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Best way to buy Scottish Widows annuity
I have a pension fund with Aviva and want to buy an annuity. Coming up to 75th birthday. Money Helper shows rate from Scottish Widows would be significantly more than Aviva direct rate.But how to buy? Broker Hargreaves Lansdown quotes rate much lower then MH shows. Rate from RetirementLine is better less tan MH. I don't…
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Win 11 not updating to 24H2
I was puzzled as to why my Dell laptop wouldn't update from Windows 11 Pro ver 23H2 to the later 24H2 version. Others may be stuck with a similar situation to the one I had. Eventually, after a few weeks of not seeing the update, a pop up window appeared that stated a driver for an audio mixer program I long ago…
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Victims of shrinking Easyjet hand luggage allowance
A couple of weeks ago my wife was stopped at the gate of our Easyjet flight to Malta, and told that she would not be able to bring her rucksack onto the plane unless she paid a £48 charge. She had been using the same bag regularly on Easyjet for the last 15 years without any issues. The bag was virtually empty (no more…
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Best low cost share dealing platform
I want to sell some of my holdings in an investment trust. It's a pretty small amount, probably a third of the shares, a deal worth a few hundred pounds. Given the amounts, I don't want to spend more than £25 (and preferably less than that). It is also a one-off. Looking at MSE's list of share-dealing platforms, it seems…
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LIFE INSURANCE
Hi Hope all are well Just need to ask as have the above was a joint one bus am now divorced changeing to sole one but want ask how to leave money for son as in case some thing happens to me would i need to set up a trust or name him as nomie on my policy or advise my company only to give to him once he is 18 years old if…
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Changes to will after spouse's death
Hi. My mother-in-law died at Easter. She had cancer but till shortly before she died there was always an assumption that my father-in-law would died first as he'd been in poor health for many years. Everything was set up so she could stay in the marital home. Father-in-law decided immediately that he wanted to move to a…
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Armed Forces and having a lodger
Hi all, we'd like to have a lodger in our spare room but my husband is in the army and we're concerned about when he gets posted. Until now I've stayed in our family home but we've lived apart a lot and it's the right time (children age wise) for us to move as a family if he gets posted in the next year or two. We don't…
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Mesher order and universal credit
Currently I live with my wife and 2 kids and are getting divorced. We are both on the mortgage. One idea is she moves out and rents as she would be entilted to quite a lot of universal credit which means she could afford a place locally. It would be with a mesher order ie in a set number of years house is sold and she gets…
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New Job delayed starting
Here is the story bare with me , My previous employment lasted 10 years and unfortunately it ended in a bit of a mess due to the employers side of miss management I had to take civil action against them but both sides agreed to depart on common ground. I stared working for a family business to tie myself over until I got…
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New Moneybox account
Does anyone else see it as a massive red flag that moneybox require you to verify your identity before setting up your account .... by replying to an email with your passport photo!? I'm always skeptical starting a new job or signing up to things where they use a 3rd party "safe" provider for these things .. but this is…
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Virgin Stocks & Shares ISA
I have a Virgin S&S ISA which has a monthly account charge of around £30 to pay the fees Virgin sell an appropriate amount of shares each month to cover the fees I think there is an option to open another account which you can fund with enough money to cover the annual cost or could I set up a direct debit from my bank to…
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Trace Debt Recovery
Howdy all, (I have read the Newbie thread but can’t quite find an exact match) I received a letter (Date Posted: 08 May 2025) from “Trace Debt Recovery Ltd” claiming I have not paid a PCN that was apparently issued 20th September 2020. The vehicle registration is mine and the location is just next to a well known fast food…
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Windows 10 Update issue
Our HP desktop had a Windows update yesterday and this morning the MS Office apps and Outlook mail are failing to work. A bit of googling indicates issues with update KB 5058379 and seems to have various workarounds which look time consuming for a non techie like me..... Anyone else had issues or found a simple fix - or…
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Insurance groups
For the last few years I have been using a 2005 Peugeot 206 1.4l (inherited from my Dad), which was Insurance Group 11. I renewed the insurance this year just before I bought a 2011 Skoda Octavia (1.6 MPI petrol engine), which is also Group 11. I phoned to change my insurance from the Peugeot to the Skoda. I was expecting…
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How to calculate a tax code
If you are a higher rate earner. For example, earn £60,000 If you pay £8000 into a sipp. What would the tax code be, given no other benefits or deductions. £2000 would be added as relief at source, giving a total to declare to HMRC of £10000. Would the tax code change by 10000, or 5000 points ? Thank you
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Tesco car inurance
Please can you help? I requested a quote for car insurance from Tesco and they came back saying they could not offer me insurance. I am 63 and the request is for electric Vauxhall combo car. I have full no claims history. I have been a customer of Tesco bank for a number of years and also have home insurance with them. I…
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GOOGLE OR MICROSOFT CLOUD
My free Microsoft 365 Basic has run over the cloud limit and they are now asking me to pay £1.99p per month for 100 GB storage. Google One is offering the same 100GB storage for £1.59p per month. So the price difference is negligible. I cant decide which is the best, I only use it for personal use not business, also I am…
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6k threshold on a couples UC
Hi, I'm needing to know if I would be over the 6K threshold for UC, based on the fact that my partner needs to learn to drive and has taken out a 2k loan to do so. If we are claiming UC as a couple and this loan takes us just over the 6k when you add our bank accounts together, does this count and we'll be deducted?
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Laptop Touch Screen Not Working
Hi all, I am sure you will know of a quick fix. I've had this laptop for about 6 months. The touchscreen was always a bit poor but at the moment, it's mostly not working. The laptop is LENOVO Yoga 7 16" 2 in 1 Laptop - Intel® Core™ Ultra 7, 512 GB SSD, Storm Grey. I've wiped it down a few times and switched it on and off…
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0% interest rate withdrawn
Good morning I've not been here in a while. Life got busy but I am digging my way out of debt slowly but surely. My mental and physical health are still poor, I remain on numerous waiting lists. I have told them before that I have long-standing mental health issues and am awaiting an autism assessment and these both affect…
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Part exchange advise please!
Looking to buy daughters 1st car - insurance category 01p (o.1 litre). 36k miles. £6k & on Motoway selling price is £4.4k. Need to part x my car to buy this & go on the insurance. My Toyota Yaris hybrid is great but 111k miles. Motorway selling price is 6k. Should I try to part x & do straight swap if possible or sell mine…
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Nest Pensions
In December 2024 my wife director/owner of our company wrongly/mistakenly ( as we are new business owners) paid from our business account a £5000 pension contribution which shows on her dashboard as a personal contribution. She has made contact several times excess of 20 to Nest. As the contribution should have been made…
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UC Migrated claim - one year later
Hello and sorry to have to ask here, I'm getting no response to my query in my UC journal. So, wife, I, and daughter, claimed CTC and WTC and were migrated over to UC the early part of last May. No disability elements were claimed for. As I understood it, our claim would only last for one year as we have savings in excess…
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Old Style Daily Saturday 17th May
Morning all. A bleary eyed Mehefin as couldn't sleep Looks like another fine day in prospect. Will catch up late Mehefin
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Sofa Retailer
I was looking to buy a 3 & 2 sofa from a local retailers. I saw a corner sofa but was unsure if it would fit, the owner came to my home to measure up and said it would fit. I paid him £1500 cash, when he delivered the sofa it was too big to fit in the living room he told me he would have to pick it back up in a couple of…
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Parking eye Southampton pier POPLA stage
Needing a POPLA appeal assistance, here, if I may be so bold..? First, reading NEWBIES thread, I rejected the NTK using the blue template; mainly as - it’s just rude to demand £100. Yes it was explained on the back about the identity of the keeper - is that to say it was POFA compliant - and then…. I didn’t see the…
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Deposit requested for a 2-storey side extension
Hi, We are about to have work started on an extension. We have been given a price of £89k. This is in the North West area of England. The builders have requested a deposit of £25k. For me, this sounds steep at just under 30%. I am wondering whether this is the norm these days or whether this is over the top. I was thinking…
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DCB Legal / MET Parking - Claim Form Received for 2021 Parking (Great Cambridge retail park EN1 3FD)
Hi all, Firstly, thank you for creating such a helpful and supportive space — it’s really appreciated, especially when dealing with something as stressful as this! We’ve unfortunately received a claim form (issue date: 23 April 2025) from MET Parking Services Ltd, with DCB Legal Ltd acting on their behalf. The reason given…
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5G wi fi vs fibre
We had BT fibre until recently switched it off due to house move. Turned it back on but said we need an engineer. Is there any health risks with 5G or is it just the same as my wife or I using 5G on our phones when we go out or if signal goes off here?
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Economy 7 and 10 radio telesignal switch off
Does anyone know if the Telesignal switch off is still going ahead on 30th June 2025? I have one of these and the provider I have keep making me appointments to change it, however, the company that comes round to change will not remove the built in cupboard it is in??? Thanks
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Time between closure and new application
Is there an approximate time for waiting from closing a credit card account for it to reflect on credit report before applying for new one? I have an AMEX with £13k limit and £0 balance, but I want to close it so I can get a ~£10k limit to transfer another balance where the 0% period has ended. Applied for a Barclaycard…
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What’s up with the new Santander app?! May 16 2025
I’m running the latest Apple iOS and used the Santander app for years with few problems. Tonight I tried to log in and it has lots of proud boasts about its new app and then asked me to Accept or Decline its conditions dated 2018?! I did this and had to enter my ID, five digit pin and receive a text and enter the number…
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Help! Paying cheque into child account??
My daughter (age 10, just about to turn 11) has received a cheque. Only problem is I cannot pay it in! At the moment she has a junior Monzo space under my Monzo account but having asked them, it does not allow cheques to be paid in…. Does anyone have any helpful advice or info? I just want to pay the blooming thing in so…
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Accommodation Refund
Hi all, Myself and a friend got tickets for Twenty One Pilots at The O2, so I booked a one-night stay (13-May to 14-May) at an apartment in London for us, months in advance, via hotels.com. The itinerary for this stay stated, 'Guests will receive an email with special check-in instructions.' Cut to 12-May (the day before…
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Universal credit and social care costs
My husband and I have recently been migrated from a joint Income Related Employment Support Allowance (IRESA) to a Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment Support Allowance (NSESA) combination. We also receive Transitional Protection so no loss of income. The NSESA is in my name and was a suprise as I've only ever…
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Anti-Money Laundering Scam
Hi All, Recently I have fallen victim to a scam involving my past dealings with a dodgy forex broker. In late 2024 I was contacted by a gentleman who claimed he could help me recover the money I lost from this broker. Over many weeks of communication he had showed me documents which led me to believe my investments into…
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Please close
Please close thanks
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help first time applying for road tax exempt
hi,im looking for some help as have no clue what im doing,ok i have a blue badge and get high mobility.i dont drive and never passed a test due to medication but do have a friend that helps me get out and also runs errands for me including hospital appointments can anybody help me to see if i can get a tax disc for her,ive…
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Inheritance house split equal one wants to buy other wants to sell
Inherited house split 50/50 between siblings. One sibling wants to buy the other out and can afford to do so but other sister wants to go straight to market for “quicker sale” rather than wait for sibling to sell their house and then buy it (with equity/mortgage) iv explained market may not be quicker as any other buyer…
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Costco returns without receipt
Does anyone know if Costco can track a purchase I made over six months ago as I want to return a faulty item I purchased but I don't have the paper receipt.