70% of Families On Brink of Poverty
A survey by internet parenting site, NetMums, has found that 70% of UK families are financially on the brink of poverty, and could face serious financial difficulties should prices continue to rise.
Feb 22 2012
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Rise Of The Payday Lender
A new report from PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) states that although the number of people using credit cards is on the decline, the need for credit by consumers has seen the rise of the payday lender in its place.
Feb 07 2012
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£8,000 Unsecured Debt Per Household
New reports from PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) brings both good and bad news.
Feb 01 2012
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Debt Timebomb For Wales
Around 30% of 18-34 year olds in Wales failed to meet bill and credit repayments in the past year, Consumer Focus Wales said.
Jan 31 2012
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PPI Complaints on the Rise
The number of complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) rose by 10% in the final quarter of 2011, to 55,907
Jan 23 2012
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National Standards for Enforcement Agents
Today the Justice Minister unveiled the updated National Standards for Enforcement Agents which defines acceptable behaviour for bailiffs.
Jan 13 2012
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Loan Websites 'Mislead Customers'
The European Commission could fine loan companies after a review found that many of their websites mislead customers by providing inccorect information and costs.
Jan 11 2012
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1.5m People Seek Debt Help
Slightly over 1.5 million people sought help with their debts in 2011, this is up when compared to 2010, according to recent report from the Money Advice Trust.
Jan 10 2012
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No Overdraft Interest At Co-Op
The Co-operative Bank has announced that it won't be charging interest on unauthorised overdrafts for the opening 3 months of 2012.
Jan 04 2012
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Most Debtors Ever - CAB
According to the latest report from the Dumfries and Galloway branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), 2011 has seen record levels of debtors.
Dec 15 2011
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Payday Lenders Facing Penalties
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is taking action against payday lenders who are breaking the guidance on online advertising in the run-up to Christmas.
Dec 14 2011
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A Third Of Brits In Debt Over Christmas
31% of the of Britain's adult population will go into debt paying for Christmas this year, according to a new YouGov survey.
Dec 12 2011
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Family Christmas At Least £182
The cheapest a family with two children can have an 'acceptable' Christmas is £182
Dec 07 2011
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Lloyds Delay PPI Payment - Again!
Lloyds TSB, has sparked customer fury after revealing further delays in payment in PPI compensation.
Dec 02 2011
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Christmas Delivery Dates 2011
Last order dates for Christmas from the top online retailers.
Nov 29 2011
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OFT Publish Credit Broker Guidance
The OFT has published new guidance setting out the standards it expects from credit brokers.
Nov 28 2011
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Christmas Not Affordable For Many
Survey found that almost one third of families questioned couldn't "afford to buy presents and pay for celebrations this year".
Nov 22 2011
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Another Price Blow For BT Customers
BT is planning another price increase to come into force on December 3, this one however was not announced with the previous hike announcements in August
Nov 15 2011
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PPI Gets Taxed
If you've reclaimed Payment Protection Insurance (PPI), then you could receive an unexpected tax bill.
Nov 14 2011
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Payday Loans Warning
Almost half of people struggling with debt say their problems are a result of payday loans.
Oct 27 2011
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DRF responds to Yvonne Fovargue, MP, on recommending free debt advice
MP calls for ruling to require fee charging debt management companies to inform clients of the availability of free debt advice.
Oct 20 2011
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Debt Collectors Use Social Media To Get Money Back
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned debt collectors not to chase people who owe them money on websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Oct 19 2011
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PPI Complaints to Ombudsman Drop
The number of complaints about payment protection insurance (PPI) being taken to the Financial Ombudsman Serive (FOS) has seen a sharp drop.
Oct 18 2011
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MPs Question ATM Charges
Two of the UK's largest banks have been told to justify their restrictions on basic bank account customers using rivals' cash machines.
Oct 11 2011
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Cheapest Gas & Electricity Bill Reaches £1,000
For the first time in the UK, the cheapest energy deal has risen above £1,000 per year.
Oct 05 2011
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Stigma of Debt Lessening
More people than ever are telling partners about debt levels
Sep 28 2011
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Coupon Misuse Clampdown
A woman was cautioned by police for attempting to re-use a money-saving coupon at her local branch of Sainsbury's.
Sep 26 2011
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Tesco's Major Price-Cutting Initiative
Britain's biggest supermarket chain, is expected to launch a major price-cutting initiative this weekend.
Sep 22 2011
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Cost Of Dying On The Up
The average cost of death is now £7,248, including headstone and funeral, the same figure as three months' average salary in the UK.
Sep 14 2011
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Childcare Costs Driving Parents Into Debt
Over half of questioned parents are being driven into debt by rising childcare costs.
Sep 08 2011
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Cutbacks Hurt Citizens Advice Bureau
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have recently revealed that cutbacks in local government spending has led to fewer people being able to use the service.
Sep 06 2011
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PPI Backlog Almost Clear
Banks have cleared around 95% of their massive backlog of complaints regarding mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).
Sep 02 2011
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BT Price Hike - And What To Do About It
On the third of December this year, BT is to increases charges for residential customers by 5% - the third time in fourteen months.
Aug 30 2011
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PPI Complaints To Continue Rising
Barclays Bank has said that it expects complaints about Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) to continue to rise after a 93% increase in the first six months of 2011.
Aug 26 2011
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RBS Bans Its Customers From Rival Cash Machines
The Royal Bank of Scotland has decided upon the disgraceful act of banning its users of their free basic bank account from using rival companies' cash machines.
Aug 19 2011
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Borrowing From Family On The Up
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service> (CCCS) recently highlighted the trend of borrowing money from friends and family in order to other debts, with almost 1-in-5 people doing so.
Aug 17 2011
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Mis-Selling PPI Cost Santander £540m
The UK arm of Santander recently reported that it has set aside more than half a billion pounds to pat back customers to which they have mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).
Jul 28 2011
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Fuel Poverty Rising
The annual fuel poverty report published by DECC is out of date and out of touch with reality, failing to tell the full story about the UK's current fuel poverty crisis, according to uSwitch.com.
Jul 20 2011
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OFT Investigates Websites Selling Official Services
The Office of Fair Trading has vowed to investigate websites that are charging fees for Government services that have little or no fees.
Jul 15 2011
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DRF Announces New Measures For Members
The Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) has announced new measures for its members to undertake to improve standards in the debt management sector, following a consultation launched by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Jul 12 2011
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Bank Account Switches To Be Made Easier
The Payment Council has this week pledged to make it easier for consumers to switch accounts from one bank to another, in the hope that it will encourage competition between banks, thereby getting a better deal for the consumers.
Jul 07 2011
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Man Behaving Badly
Actor Neil Morrissey is half way through a 3 year IVA to repay over £1m.
Jun 22 2011
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UK's Debt Hotspots
Recent research shows the areas of the UK with the largest personal debt.
Jun 21 2011
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Barclays to Settle PPI Claims
Barclays has said that it will pay out compensation to everyone who it mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance and placed a complaint before April 20.
Jun 13 2011
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Half of UK Not Saving Enough For Retirement
Nearly half (49%) of UK workers are not putting enough money away to provide for them during retirement, and one in five are not saving anything at all.
Jun 07 2011
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PPI Creates Financial Complaints Record
The Financial Ombudsman Service received a record 206,000 complaints in the last financial year, 51% of these relating to the mis-selling of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).
May 19 2011
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DRF Welcomes Super-complaint on Cold Calling
Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) members welcomed CAB's super-complaint to the OFT regarding cold calling and upfront fees.
May 10 2011
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Avon Lady Reaches One Million
Lady reaches £1 million from Avon 3 years after being in serious debt.
Apr 12 2011
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Marriage is the 'Road to Ruin'
With the Royal Wedding just around the corner, many couples will be looking at the lavish celebration for ideas for their own weddings. But dreams of a 'fairy tale' wedding are landing us in debt.
Mar 22 2011
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Debts Before Pets
A frankly shocking report by Sainsbury's Finance showed that 56% of vets questioned had been asked to terminate pets' lives rather owners having to pay costly cures.
Mar 10 2011
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135,000 Insolvent in 2010
135,000 people were declared insolvent in 2010, the highest since 1960.
Feb 09 2011
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Don't Sell Your Smart Phone
The number of people selling smart phones has risen 70% in the previous year.
Jan 26 2011
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Shop Around For Loans
Although we at Debt Free Me advise against taking out a loan if at all possible, we know that a loan can often be the best solution to many financial problems. With this in mind we are urging you to shop around and get yourself the best loan possible.
Jan 10 2011
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Millions Taking on More Debt
According to latest reports, more than 4 million Britons are resorting to paying their bills by credit card, thereby falling even further into debt. The report also shows that people are running out of money earlier in the month, lasting just 19 days before running out of money, a day earlier than last year.
Jan 05 2011
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Insolvencies Set To Soar
The number of people claiming insolvencies is set to sky-rocket, according industry experts. The Insolvency Service's latest report shows that there were 33,935 individual insolvencies in England and...
Nov 10 2010
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Britons Using Savings To Pay Off Debts
Britons are dipping into their savings to pay off debts
Nov 05 2010
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Two-Thirds of Britons Ashamed of Debt
Two thirds of Britons are embarrassed to talk about their debts according to a recent survey by uSwitch.
Nov 03 2010
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OFT Warns Consumers About Debt Write-Off Industry
This weekend the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued a warning to consumers that businesses claiming to use sections 77 - 79 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 are misleading them.
Oct 20 2010
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Loss of Income Still Main Reason for Debt in UK
Latest reports have revealed that loss of income is still the number one reason for debt problems in the UK.
Oct 13 2010
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6 Million Credit Card Users Leave Outstanding Debt for More Than a Year
It has recently been revealed that over 6 million Brits have had an outstanding credit card balance for more than a year, according to report from moneysupermarket.com.
Oct 12 2010
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Child Benefit Decision 2013
Recently the Chancellor, George Osborne, revealed that as of 2013 Child benefits would be cut from families where at least one member was a higher-rate tax payer.
Oct 05 2010
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129 Debt Management Firms Ordered to Clean Up Their Act
The Office of Fair Trading has ordered 129 Debt Management Companies to clean up their act.
Sep 28 2010
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Cash For Gold
As people's debt problems mount, they become increasingly desperate for money. A recent business model that has sprung up out of this desperation is the cash for gold companies.
Sep 27 2010
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Payday Loans
According to latest reports, more and more people are turning to pay day loans as they run out of money towards the end of the month.
Sep 16 2010
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7 Million British "Shopaholics" Urged To Curb Spending
According to a recent survey, there are 7 million "shopaholics" in the UK, 4million of which are women, unsurprisingly!
Aug 31 2010
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Over Half of Self-Employed Debtors Unable to Afford Help
A debt charity has said it was unable to help around half of all self-employed people who contacted it.
Aug 31 2010
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The Rise of Students Seeking Postgraduate Debt Relief
Methods of debt relief such as debt relief orders and even IVAs may be in 'high demand among students after they finish their university courses'.
Aug 31 2010
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