Category
Debt Management
Some debts are an emergency. Others are a tool. The hard part is telling them apart.
Not all debt is the same. A 24% APR credit card is an actual emergency. A 2% fixed mortgage taken out in 2021 is a near-free loan that you may rationally never want to pay off early. Student Plan 2 sits somewhere in between, depending on your career path. These articles work through the differences.
The headline pieces: Clear Credit Card Debt UK covers the snowball and avalanche strategies with the actual maths for a UK saver. Buy Now Pay Later UK covers why Klarna and Clearpay are a worse deal than they look. Credit Score UK explains how to read your file across all three British credit reference agencies, and what actually moves the score. The historical pieces on Empire-era debt are here too, for the longer view.
16 articles
Showing 1-10
Should You Ever Lend Money to Family?
Lend £5,000 to a relative and you become their creditor at every family dinner until it is repaid. Gift what you can afford or say no. The loan is the option that costs you both.
Fixed vs Variable Mortgage: It's Insurance, Not a Bet
Fixed or variable isn't about guessing where rates go. A fix is insurance against your budget breaking, and you pay a premium for it. The real question is whether you could survive the worst case.
Remortgaging UK: Why Lenders Bank on Your Inertia
When your fix ends, your lender quietly drops you onto its Standard Variable Rate, about 7% in 2026 against 5.6% for a new deal. The loyalty penalty isn't a glitch, it's the business model.
Self-Employed Mortgage UK 2026: One Year of Accounts?
Two years of SA302s is the default. Halifax, Kensington, Clydesdale, and a handful of others will look at one year if your last year was strong. The gap nobody tells you about.
Car Finance Claim UK: Are You Owed Up to £830?
Up to 12 million car finance agreements may have been mis-sold between 2007 and 2024. The average payout is around £830. You don't need a claims firm. Here's the free route.
Disadvantages of Paying Off Your Mortgage Early UK
A paid-off mortgage feels like freedom. The five reasons it can quietly cost you a five-figure sum over a fix nobody warns you about - inflation, ERC traps, LTV waste, and more.
Overpay Mortgage Monthly or in a Lump Sum? UK Guide
Monthly mortgage overpayments are the default UK advice. They're usually the wrong answer. The lump-sum-at-remortgage move beats them by thousands, if you time it right.
Should I Overpay My Mortgage? The LTV Band Maths
A 5% mortgage vs a 5.5% savings account looks like savings wins. Not when your lump sum knocks you into a cheaper LTV band - the cheaper rate then hits your whole balance.
UK Debt Help: Your Options When the Numbers Stop Adding Up
If your minimum debt payments are eating your salary, five UK organisations will help you for free. Most people pay private firms for advice these charities give away.
Clear Credit Card Debt UK: Beat the 24% APR Trap
A £4,000 card balance at 24% APR. You're paying the minimum every month, never missing. The lender already knows when you'll clear it, and it's not in this decade.