Credit
Protecting yourself from financial fraud
A small number of habits prevent most fraud, and the tactics are consistent regardless of the story.
Declan O’Brien
25 articles by O’Brien
Debt
Debt and mental load: getting it out of your head
Not knowing the total is worse than knowing it, and the first useful action is producing a complete list.
Credit
When to use credit and when not to
Borrowing is a tool with a price, and a short set of questions distinguishes sensible use from expensive use.
Credit
Credit reports across borders and after moving
Credit history does not travel, which affects migrants, returning residents and anyone starting again.
Debt
Gambling, trading and the money that disappears
The products have converged, the losses are concentrated among a small proportion of users, and blocking tools now exist.
Debt
Overdrafts, and why they are more expensive than they look
Regulatory reform made the cost visible, and what it revealed was rates comparable to credit cards.
Credit
Understanding interest rates
A handful of concepts explain almost every product, and the advertised rate is frequently not what most customers pay.
Debt
When debt is not yours
Debts pursued in error, debts of deceased relatives and debts arising from fraud all have specific answers.
Debt
Guarantor loans and lending to family
Guaranteeing a loan makes you liable for the whole debt, and family lending destroys more relationships than it saves.
Credit
Comparison sites, brokers and who is paid by whom
Free services are paid by someone, and knowing who changes how the results should be read.
Credit
Rebuilding credit after difficulty
Recovery is a matter of time plus consistent behaviour, and no product can accelerate it beyond that.
Debt
Buy now pay later and how it works
It is credit, it increases spending measurably, and the regulatory position has been changing rapidly.
Debt
Debt after a relationship ends
Joint debts remain joint regardless of any agreement between the parties, which is the fact that causes the most damage.
Credit
What lenders look at for a mortgage
Affordability assessment dominates, several common behaviours reduce the amount available, and preparation starts a year out.
Credit
Bank accounts and getting the basics right
The account structure underlying everything else is worth ten minutes, and basic accounts exist for people who have been refused.
Debt
Car finance and what it actually costs
The monthly payment is the wrong number to compare, and the structure of the agreement matters more than the rate.
Debt
Formal debt solutions and what they mean
When repayment is not viable, defined solutions exist with different consequences, and free advice is the way to choose.
Credit
Fraud, scams and getting money back
The tactics are consistent, the protections vary by payment method, and speed determines whether money is recoverable.
Credit
Being refused credit and what to do next
A refusal is information rather than a verdict, and applying repeatedly is the worst possible response.
Debt
Student loans and whether to overpay
They behave differently from other debt in several systems, and the intuitive response is frequently the wrong one.
Debt
High-cost credit and how it works
Payday loans, doorstep lending and rent-to-own are designed around people with no alternatives, and there are usually alternatives.
Credit
Credit cards used properly
They are either free short-term credit with useful protections, or one of the most expensive borrowing products available.
Credit
What actually affects your credit score
A short list of factors dominates, several widely believed factors do nothing, and the score itself matters less than the report.
Debt
Talking to a creditor when you cannot pay
Creditors have processes for people in difficulty, and the worst outcome comes from saying nothing.
Debt
Which debt to pay off first
The mathematically optimal order and the psychologically effective order are different, and the evidence favours one of them more than expected.