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Overdraft/debt advice greatly needed

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  • System
    System Posts: 178,347 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Pay it of monthly I meant.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • Dobbibill
    Dobbibill Posts: 4,192 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Name Dropper
    If you aren't eligible for a MT card then you need to pay down as much as possible to the ODs and as soon as possible.

    Are you disciplined enough to move your bills to the end of your month (just before the next pay day) so that you use the overdraft less throughout the month therefore costing less in charges/interest.

    If you really have £400 you are able to throw at the debt then it isn't going to take too long to clear - it's relatively small at the moment. You don't want to increase that with a Cap 1 card so approach with caution.

    All the best
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Budgeting & Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, Credit File & Ratings and Energy boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

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  • System
    System Posts: 178,347 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    They are clearly not disciplined with money so people stop telling them about credit cards. It seems they are a person who earns 1700 a month and spends 1800 thinking one or two months il lay low and clear it. It hasn't happened. It was exactly like myself as a young 20 something male. Weekends on borrowed money and new shirts for a Saturday night when the one I bought the month before would have sufficed.
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  • fatrab
    fatrab Posts: 1,231 Forumite
    edited 14 April 2018 at 7:18PM
    I wouldn't go down the credit card route that you are thinking either, that's a recipe for disaster if you ask me.

    As you're not eligible for a MT card your next best option is to simply pay back the overdrafts. You could have Natwest paid in 2 months, Santander 3 months later. You can do this without risking any more debt.

    Best of luck:)
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  • GTR_King
    GTR_King Posts: 1,985 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Don't go down the Credit card Route...

    Once Overdraft Cleared on one account reduce that to £0...

    Then get other account into positive balance & have overdraft £100-£200 just to cover you
  • enthusiasticsaver
    enthusiasticsaver Posts: 16,060 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Don't go down the credit card route. In 4 months time the interest rate on that will hike up. You can't use the credit card to clear the overdraft so presumably you are thinking of spending on the card while you try to clear the overdrafts. All that means is in 4 months time you will still have the overdrafts plus a credit card to deal with.

    First option is money transfer card which you have already said you can't get so your credit must be bad, this is borne up by only being offered a short 0% deal on the capital one.

    Second option is the hard slog of cutting back and reducing the overdraft limits each month. Do a spending diary and live within a budget. Cut all outgoings to essentials only. If the overdrafts are £2200 and you can afford £400 per month they will be clear in 6 months. I suspect you may be over optimistic though as if you have £400 spare each month why are you overdrawn not just on one account but two? Debt busting requires you to be honest with yourself as to where you are spending your money. Do you have savings?
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free Wannabe, Budgeting and Banking and Savings and Investment boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

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