DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 9

Growurown

jenster78 wrote: »

Hi all,

Could I please ask a question, I have write to nram as they offered to accept dmp payment but add the arrears to the loan and a fourty pound a month arrears charge! This equals more than the usual contractual payment. Step change have told me to write a letter of complaint has anyone experience of this or an example set of wording? They were not shocked about nram I don't think any of us are lol. Thanks in advance and Gaztop well done on becoming free!!!!!!!

Lots of letter templates here you can adapt.

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/debt_advice.php#6

SparkleShark wrote: »

Hi,

I'm setting up my DMP with Step Change, and I'm about to call my creditors to inform them and pay a small amount (just until DMP is set up).
My question is: should I pay by giving my card details, or would this mean that they could take ad hoc payments by keeping my info?
Eeek!
Thanks SS

I think most of us would recommend not giving card details. Most people make token payments by postal order. You could also make an online payment and just let the creditor know you have done this. I made payments over the counter at my bank using the counterfoil on the bill.

Julie67

Julie67 wrote: »

I have a quick question for you wonderful people:D
One of our options in the next couple of years is to sell the house and hopefully make enough for full and final settlements.
This is looking more likely since I found out I need my whole knee replaced and will not be able to do a full time job as we had planned:(
Anyway my question is what do we do about a reference. It seems that most of the houses we've been looking at do credit checks. Would you just be up front and explain the situation, we might even be in a position were we could pay the first 6 months rent or try and find a private rental with an understanding landlord.
Thanks for any advice J

Sorry to be a pest but can anyone help with the above??

Well done TTFTM you've done amazingly well:T
Gaztop fantastic, hope to be in your position one day:D

Growurown

Julie67 wrote: »

I have a quick question for you wonderful people:D
One of our options in the next couple of years is to sell the house and hopefully make enough for full and final settlements.
This is looking more likely since I found out I need my whole knee replaced and will not be able to do a full time job as we had planned:(
Anyway my question is what do we do about a reference. It seems that most of the houses we've been looking at do credit checks. Would you just be up front and explain the situation, we might even be in a position were we could pay the first 6 months rent or try and find a private rental with an understanding landlord.
Thanks for any advice J

Hi Julie,

I don't know much about this subject, but landlords will do a credit reference check on you. If you have a dodgy financial past some landlords might ask for 6 months rent in advance. I have heard of some land lords asking for rent a year in advance. They might ask for a guarantor. I always think honesty is the best policy and you could take your bank statements along to show a landlord you have the ability to pay.

catandy

One of our options in the next couple of years is to sell the house and hopefully make enough for full and final settlements.
This is looking more likely since I found out I need my whole knee replaced and will not be able to do a full time job as we had planned:(
Anyway my question is what do we do about a reference. It seems that most of the houses we've been looking at do credit checks. Would you just be up front and explain the situation, we might even be in a position were we could pay the first 6 months rent or try and find a private rental with an understanding landlord.
Thanks for any advice J

there are properties out there that can be let without going thru a letting agent/ credit checks and all that formality - its generally landlords that don't want the pay the service charges for a service themselves so they advertise direct - Mitula and Gumtree are both websites with this type of property.

I'm looking at doing it and have found a landlord who has asked for 3 months bank statements to view plus a month deposit and a month upfront then rent paid monthly thereafter.

hope that helps a bit

poppet1711

Hello

Well I finally had a lightbulb moment and contacted Stepchange to arrange a DMP. We are paying £513 a month, which seems a lot, however I'm hoping I was generous enough in the budget planner they gave me.

I'm at the very beginning of my journey. We have £23000 of unsecured debt. We were doing ok, however my husband lost his job when I was on Statutory Maternity Pay and it all spiralled out of control. Looks like I've got a lot of reading to do, but fingers crossed, 4 years from now we should be in a much happier place!

Find_The_Real

Julie67 wrote: »

I have a quick question for you wonderful people:D
One of our options in the next couple of years is to sell the house and hopefully make enough for full and final settlements.
This is looking more likely since I found out I need my whole knee replaced and will not be able to do a full time job as we had planned:(
Anyway my question is what do we do about a reference. It seems that most of the houses we've been looking at do credit checks. Would you just be up front and explain the situation, we might even be in a position were we could pay the first 6 months rent or try and find a private rental with an understanding landlord.
Thanks for any advice J

Hello Julie

It may be an idea to read through the guide about renting on the other board as it gives you an overview of things

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/937335

I would also suggest maybe a local newspaper as some people do still rent out the old-fashioned way but unfortunately most seem to be happy to go down the agent route these days for a more peaceful life.

I was incredibly lucky that I rented again from my friend, so that may be another avenue to ask around family and friends to see if they know anyone that lets property out or is in rented accommodation and the landlord may have more than one property, and you can maybe discuss direct.

Find_The_Real

poppet1711 wrote: »

Hello

Well I finally had a lightbulb moment and contacted Stepchange to arrange a DMP. We are paying £513 a month, which seems a lot, however I'm hoping I was generous enough in the budget planner they gave me.

I'm at the very beginning of my journey. We have £23000 of unsecured debt. We were doing ok, however my husband lost his job when I was on Statutory Maternity Pay and it all spiralled out of control. Looks like I've got a lot of reading to do, but fingers crossed, 4 years from now we should be in a much happier place!

Hello Poppet and welcome to the board.

I just wanted to wish you the best of luck on the start of your debt free journey.

There are a number of stickies on the board that have a lot of helpful topics plus on this thread is where most of us DMPers lurk so there is generally someone around to ask if you are stuck.

Good luck and well done on your LBM.

Find_The_Real

SparkleShark wrote: »

Hi,

I'm setting up my DMP with Step Change, and I'm about to call my creditors to inform them and pay a small amount (just until DMP is set up).
My question is: should I pay by giving my card details, or would this mean that they could take ad hoc payments by keeping my info?
Eeek!
Thanks SS

Just a quick thought Sparkle are any of the creditors you are about to inform linked to your bank account? If so I would recommend not telling that creditor you are entering into a DMP until you have a new basic bank account set up and can transfer any money/wages over to the new account, so you can avoid the banks money grabbing tactics (officially known as right of off-set).

Good luck with the DMP.

DanielleNic87

Wow well done TTFTM. Excellent progress in such a short amount of time.

Well done Gaztop. Looking forward to being in the same position in a couple of years.

Time_to_face_the_music

gaztop26 wrote: »

Today is the day! I have just paid my last installment to Stepchange and my DMP is OVER!

I am now properly debt free for the first time in 20 years.
No overdrafts
No credit cards
No loans
No borrowing off family
No cashing cheques

Thanks to all the early DMP support thread members, not many of them on here now. Your advice and information helped when i really needed it.
To anyone who is thinking about starting a DMP to unburden yourself from debt, JUST DO IT. Some of the debt free dates seem like an eternity away but when you reach it your outlook on life changes unbelievably.
Best of luck everyone.

Brilliant news gaztop! :j

Congratulations and very well done :T

Now get to the debt free roll of honour and get a badge