A reader asked: I can't afford to go bankrupt! Is there anyone that can help with the fees? The bankruptcy fees in England and Wales are £680. This is made up of the £550 Official Receiver's fee and the £130 application fee. £680 is just stupidly high - most people go bankrupt because they are broke and they don't have hundreds of pounds in their bank account. The fees used to be reduced if … [Read more...]
Getting out of debt
Practical articles about the different debt options, which might work for you and different ways of dealing with creditors
Threats of CCJs and bailiffs – are debt collectors bluffing?
Have you received scary letters from a debt collector demanding payments? These letters may threaten defaults, county court judgments (CCJs) and bailiffs taking your possessions. Sometimes the letters are bluffing, but the number of CCJs is continuing to go up. In the first half of 2019, there were 586,765 CCJs and more than half were for less than £650. This article covers consumer debts … [Read more...]
Who should you tell before you go bankrupt? And afterwards?
It is normally a good idea to tell your creditors if you are in financial difficulties, not ignore them. So should you tell people you are planning on going bankrupt? And who do you have to tell afterwards? Before bankruptcy - you won’t gain from telling your creditors Few creditors will feel sorry for you and stop pestering you if you tell them you are going bankrupt. So you aren’t … [Read more...]
What to do if you get a Claim Form
If you receive a Claim Form from a County Court through the post you need to respond rapidly. Ignoring court papers is a bad idea, even if you think the debt is too old or you are worried you can't pay the money. If you agree you owe the money you will get a County Court Judgment (CCJ) but if you complete the Claim Form papers properly you will be able to make monthly payments and won't … [Read more...]
“Can mortgage lenders see old debts, no longer on my credit record?”
A reader asked: I know a debt drops off my credit file 6 years after it was settled or defaulted. I just want to ask when I apply for a mortgage, can the lender dig up unpaid debts if they are no longer showing on my credit report? This is a common question. The answer is Yes, sometimes because a lender can see other information that may show the debts. Let's look at what the lender can see, … [Read more...]
Is your pension safe if you go bankrupt?
If you expect to go bankrupt soon you may be worried about whether your pension will be safe. The Insolvency Service published a summary of its new guidance on pensions and bankruptcy in England and Wales in 2015 after the "Pension Freedom" changes that year made it possible for many people to take money out of their pension from age 55, even if they are still working. There was some legal … [Read more...]
Can guarantor loans be included in DRO / IVA / bankruptcy ?
A reader asked: I have 5k debts and I’m now on ESA. I'm also a guarantor for my mum's Amigo loan - could that be included in a Debt Relief Order (DRO)? There are three types of personal insolvency in England: bankruptcy, IVAs and DROs. Normally if a debt can be included in one form of insolvency, the same applies to the other two. But for guarantor loans, it's more complicated. So this … [Read more...]
“£20,000 credit card debt due to gambling – what should I do?”
A reader asked: "I have nearly £20,000 in credit card debts due to 8 years of gambling addiction. I asked several times to lower my interest, defaulted a couple of times and also they could see gambling on my account yet they still increased my credit limits. I was taking cash advances to pay for food. I have not gambled for 18 months now, but I am left with this horrible debt that I cannot … [Read more...]
How to complain when you are the guarantor for a loan
UPDATE: Do not use the template on this page for Amigo, Buddy, George Banco, Trust Two, Glo. It is now too late to complain about them. For TFS see TFS Loans goes into administration. If you are a guarantor for a loan you can ask to be removed as the guarantor: if you couldn't afford to repay the loan without difficulty; or you were pressured into becoming the guarantor; or … [Read more...]
“Lender says I lied – what should I do?”
Some lenders responding to affordability complaints by saying your application wasn't accurate about your income or expenses when you took out the loans. They are doing this to try to put you off taking your case to the Financial Ombudsman. That may save them a lot of money! Let's see why applications may have been inaccurate and whether this is a problem for your complaint. Most of the … [Read more...]
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