card customers a letter saying they would be paid a refund because Santander had failed to send them … [Read more...]
Thousands should switch from DMPs to a DRO after rule changes
UPDATE The rules about who can have a Debt Relief Order (DRO) changed in 2021 and more changes are coming in June 2024. From that date you can qualify for a DRO with debts of up to £50,000 and the permitted value of a car you can own is being doubled to £4,000. Thousands of people who are renting will now be eligible to apply for a DRO because of the 2021 and 2024 changes. Many people who … [Read more...]
Should I end my IVA and change to a DRO?
In 2024 the Debt Relief Order (DRO) rules have been relaxed so a lot more people qualify. For example, the maximum limit of debts in a DRO has now been increased to £50,000 and you can also own a car worth up to £4,000. Will you now qualify for a DRO? If you are in an IVA, you are renting and your IVA payments are less than about £120 a month, you may be much better off switching from an IVA … [Read more...]
Amigo – what is happening with “Scheme 2.0”?
In May Amigo's proposed Scheme of Arrangement was rejected by the court. The FCA told the court the Scheme was not fair to customers, a more fair Scheme could be proposed and it didn't think Amigo would go into administration immediately. The judge concluded by saying: The FCA expects the directors to continue to explore and promote a restructuring which fairly allocates the benefits and losses … [Read more...]
Court rejects Amigo Scheme of Arrangement
On 19 May 2021 the Sanction Hearing was held for Amigo's proposed Scheme of Arrangement. On 24 May, judgment was given and the Scheme was rejected. The Amigo Board says : The Board is reviewing all options including an Appeal. A further update will be given in due course. This article looks at the Scheme, the judgment and what may happen next. The proposed Scheme The Scheme was proposed by … [Read more...]
Sunny administration. 500,000 had missold loans, only 3% refunds paid
Background to the Sunny administration Sunny went into administration on 29 June 2020. It was one of the largest UK payday lenders. It joined a long list of lenders who have collapsed in the last nine months: QuickQuid, Moneybox 247, Swift Sterling, Piggybank, Nextcredit, Peachy, Uncle Buck. Sunny’s payday lending model was unusual, often lending very small amounts but very … [Read more...]
Good news – higher DRO limits from end June 2021!
UPDATE 2024 In the budget in March 2024, new changes to DRO limits and an abolition of the DRO fee were announced. These increase the total allowable debt in a DRO further to £50,000 and double the increases in the value of a car allowed to £4,000. The full DRO eligibility criteria are set out in What is a DRO UPDATE 10 May 2021 The Insolvency Service has announced the new limits that … [Read more...]
Provident closes its doorstep loan operation after 140 years
On 10 May 2021, Provident Financial Group (PFG) announced that it was closing its home credit operation, also known as doorstep lending. Doorstep lending has been at the heart of Provident's business for most of its 140-year history. Agents would visit customers at home, giving loans and collecting weekly repayments. Now Provident says: In light of the changing industry and regulatory … [Read more...]
The debt “Breathing Space” – could it help you?
The Debt Respite Scheme - better known as "the Breathing Space" - went live in May 2021. A Breathing Space is a 60 day period while you get debt advice and find a suitable debt solution. During this 60 days, you get legal protection from your creditors for most debts and it stops interest and charges being added. Sounds good? For a few people this will be a real help, but often there … [Read more...]
How to choose an IVA firm
Which are the best IVA firms to talk to if you are interested in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) and whether it is a good debt solution for you? If you put IVA into Google, how do you decide which of the tempting see how much of your debt you can write off links to click on? Or you could choose the person that cold calls/texts you telling you about a little-known government … [Read more...]
What happens at the end of a DRO?
A Debt Relief Order (DRO) lasts a year. This is sometimes called "the moratorium period". At the end of this year, all the debts that were included in your DRO are wiped out. You aren't contacted at the end of the DRO year There is no "DRO Completion" check made at the end of this year. Not by the Insolvency Service and not by the debt adviser who set up your DRO. You won't be asked to … [Read more...]
StepChange redundancies & the funding of debt advice
On 22 April 2021, StepChange announced that it was proposing to cut its staff by 10%. It has started the process of consultations about 140-17o redundancies. To many people this will sound bizarre. In October 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that 20 million people have seen their financial situation worsen because of Covid-19 and 7.7million people saw it worsen a lot. The FCA … [Read more...]
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