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Pay Machine Added Time to My Parking
Hello everyone, I've parked in a hotel car park on New Year's Day this year, and the pay machine added about 20 minutes to my parking time and thus charged me for an extra hour. I've contacted the hotel, and they said they'll give me 3 hours of parking for next time (that I will never use) and they'll get back to me with…
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My Estate Management Spreadsheet
Having recently navigated the complexities of the executor process, I know first-hand the weight of that responsibility. When I was first faced with an estate to administer, I quickly realised that research alone wasn't enough. As an executor, you are legally required to count every penny and, crucially, adhere to the…
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Moving from ESA to State Pension - Council Tax Issues
Hi I recently had a thread about moving from ESA to State Pension thank you for the replies and help. My issue at the moment is I have just received a much higher council tax bill for February and March. This is because the council ( Liverpool) have got me down as receiving both ESA and pension. Will this sort itself out…
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Flexible ISA rules
Hi, This has been asked and answered before. I’m asking now as it’s possible the rules have changed since some of what I’ve read was originally posted. Also, there is some conflicting information on different websites. Query: I have a balance in my trading 212 flexible cash isa. Let’s say for simplicity the balance is £20k…
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ii SIPP Portfolio X-ray - Management Fee?
I've recently transferred an old pension into a SIPP in ii, and have generally been having a good experience with setting it up, investing in a few mainstream funds, and the low fees. Just one thing that puzzles me. The Portfolio X-ray feature is excellent for breaking down equity distribution etc. But in its "fees"…
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British Gas switch through MSE question
I am currently with BG and was looking at that switch. Part of the process is where you put in what your current tariff with BG is. Mine is called “Cheapest Fix Tariff “ That tariff is not listed so I just choose any tariff to see what the actual unit and standing charges are. The day electricity and standing charge is a…
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Moving and trying to avoid a chain
We're thinking about moving later this year (daughter will start school in 2027, so would be good to do this by end of 2026, as would be a different catchment area). We have a decent chunk left on our mortgage, but due to savings and inheritance have about enough to pay it off. Alternatively, we could use this cash as the…
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"Did not meet Checkatrade Standard"
One of the companies that has quoted for my roof replacement has this warning on Checkatrade. Could there be an innocent reason for this? I'm surprised as they have very good reviews elsewhere and seem like a good established company. Getting these quotes is becoming a bit of a ball ache.
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£32k in 23 months!
Here I go! I have been in some form of debt my entire adult life. I’m not in dire straights each month, but I am sick of taking payment holidays when I need some more room, managing interest rates and trying to be smart while all I’m actually doing is moving debt around for what feels like forever. I recently started a new…
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Traincard at Trip.com
Our Two together railcard is almost ready for renewal. At the moment, Trip.com's TraincardUK is available for £20. I understand from Google that this is the same as a Railcard. However, the procedure neither asks for photos or asks anywhere which card you require. I am reluctant to pay the £20 given there is no mention of…
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TPP StepChange
Hi All Over time, since my divorce, I have slowly been building more and more debt, mostly CC’s, short term loans, home shopping. I initially applied for a DMP with SC, but after some changes to my I&E, they say I don’t have enough funds to deal with the 23 (god 🙄) creditors. I only have £110pm available. So they have come…
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best place to put £100 per month
My son pays rent of £100 per month to me as he now works. I;d like to put this into a savings account for him but without his knowledge so that it can help with a deposit when he moves out. Where would be the best place for me to put the money?
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S&S ISA Transfer - Scottish Widows to AJ Bell
Hello, Can anyone who's done this give me an idea of how long it took? AJ Bell are offering a £500 Amazon voucher to do this. I'm currently getting about £22 a day in my ISA in a MMF with Scottish Widows and would lose this during the transfer process. Thanks
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DCB Legal/ParkingEye Defence Help
Received a claim letter from DCB Legal dated 3rd Feb 2026, for a PCN first issued in 2020! This was for parking at PureGym where there was free 2.5 hours parking in the communal underground parking spaces. On this particular day the time spent in the gym/car park was 2hr 58mins. All PCN/correspondence from ParkingEye was…
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Bus Lane Charge
Please advise if this is worth paying the £35 reduced fee or contesting. It was dark and wet - travelling with a young baby - the bus lane sign and toad markings were missed - there are large trees on that road and as soon as I noticed, I tried to get out of the lane
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Another used car query
Hello all Just looking for an answer on if this is something I can persue or something I just have to suck up. I will give bullet points but if you need more information then I am happy to provide. Purchased used (2022) car from Vertu dealership online 29/11/2025 Car was delivered to me 4/12/2025 with MOT dated 19/11/2025…
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Joint UC claim and carers allowance
Good evening all. I have a question on Carers allowance. I have just got married and my wife gets carers allowance. We have a child who is on highest rate for care and mobility. My wife gets 89 a week for being his carer. UC have said because of my earnings my wife will loose the payment. We thought my earning would not…
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Changing address with HMRC / DWP with no recognised ID =(
Hello, We moved address at the start of November and had informed a lot of the people we needed to of this change beforehand - and obviously some companies after the move.It was easy for me as I am in full time employment and have a full UK driving licence, credit card etc so was able to do a lot of it online after…
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I just received G24 PCN, should I be worried?
Hi, I stayed at hotel in London a week ago and paid £20 for 24hr parking. I had to pop out early morning and came back around 6 then checked out at 10am. today I received a PCN from g24 asking for £100 fine, £60 within 14 days. I contacted the hotel and they sent an email with me cc’d to g24 with my PCN asking them to…
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£2880 - Can I pay in twice at 74- different tax years
My wife has just turned 74 - We have just paid in this tax year - and want to pay the final year after April 2026. I assume its tax years that count but we would be paying in twice at 74
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Sky Stream vs Sky Q
Hello, I have always had Sky Q and have like the ability to pre-record TV and fast forward adverts, etc. I understand Sky now do Sky Streaming service and sounds as though they are trying to encourage customers away from Sky Q. Although I note you can still request Sky Q over the phone. Sky Stream is £15 vs £35.50 for my…
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Overpriced house, offer rejected, what now?
Husband and I went to view a property on Sunday and we both really liked it however we think it is overpriced. It was put on the market in June 2025 for 850k, reduced 3 months later to 800k then taken off the market. It has recently been put back on at 775k and I still think it is really overpriced. The house has been…
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Bathroom leak through ceiling downstairs
Hi all, New home owner so unsure of what to do in all honesty. I've had a small leak for a couple of months I'd say. Mid-December or something. Wasn't sure if it was from the bath or from the wash basin. So had stopped using the wash basin and have carried on using the shower / bath and it seemed 'ok', even though it…
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Smart Parking Ltd - Notice to Keeper
We have received a NtK from Smart Parking Ltd for overstaying by ~15 minutes. Having read through the newbies thread and the PoFA legistlation, my understanding is that the NtK needs to be issued within 14 days of the parking date. The date of parking was 22/01/2026 The NtK was issued on the 05/02/2026 - exactly 14 days…
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Rail Cards
Can a non UK 60+ buy a Senior Rail Card, I’m expecting the answer is no. If it is, can I buy a Two Together Card instead and is that okay for a non UK citizen travelling with me, do we both need our photos uploading? Thought I’d ask before staring the process. I have a US friend coming and we plan to do a few train…
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Marriage Allowance Cancellation
I am aware that when it is cancelled the change does not start until 5 April. Is anyone aware how late you can do the cancellation? I want my wife to keep it until the end of this tax year and then transfer it back to myself.
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Loan settlement and improved credit score
My 25yr old son is selling his car to settle his finance early, with a view to him buying a cheaper car (to run and purchase), using a personal loan. We’ve checked the loan eligibility calculator and the only loans he would be accepted for are 40% apr 😳. Will this improve once he’s paid his finance off and if so, how soon…
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Stamp Duty - Buying before selling
Hi, My wife and I are currently bidding on a new house which will be our only and main residence. However to give us an edge in the bidding war we are proposing to complete purchase of this new house before we sell our current house. Once the purchase is complete it is my understanding that we would pay the additional 5%…
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Unemployed, Young professional, seeking advice
Good Afternoon fellow MSE forum Bloggers, I have come to this forum after a while of job searching, whilst I have been successful in certain fields which are linked to my degree ( communications) I am struggling to find work. The sector I specialise is the creative sector, but I get little to no responses, I am unsure what…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Do I keep paying extra for trains and hotels to see my friend who won't commit?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks… I live in the south and have a friend who lives in the north. I suggest dates and mid-point meet-ups early so we can bag cheap trains and hotels. But she takes ages to commit or suggests alternatives, so by the time we book, it costs more. I’ve paid up till now as I’m happy to…
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For a married couple with no children;
If one spouse dies and provided no use of their tax free allowance has been used, does the allowance then pass to the living partner totalling £65k for disposal on their death according to their will?
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MSE Poll: How do you rate your bank's service
Poll started 10 February 2026 Every six months, we ask for your help to track the quality of customer service provided by banks. By comparing your answers with last time, we can see which have got better or worse. Please vote based on CUSTOMER SERVICE for your main CURRENT ACCOUNT over the last SIX MONTHS. Ignore rates and…
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Freetrade ISA Share Dealing
How do you buy a specific number of shares here? The app only asks for an investment amount so you might not get the exact number of shares you want. EDIT: You can SELL a specified number of shares but how do you BUY?
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Claiming 40% relief on pension contributions
I'm on self assessment because of dividends, retired with a SIPP funded at the max of £3600 a year for unearned income. In the past the 3600 has always been added to my personal allowance for PAYE on my pension. This year the SIPP allowance has been decreased to 3462. After some head scratching I worked out personal…
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Early repayment of car finance
Hi I’m about to buy a nearly new car from Audi (6 months old). I’m in the fortunate position to pay cash but the dealership have offered money off and a free 2 year service plan (saving approx £1100) if I sign up for a finance plan. I know it seems sneaky but I fully intend to pay this off within a very short time 1-2…
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Hospital parking charge from Parkingeye: timing PALS, appeal
I got two charges from Parkingeye for parking at a Hospital without paying. The charges where issued 02/02, I only received them 10/02. As a result I don't have much time to try PALS etc before paying the discounted amount. PALS I have written to PALS explaining the situation (below), but there's no guarantee they'll reply…
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Travel Insurance "ASAB" Observation
I recently booked a holiday for next February. However, after a chance discussion with my annual insurance provider I was informed that I was not covered for cancellation as the holiday dates are after my current annual policy expires in September. I am not sure if anyone else has experienced this with their provider? I…
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Transferring to Trading 212 Cash ISA
Just opened a Trading 212 cash ISA and trying to trqnsfer funds from my bank (Allied Irish Bank). I have never done this before, so please bear with me. Despite giving them the sort and account codes it looks as though they cannot transfer the funds ? I get a message transfer a portfolio from another provider (I get a list…
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Help please - DCBL letter with fine received without previous notification
Firstly, apologies for posting yet another parking fine query, but I couldn't find anything quite the same. I'm a newbie on here and really hoping you can help. My son went off travelling in January with his registered address being my parents. They received a letter from DCBL (debt collection bailiffs Limited) with a…
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Returning to ebay selling after 2 years away. Postage questions.
what a lot has changed. just done a "test" listing run through so as to get a handle on whats changed. i'm ok overall but postage has me a bit baffled. i always used to price things up with a BIN and free postage via RM tracked, BIN requires immediate payment. i had hoped to do the same going forward. do i not have the…