Debt Advice

Citizens advice about Debt

Citizens Advice - Debt Advice - IVA

Citizens Advice - Debt Advice - IVA

If you've completed our Debt Analyser, then you might now be considering getting some specific, individual debt advice. If the Debt Analyser's recommendation was an IVA, then completing the more detailed questionnaire to which you were directed when you completed the analyser will get you the advice you need. If our recommendation was anything else - or if you just feel you need an independent helping hand - you could do a lot worse than contact your local citizens advice bureau for debt advice (CAB).

There are more than 21,000 advisors working in citizens advice bureau in the UK - and they deal with many thousands of debt advice enquiries every year.

Citizens Advice Bureau provides some really useful debt advice web pages - you can access them here.

We'd also like to direct your attention to Citizens Advice Bureau's advice on debt management plans - and the companies that provide them. Click here and scroll down to see it. We think that a Debt Management Plan (DMP) is rarely the best solution for someone who is deeply in debt - the citizens advice page clearly spells out the positives - and the risks - of following the debt management route.

Citizens Advice Bureau also provides a range of fact sheets on debt topics, including bankruptcy advice and letters you can use to approach your creditors yourself (DIY debt management may seem daunting - but for many it can be the best route to becoming debt free). You can find all the fact sheets by clicking on this link.

CAB provides a searchable directory of local citizens advice bureaux here.

One slight word of warning - citizens advice bureau is not a single national organisation with common standards of advice. Each Citizens Advice Bureau is different and develops according to the resources it has (some get local authority support, some don't, etc). So - whilst it is difficult to think of a better source of general, free face-to-face debt advice in the UK, you should check that the advisor you are seeing has debt experience - Wikipedia has a good explanation of how the Citizens Advice Bureau movement works.

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Different ways to borrow money

There are many different ways to borrow money including credit card borrowing, mortgage and debt consolidation loans, bank loans, loan finance and bank overdrafts. Choosing the correct method will depend on your circumstances, the purpose of the loan and when you intend to repay it.

Credit Card Borrowing

Credit Card Borrowing is generally the most expensive form of borrowing available and should only be used in situations where you can repay the money over a very short period of time – a maximum of 6 months. In some circumstances you can get interest free borrowing on credit cards but you should only use this if you have the money available to pay the balance off at the end of the introductory period.

Mortgage Borrowing secured on your home

In terms of interest rates this is usually one of the cheapest forms of borrowing as it is secured on your home. However, this means that if you do not keep up your repayments on the loan then you may lose your home.

There are usually costs of several hundred pounds involved as it will often involve a valuation by a third party of your home. This is best used to borrow larger sums of money for a specific purpose such as home improvements.

Remember, however, that although the interest rate is low it is usually spread over the long repayment period of your mortgage which can be up to 25 years. This means that the actual amount of interest you pay may be quite significant.

Consolidation Loans

Consolidation loans are usually secured on your home like a mortgage and usually involve transferring debts with higher interest rates into one loan with a lower interest rate – the rate should be lower as the lender has the security of your house as a guarantee of repayment whereas other loans with higher rates have not.

Debt consolidation loans may be a good thing if you have a lot of expensive borrowing on things like credit cards which carry high monthly repayments and high interest rates. Remember though that you may be putting your home at risk and will usually only be available to you if you have a reasonable surplus between the value of your house and any existing mortgage or loans on it,

Remember also that whilst the monthly repayments on these loans may be lower than your other loans put together this may only be because the loans are repayable over a much longer period of time. Again the overall cost of the loan over the entire period can be quite high.

Bank Loans and Loan Finance

Bank Loans and Loan Finance are usually appropriate for borrowing larger amounts of money for the purchase of a particularly expensive item such as a car and will be repaid over a fixed term over periods of up to 10 years. The interest rates will usually be lower than a credit card but higher than a mortgage.

Overdrafts

A bank overdraft should only be used for short term borrowing of relatively small amounts of money. Interest rates are usually higher than a loan especially if it has not been agreed with your bank first.

If you find you have a permanent overdraft it may be possible to reduce your interest payments by taking out a bank or other loan to repay the overdraft. You may be able to take advantage of one of the many 0% interest offers some credit card offer. But remember – once the initial interest free period is over, the interest payable can rise to very high levels. Also, if you wish to repay a loan earlier than planned there may be penalty costs whereas an overdraft can be repaid at anytime without penalty.

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Links to related ClearDebt articles:

Bailiffs: the law and your rights
Citizens Advice - Debt Advice - IVA
Debt Advice - CCJs and Bailiffs
Citizens Advice about Final Demands
Different ways to borrow money

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