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NEW FEATURE: Get sent trending Forum threads by email
Hello fantastic Forumites! We're excited to announce a new feature that has recently gone live on the Forum for all our users - a regular round-up of trending Forum threads delivered straight to your email inbox! Simply head to your Notification Preferences, scroll down to Email Digest, et voilà! You can choose to receive…
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Opening new bank account to avoid bank offset charges
I posted back in January about my husband suddenly dying and leaving me without any income. I had £2,500 on my 2 credit cards that I just couldn’t pay. I took advice from here and wrote to Barclaycard and M&S informing them of my circumstances and asking for a few months break from payments while I tried to sort things out…
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New laptop for video editing advice
I have about 2000 video clips each ranging from 2 to 4 seconds long that I want to combine into one big video. I then want to add some music to play in the background throughout the video. I don't need any other fancy video editing features. Do you have any advice on a laptop that I could buy to do this on? I'm not looking…
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Poor quality bouquet
I recently ordered an extra large bouquet for £42 for my daughter. When they arrived they were nothing like the picture on the website. A small bunch of cheap flowers with a lot of gypsophila,and already going over. I emailed the company, and was offered a replacement or 50% refund. They said they had sent the £32 bouquet…
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Small Claims Mediation MoJ statistical data (April 2019 - Jan 2025)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d2b3c44702aacd2251cb8d/20250311_small_claims_mediation_March_2025.xlsx Mediation settlement rate in April 2024 - 50%Jan 2025 - 36%Seems the rate has dropped since mediation became mandatory in May 2024.
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Maybe earlier retirement after all
A few months ago my boss took a sickie. For a week. He got found out. Nothing happened. Today he gave me a bad appraisal. Tomorrow I might resign.
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Cashing in investment bond held in flexible trust
Brother and sister are beneficiaries of an investment bond which is held in a flexible trust created 6 years ago. It is performing poorly and they are thinking of encashing the bond as there are no options to change the fund. Should they wait until the 7th anniversary for the bond to be outside of estate or does the…
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Critical Illness Claim Refused by Insurance Co – Type 1 Diabetes, FCA Breaches & Neurodiversity Conc
Hi everyone, I’m reaching out for support and advice following a difficult experience with my Critical Insurance Provider and the Financial Ombudsman Service. I’m hoping others may have faced something similar or can recommend a way forward. Background I took out a critical illness policy in 2022 via a price comparison…
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small pot query - SIPP now uncrystallised if small pot taken
Hi, I am doing a small pot of £10K this year (and plan on one next tax year and final 3rd one the year after that). I transferred from Vanguard to HL in October last year in planning for this. My SIPP with HL is essentially static in that I no longer do monthly payments in (focus on employer DB AVC). Current value fairly…
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Domestic Economic Abuse - my last ever post final part
FINAL WORDS Inevitably, like so many men in divorce proceedings, I am in
a vicious financial circle that will never end and I will be left in financial
ruin and will be forced to make huge payments to see my daughter, until she’s
deemed old enough to request a move back to Essex. Despite having provided the
full deposit…
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Domestic Economic Abuse - my last ever post 3rd part
DIVORCE AND FINANCIAL REMEDY You’re often told that in England and Wales, men have the
same divorce rights as women and that there is absolutely no legal distinction
between the divorce rights of men and women. This could not be further from the
truth. Women who perpetrate economic domestic abuse have many
advantages over…
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Domestic Economic Abuse - my last ever post 2nd part
CHILD DISPUTE ISSUES It gets even worse. As a father whose child was kidnapped by
the ex-wife and her parents, the legal system DOES NOT hold
you in equal standing in comparison to the mother in child dispute cases. You
will not get any legal aid nor any funding from HMCTS, so you will have to
privately foot the astronomic…
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Domestic Economic Abuse - my last ever post 1st part
2.48pm on 25 February 2023. The time and date of the worst
day of my life is forever etched in my memory. The ex-wife (known as L) emailed
me to say she had taken our daughter (who was 3 years old at the time) from
East London to South Wales permanently to live with her parents. In this post,
I will outline the horrific…
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Absolutely appalling customer service from Just East. Need help in next course of action...
Hi There, After many years of smooth experience with various food delivery services (maybe one or two minor issues, promptly sorted) my luck ran out and I was on the receiving end of a terrible experience from Just Eat customer service. Here's the sequence of events: * On 06/06 we had a number of people come over to ours…
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Will 0% debt impact a mortgage application?
Hi, hopefully putting my house on the market in the next week or two. When applying for a mortgage would having £4k on a 0% credit card massively Impact an application? I bought an engagement ring and put it there whilst keeping the money in a 5% account. I could obviously pay it off if needed. For information House value…
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Mysavershub
Does anyone know anything about this website?
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CF83 - when the reply comes, how much time is given to pay?
It would good for me to have an idea of the time allowed... for getting my funds together. Thanks :)
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Which Bluetooth earbuds
So clueless. I have a Walkman mp3 player. Tiny, light battery lasts a very long time. 36hrs playtime. I do wear it gardening or traveling but still have the wired earbuds that pull out for a pastime. Listen to podcasts, radio, books and music. Looked at Bluetooth earbuds from Argos which are £29 to 😵💫 Would the cheaper…
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UKCPM notice at own residence
Hi everyone, I would like to get some opinions on what I should do next with a parking notice from UKCPM. I have to also say, A guy at my work told me about this website after I told him what's going on, so unfortunately I did somethings you guys advise against. I have now read the newbie bit but is still confused. To give…
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Baliff's fees on wrongly charged council tax?
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any insight into this - in 2023, I missed a couple council tax letters (I'd been away, and thought I was ineligible due to being a student, so hadn't been looking out for them). When I finally opened them, it was a final notice and I tried to set up a direct debit, but was told it had gone…
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Street View not working..?
... on Google Maps. Suddenly. Today. For no apparent reason. A black screen is returned each time I drop the little guy on a location. Any ideas, folks?
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Gold sovereign purchase and first world problems
I've recently been handed an early inheritance in the form of a large wad of cash. Not a huge amount but more than is sensible to leave in the house. As I can't let my family and therefore my partner know (I love her, but she will tell someone) I was thinking of buying gold sovereigns as they're easier to hide and more…
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Contact IHT 400
Hi folks . I’m due to go on a trip to Nepal for several weeks in July . I’ve submitted IHT 400 and all the schedules - If there are any queries from HMRC , does anyone have any experience of how they contact you ? My sister is co executor but has no clue as to how the IHT works . Do they write or phone and is it only the…
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Calor issues help and advice
Good day. Basically I'm in a 2 year contract with Calor. This is due to end in December. The gas in the tank I had before the issue will last until then. Calor lorry rolls up last autumn dumps 636 litres of gas BY MISTAKE into my tank. Should've been delivered to the neighbours tank. Calor admit the mistake. Invoice ME for…
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High income child benefit charge and separation
So I have a bit of a dilemma here. My partner (now ex not married) claimed child benefit for the whole 24/25 tax year. We separated in September 24 but have still be living together but as separate households since due to financial reasons, we have no bank accounts tied etc… I have exceeded the threshold for the high…
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OFTM
After lots of benefit from Octopus Tracker, and less benefit from their January fix, I’ve decided to go whole jog with OFTM 2yr fix. With all the rumblings in the Middle East and the rate they are offering at the moment, it seems like a sensible move. I’ll be having a wee think within the cooling off period and I’m…
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1st Central Car Insurance – Beware the Auto Renewal Bot – no Escape!
As reported previously, 1st Central car
insurance, with whom I had paid for a year’s policy commencing 2024 June 14th,
had ‘invited’ me to renew with them at an increased cost this year, but ‘no
need to do anything, we’ll do everything for you’ and, crucially, take payment
from ‘the debit card you used to pay us last year’…
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Debt Collection Letter out of absolutely nowhere
Hello members A bit of an odd one here. I've had (and successfully appealed) PCNs in the past that were quite frivolous, but on this occasion I'm sure there's been a massive breach of process so would like a heads up on how to handle the claim against me. The PCN is from Smart Parking LTD and relates to their can park at…
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British Gas - Money claim letter
Afternoon all. I have been in this forum in the past for my own debt free journey which has gone fantastic! Unfortunately my partner has took accountability for bills & after hours getting cut at work has struggled for money unbeknownst to myself. Unfortunately we have got a letter of “money claim” against us from British…
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Very Confused NOW Broadband Customer
Today received an email from NOW via Sky (who have owned them for years) saying the Broadband is going up £3 a month from July. What concerned me was the bit later in the email saying that my NOW Hub no longer receives software and security updates or would cease to by the end of 2025. I was offered the option of moving to…
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How to make this computer desk look half decent
Hi folks, I have a large, grey (out of warranty) desk from Maison Du Monde. It's mostly fine, but the surfaces that are touched/leaned on regularly are in a bad way. The paintwork has come off and it looks a mess. I was tempted to sticker-bomb the bad parts, but my partner said that will look daft. She suggested I sand it…
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Santander Renewal
My Santander mortgage is coming to the end of its current deal later this year. If I apply to them for additional borrowing and they decline will this affect the option of selecting a new deal with the current mortgage that is usually available 4 months before it ends? Thanks!
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URGENT! I need a practical eyeliner pencil.
So I don't slice my bludy thumbs trying to sharpen the unsharpenable.My most hated of tasks - amongst quite a few - is to try and sharpen - with a craft knife - wifie's bludy eyeliner pencil. The lawdbedarned combination of hard-as-steel outer pencil shell, combined with as soft-as-cheese interior ready to squidge at the…
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Best Credit Card for Rewards
What is the best credit card in terms of value of rewards? Appreciate it all may depend on what you are after, but technically, in terms of pure value, what is the best credit card for the rewards you would receive?
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Pension Contribution Question
My workplace already puts 10% into my pension without any contribution from myself. If I were to contribute, is there a way I can work out how much I would be better off? I will try my best to explain, but basically I want to work out how much of a saving I would be making by contributing, given my tax bracket (40%). I'm…
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Merged: Pension Contribution Question
This discussion has been merged.
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What Are The Rules on UC If New Job Does Not Work Out?
I am on universal credit (I was obliged to seek work,) and have a new job starting on Monday. What are the rules regarding UC, if the job does not “work out”? I would imagine if I decide to walk out the door on the first day, I will not be able to immediately claim UC (I have no intention to do this.) However, say the…
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Communal Heat Network billing issues
Hi all, looking for some advice. We own a property where the heating and hot water is provided by a communal boiler (a Heat Network). The system is managed by Evinox Residential who are meant to take the meter readings, produce the bills and collect payments on behalf of the property manager, Trinity Estates. We moved into…
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Dog attacked and owner isnt playing ball
Ok so last month May 11th to be exact another dog attacked my dog on a walk, walking past a garage and the other dog comes shooting out of the garage and goes for my dog, has his leg in his mouth, my dog is yelping as in pain, my dog got free in the end, the owner of the dog comes rushing out, checks my dog over, says…
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Parked on private road as disabled driver - followed ignore advice now claim form has arrived
Hi, I parked on apparently a private road by a supermarket. I am disabled and had my disabled badge displayed. I do NOT remember the giant signs I have now seen there at the time of parking. I did not receive a first letter/ parking fine due to it being sent to an old address. Then I updated my details on DVLA and received…
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Executors’ absolute and unfettered discretion
The names below are fictional. The figure of £x00,000 is a stated number. My mother passed away recently. She left a will, prepared in 2007. I, “MOORS MAN” am an executor and Trustee of her estate. My sister “JOSEPHINE JONES” is the only other executor and Trustee, who has decided to reserve powers. My father passed away…