Get out of debt

Roy Keane’s supposed philosophy in relation to football at least was neatly summarised in the catchy phrase: ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. People talk these days about what they call ‘unsustainable debt’ usually referring to the national debt of countries such as Ireland or Greece but sometimes in the context of personal debt. Continue reading

Debt after Christmas

Even if we didn’t overspend at Christmas, it somehow feels as if we did. Spending just seems to expand so as to consume all available cash and then some. It doesn’t seem to matter if we are paid weekly or monthly, Christmas just seems to be like a good vacuum cleaner, sucking up every spare penny. Continue reading

Improve credit rating

Once you default on repayments of a loan, credit card or other form of debt, the chances are that your credit rating will be damaged. Even missing a single payment may cause an adverse record to be made that can make it more difficult for you to obtain credit in the future. Continue reading

Help with Debt Problems

When things go wrong in life, one of the hardest things to do is to accept and acknowledge that it’s our own fault and that we are to blame. OK, sometimes it is somebody else’s fault. i.e. If a relationship breaks down, the other person may have been the biggest factor in the event. If you lose your job, it may be that your employer really was losing money or it may be that your function no longer existed in the organisation or that a restructuring was really necessary. If you fail your exams, it may be that the paper was unfair and that the questions weren’t really within the boundaries of the syllabus. And when personal debt problems emerge, it’s only natural that our first inclination is to assign blame to circumstances outside of our control and to blame any convenient third party for our predicament. Continue reading

Using credit before an IVA

If you suspect that you may be insolvent* (unable to pay your debts), you might be thinking about doing an IVA or  going bankrupt. Certainly if you have been defaulting on repayments of unsecured loans and if you have only been able to make minimum payments on your credit cards or store cards, there is a good chance that you are indeed insolvent.

*One definition of insolvency is the ‘inability to repay your debts as and when they fall due’. Continue reading

Improving your credit rating

Who Keeps Credit Scores?

In the UK there are three main Credit Reference Agencies which get their information from lenders with the permission of the borrowers who, when they sign up to a loan agreement, consent to this type of information being disclosed. Of course, if consent is withheld, the lender may not pass on details of the borrower’s agreement. Continue reading

Self Employed workers and IVAs in the field of construction/property

Despite the record level of insolvencies in the UK, the Bank of England again has raised interest rates taking them up to 5.5% which is a six year high. It is expected that at least one more rise will take place this year as the bank attempts to keep a tight control on inflation. These increases are hurting businesses especially in the construction industry as the property market slows and first time buyers in particular feel the squeeze. Continue reading

Balance Transfers on Credit Cards.

What is a balance transfer?

Despite the “credit crunch” that we have heard so much about in recent months, low rates of interest can still be available to the UK consumer. Many credit card providers seek to attract new customers with introductory offers of low rates of interest – These rates can even be zero. For a small percentage fee you could transfer your Credit Card Debt with a high rate to a new account with perhaps a zero rate which can be held in some case for up to fifteen months. Continue reading

Topics to the Irish Administration with regards to Credit Card Debt

It guaranteed to hit the ground sprinting and the new Irish Government will before you know it be a hundred days in office. It is fully committed to bring about numerous changes and for that reason perhaps now is the occasion to ask various concerns as to exactly what it is providing concerning the ordinary person as distinct from what it is accomplishing in relation to finance companies, builders, NAMA and sovereign interest rates in its admittedly demanding efforts to meet its committed EU and IMF performance targets. Continue reading