Hi There,

I am new to this forum and hoping for some advice.

When I was 18 (now 26) I got a Halifax credit card (Ibank with Halifax) and spent like a loon (stupid I know but we live and learn) Now Just a quick rant; I know everyone is responsible for their own choices and mistakes and I should have know better but why lend £5000 to an 18 year old earning £14,000 a year? Anyway, I could have managed the repayments if it werent for the fact that I ordered a second credit card (Egg) to transfer the balance. It never arrived (so I thought) and I assumed that I had not been accepted for the card. Except that it did arrive and my boyfriend of the time merrily spent on it without my knowledge (again, you live and learn)

I was unable to keep up with the repayments and buried my head in the sand for about a year.. as you do when your young. The interest and missed payments added up and eventually I contacted Halifax and Egg, held my hands up and luckily they both agreed to freeze the interest and following me submitting budget forms etc I started to pay approx £5 a month off on each card.

Egg was now with Moorcroft Debt recovery and Halifax with Blair Oliver & Scott (whom I beleive are internal DR for Halifax?)

As the years have gone by I have never missed a payment and as my salary has increase so have my monthly amounts. I now pay £60 off a month on each card.

Its never bothered me too much but I have just been refused a car loan, my partner and I want to buy a house, I cant even get a mobile phone because of my bad credit rating.

I have seen my Experian report add oddly Egg isnt on there (can anyone shed any light on this?) but Halifax credit card is and its showing RED for every month since 2004!

I have worked out that at th e rate I am paying these off I will be clear of the egg debt in 2013 and then if I increase my Halifax payment with the money freed up from paying off Egg, I will have paid everything off in 2015...

I really dont want this hanging over me that long.

I would love to get a proper loan to pay it all off but of course the only people who will lend to me charge 2000000%APR.

If only Halifax would take in to account that I havent so much as gone over my overdraft since 2004 and have a really good, steady income. If they would give me a loan for the two debts I could pay it back, with interest!! But im scared to go to the bank manager in case it brings all of this to their attention and they start off setting money from my current account.

I cant move my current account because of my bad credit rating arghhhhh I really am desparate to put one year of spending and a bad boyfriend from nearly 10 years ago behind me!!!!

Any advice??

In return I can offer every last budgetting, thrift and money saving family tip there ever was, I am queen of keeping to household budgets!

Thanks in advance

Hi, your situation is not as bad as perhaps you think. First things first, speak to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service - CCCS | Free debt help and debt advice from the UK's leading debt charity - a free non profit service designed to help people like yourself. They will work out what you can afford per month and you can pay them directly a set amount per month and they in turn will pay 100% of your money received to your creditors.

Getting a mortgage is tough in this market. But I can arrange for some general no obligation advice for an independent broker.

Lastly, I would check whether your credit cards have payment insurance as you maybe able to claim this back - quite a market at the moment - again I can help you find such a service that will look after your claim properly.

This was an interesting read
I think that your best bet would be to go and speak to someone at the citizens advice bureau as they will be able to advise and guide to the best route of action. I went to a debt advisor and they advised that i consolidate my debt. This was the best option for me and I am now on my way to being in a better situation.

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