News

Hours of Service Extended

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:32:20 GMT

Advice4debtNI's new opening hours are 8.30am to 5.00pm effective immediately.

Beat The Recession initiative to assist with debt issues

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:09:17 GMT

A new project is to be launched toassist those who have been made redundant or may have fallen into debt.

What is a Debt Management Plan and how could it help you?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:01:18 GMT

As the economy continues to struggle, households throughout Northern Ireland are feeling the pinch and wondering how they will afford the monthly payments on their credit commitments. Here, advice4debtNI discuss one potential debt remedy - a Debt Management Plan.

OFT warns debt management firms to avoid unsolicited contact

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:32:02 GMT

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned debt management firms to avoid targeting consumers with unsolicited texts, emails or voicemails, or risk being stripped of their licenses.

Payday loan regulation needs to go further

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:09:18 GMT

Rules to improve lending practices by payday loan companies are unlikely to offer greater protection for customers in the near future, consumer rights campaigners have warned.

Housing Rights Service call on help for struggling homeowners

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:46:35 GMT

The number of people facing losing their homes in Northern Ireland has more than doubled in the last five years. With average prices falling from an all time high of £234,000 in 2007 to £113,6145 last year, levels of repossession are far higher than anywhere else in the UK, according to Housing Rights Service

Focus on support for struggling homeowners.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:37:19 GMT

Views are being sought on whether people who lose their jobs should have their mortgages paid indefinitely by the state. Under current arrangements, a government scheme offers support to certain benefit recipients who are struggling to keep up payments on their home. The scheme prevents many houses from being repossessed.

Top tips for a debt free Christmas!

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:43:02 GMT

Advice4debtNI have created a fact sheet to help minimise - and where possible, eradicate - the financial hangover resulting from Christmas 2011. Access the "Top Tips" @ http://www.advice4debtni.com/downloads

Debt Relief Orders: A slow start.

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:33:27 GMT

Having been recently introduced to Northern Ireland, the Debt Relief Order (DRO) seems to be off to a slow start, with 34 people entering a DRO between July and September

Rates write off increases 50%

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:41:30 GMT

Recent reports have indicated that the amount of rate debt that has been written off in the period from March 2009 to March 2010 increased by 50% on the prior year's total. The 12 months to March 2010 saw the write off peak at £15M and is expected to rise even further.

Recent statistics on Mortgage Debt in line with Advice4debtNI figures.

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:26:08 GMT

Recent media reports detailing the continued increase in the mortgage debt problem in Northern Ireland are backed up by our own figures at advice4debtNI.

Communicate clearly and fairly, consumer credit businesses warned.

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:40:09 GMT

The OFT is warning companies collecting consumer credit debts to make sure they communicate clearly and fairly and do not mislead consumers after a Tribunal found a business unfit to hold a consumer credit licence.

NI mortgage borrowers' negative equity warning from financial outsourcer HML.

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:50:58 GMT

Financial outsourcer HML’s current analysis of the mortgage market has predicted that if house prices were to fall by 10% then nearly a third of all borrowers in Northern Ireland (93,134 or 30.4%) could be trapped by negative equity.

PPI compensation payments soar in first half of 2011

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Recent figures have shown a huge jump in compensation payments to victims of payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling, and this trend is only expected to rise.

Northern Ireland sees 18% rise in personal insolvencies.

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:43:10 GMT

Personal insolvencies in Northern Ireland have hit a new record high in the second quarter of this year.

Funding made available for Mortgage Debt Advice

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:26:01 GMT

Nelson McCausland, Northern Ireland Housing Minister, has recently announced more than £500,000 funding for the Mortgage Debt Advice Service.

Redundancy and Debt

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:44:55 GMT

A reduction in household income through redundancy, or perhaps a loss of overtime, can place a stressful burden on people and may lead to debts mounting up, or becoming unmanageable.

Government ask for more time on Payday loans cap.

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:56:07 GMT

Further investigations will be carried out by the Government before they reach a final decision on the possible capping of the cost of payday loans, along with other forms of high interest credit.

Advice4debtNI sees trend in payday loans continue.

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:24:48 GMT

Advice4debtNI have seen a continuance in the upward trend of so-called ‘payday loans’ as consumers turn to this form of short term credit to maintain their household bills.

Credit card use down 13% as shoppers avoid debt

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:36:45 GMT

Credit card use fell last year as people turned to cash and debit cards to avoid borrowing, shopkeepers say.