This one is good:
The image of charity shops has changed/improved hugely in the last few decades. This is partly due to an increased demand for vintage clothing and the fashion industries regular foray in to retro chic. Whilst you may not come across an original designer garment, there are definitely many quality bargains to be found on the rails of your local charity store. They are also fantastic for books and sometimes have their own range of reasonably priced greating cards and gifts. Oxfam have a great range of gifts, homeware, edible goods etc. in many of their shops. These are also available online at www.oxfam.org.uk where you can now browse a huge selection of second hand clothing too.
So there's a little tip for you for the weekend. If you've gotten yourself into a larger debt you might want to put some thought into an IVA solution. We'll chat on Monday!
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( 3 / 263 )Leaving utility bills to fester in the backs of drawers is not conducive to smart money management. But new research suggests that some people will consider not paying their bills if the economic downturn squeezes them any tighter.
Twenty-two percent of people recently surveyed say they’d consider defaulting on packages like Sky TV while 16 percent say they’d side-step their mobile phone bills if they felt cash-strapped. Sixteen percent of people are also more likely to shun credit card payments.
This is from a great IVA article that was written by a colleague of mine. I found it this morning when I was searching for IVA news on Google.
It goes on to list some steps that you can take to begin seriously looking at your finances. A few suggestions she makes are:
• Record everything that goes out of bank accounts each month, including bills, direct debits, mortgage payments, rent and overdraft charges
• Work out essentials such as food, clothing and commuting to work or travel
• If the debt isn’t too large and is easily managed, begin by cutting down on luxuries and non-essential purchases
That's about all I have for now. Take a look at the article and if you would like more IVA information or advice don't be afraid to request a call from one of our IVA specialists.
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( 3 / 259 )We've been getting a lot of people calling in for our free IVA advice. One of the questions they are often asking is "how much will an IVA cost me?"
Your cost can't be easily summed up - it depends on a number of factors. They are outlined in our IVA monthly payment section.
The actual amount that you will end up paying per month is decided when you and your IP sit down and calculate the numbers while drafting your Proposal for your creditors. Firstly they determine your income. They will also determine how much you spend in an average month so that you know you'll be able to feed your family and cover your living costs.
An IVA is not easy though. There wont be a lot of luxuries allowed during your IVA term. An IP can tell you more than I can about what can and can't be allowed in your budget.
The one thing that I will say is that you should never default on your monthly payments. If you did this then your creditors are likely to take some action against you to recoup the money you owe them. (I'm not saying they will send thugs to your house. It would probably be something more conventional). If you pay your monthly fees then you have absolutely nothing to worry about so keep that in mind.
It's Tuesday and I'm having a pretty good day today. Just listening to the radio and typing away. But that's about all I have for now. Let us know if you have any IVA questions or concerns and we will get back to you immediately. Have a good day.
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( 3 / 273 )It's Monday and I need some coffee! I had a nice relaxing weekend but it's back to the work today.
I saw this article on the Guardian site today.
It goes on to say that you can buy the independent for £1. But it doesn't really sound like you'd want to from what the article is saying. If you're having financial problems right now it can't be as bad as the Independent so you can at least be positive about that on this lovely Monday morning!
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( 3 / 296 )I almost laughed when I saw the title of that article. It's a bit silly.
The article isn't really a laughing matter though. I've talked about home repossessions on this blog in the past and it's something that scares all of us I'm sure.
The article goes on to say that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is reporting that there has been a 92% increase in home repossessions from the previous year during the winter months. They said a total of 13,161 properties were repossessed during that period. Wow. That's is a lot of homes for a three month period.
It went on to say:
The number of homeowners who were behind with their mortgage repayments also jumped to 340,000, a rise of 24% during the year and 10% higher than in the previous quarter.
This means the problem is only getting worse. I can only say that if you're one of these people than you should be getting help right away. The good thing about an IVA as opposed to bankruptcy is you can keep your home. An IVA could be a solution for you, I don't know, but you need to address the problem soon.
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