Debt and Money Saving tips for Christmas

Its that time of the year when our spending seems to spiral out of control and our debts mount up. With that in mind we asked our team to give us a few ideas on how to have a great christmas without piling on the debt and spending too much money. Here's what a few of them had to say.

Paul says - "My wife and I normally put away money each month in a gift voucher scheme - you would be surprised how much that soon amounts up. Its great as we dont have a big bill a the end and we can keep a track on our spending."

Carole says - "I'm always looking at ways to entertain the kids over christmas without having to spend too much money or rack up debt. One of our favourite activities is making home made christmas crackers. It keeps the kds entertained, allows us to do it as a family and gets everyone in the festive spirit. we have done it since my eldest was 6 and it has become a real tradition in our house. We collect the insides of toilet rolls, get a little craft set from somewhere which has glue, coloured paper and glitter then decorate them and put them on the tree and when it comes to christmas day we open them"

Henry (our residential scrooge) says "I recycle last years unwanted gifts - that way I save loads of money and i dont have to go out and get more presents."

Here are just a few things that we hope might be useful for you over the festive season in order to help with your spending.

Remember - if you feel that you need help with your debts, why not call the team at Ashley Longmann Associates on 01291 671449 or take our 60 second debt solutions test

Debt and credit ratings - does it affect other people?

Debt and credit ratings - does it affect other people?


Q: Can your poor credit rating from debt impact on other people in your house and if so what can i do about it?

A: As a rule yes, if someone living in a house has a poor credit rating, then it will normally affect everybody else in the house. This typically happens in flats because when firms carry out the credit check, it’s on the address not the person. Therefore, if previous residents have had bad credit ratings, it will affect everyone else in the whole block. Don’t despair though, as with all things there is a way around it.

Q: Surely its done on the individual not the property?

A: You would think this would be the case and in a way the answer to this is yes – checks are done on the individual as well. However, when taking into account the suitability of an individual for credit, creditors will take into account the address lived at for a person for the last 3 years.

Q: What Happens if i am in this situation as described above?

A: For those of you who have a good credit rating but live in houses or flats and are either affected by either the previous occupants or those living with you, then to help yourself with credit applications, Contact the Data Protection Registrar (DPR) in Cheshire.

Write to him asking for a Notice of Disassociation from the person or persons that are blighting your application. What this means to you is that when a company does a credit check on your address – they will see all the adverse information, but as long as none of it has your name on it, they will ignore all the other named people – you will not be blighted by those before you.

Before writing to the DPR, get a print out from Experian, so that you can list all the names of the people who blight you, so the DPR can put all the names on the Disassociation list.


If you have a problem with Debt, and need advice, find out your options instantly at: http://www.aladebtsolutions.co.uk/60secsurvey.aspx or Call us on 01291 671449

Debts: Getting Your Debt Written-off

Getting Your Debt Written-off

We are constantly asked by clients about getting their debts written off. This is usually as a result of some advertising campaign or from being personally contacted by a firm that claims that they can write-off all or most of their debts.

We wish to give you an insight into debt writing-offs to prevent you from being mislead or fooled by any company claiming that all or most loans, credit cards, overdrafts and debts that originate in a 6 year period prior to April 2007 are not enforceable and therefore can be written off.

“It’s a no-brainer,” claimed a salesman from one such company to one of our clients recently. “I will guarantee to you that we can get all your debts written off if you took the loan or card out before April 2007.”

Many such companies are charging clients around £500 for a client’s first debt and a further £100 per debt thereafter. So, for example, if you have 6 debts you could pay nearly £1,000 before that company starts work on any of your cases. But what happens if you never hear from them again or if 6 months later they inform you that there is nothing that they can do? Clearly, you will have spent all that money for no benefit.

It is evident, from what we have seen, that the claims of many such companies appear unrealistic and unachievable as they exaggerate the number of unenforceable debts that can be written off and the number of accounts that could be subject to compensation.

The Ministry of Justice, who is responsible for regulating such companies, now appears to agree and has recently issued warnings. In a statement Justice Minister, Bridget Prentice said,

“We have produced guidance to protect innocent customers from being misled by businesses advertising easy and quick arrangements for outstanding loan, credit card and other similar debts to be written off and compensation to be obtained. We would urge anyone who is considering using a business offering such services to think carefully and seek independent advice before making any final decisions.”

The suggestion that debts can be written off is naturally attractive but what you may not be made aware of is that the route to achieving this is through the litigation process and achieving success through litigation is not an exact science; it can sometimes be nearer to a lottery. Besides, this whole process can take between 12 and 24 months to complete.

You also need to be aware that with litigation there can be a downside as well as an upside. For example, it is estimated that there is little more than a 60% chance of success for even creditable cases and, should you loose the case, you could be liable for the defendant’s costs and disbursements in defending their position. These can amount to anything from £500 to £800 (plus VAT) for each side in such cases.

Even with “no win, no fee firms” where they take their fees out of any compensation won, the compensation may not be sufficient to cover all their costs in which case the claimant may be responsible for the balance. Depending upon what you are claiming for, this means that it is rarely worth undertaking this process on any account where you owe less than £2,500.

Our advice is to be very cautious and think very carefully before going down this route and always remember, “If it looks too good to be true, then it normally is!!”

If you want any further advice about getting your debts written off, please contact your account administrator at Ashley Longmann Associates.


With best wishes
FROM THE ASHLEY LONGMANN TEAM