Former comedian goes to jail for trying to hide assets in his bankruptcy

As far as The Insolvency Service was concerned this was one joke too many.

Apart from trying to hide a property valued at £108,000 in which he had an interest, he also took on a new identity and used a false passport.

Now he is telling jokes to inmates after receiving a 40 month prison sentence.

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MBNA told to improve debt collection procedures

The official story is that the OFT has ordered MBNA to improve the way it deals with 5 million of its customers should any experience a problem repaying their credit card debt.

Cutting to the chase; MBNA has been told in not so many words to stop pressurising confused customers and to start acting within UK guidelines.

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DebtWizard Forum

Just some of the issues we are helping with and resolving on the forum;

Mis-leading debt advice website cost me £200

Can I lose my car in a debt management plan?

Struggling to make IVA repayments after Emigrating

Simple to join, just sign up or log in to debtwizard.com then go to forum and select your nickname. That's it; you are then able to post. We help anyone in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and UK residents overseas (ex pats).

You don't have to be in debt to post, you may have an experience that you wish to share or just wish to offer support to those in debt. All will be welcome. Visit forum

Legal Aid blow in bank charges refund case - Jennifer Sharp v RBS

The fight for customers to be able to use the courts to get refunds for alleged unfair bank charges has taken another twist.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (Slab) has refused to fund a major test case being brought by Jennifer Sharp against the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

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Government cannot reclaim overpaid benefits

Last year an estimated £1.1 billion was paid in error on social security benefits.

Now the Supreme Court has ruled that in cases where the claimant is not at fault the government can no longer use the courts to recover the overpayments of social security benefits.

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Mike's recent blogs

Is MBNA guilty of coercing and bullying non payers?

It is well known in the debt collection industry that the lender or debt collector that puts the most pressure on borrower for payment is the one that usually gets paid. This means that if the lender can badger, confuse, intimidate, hoodwink or simply bully a customer who isn’t aware of their consumer rights then they are going to get paid. Continue reading

What can go wrong with a credit card balance transfer? Actually quite a lot!

In this blog Mike explains what can go wrong when someone transfers their credit card balance to a new provider. For one police officer it ended up costing him over £1,800 in fees and interest. On top of that he also had his credit file marked down. Be warned! Continue reading

How to avoid a nasty run in with a 'loan shark'

With millions of consumers in the UK finding it difficult to meet monthly bills it is inevitable some will fall foul of the 'Loan Shark'.

We explain how to check up on a loan shark, where to get free help if you have already fallen for one and answer the question, 'do I legally have to repay a loan shark?

Read more on this article

Free Budget Wizard

This unique budget form will help you manage your finances. If you have debt issues then it will predict how much your debt will increase over the next month, 12 months or five years.

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December UK striking debt numbers

A third (31%) of personal insolvencies that occurred in March were triggered by overspending during the festive season

1,000 people seek some form of formal debt rescheduling every working day

The average cost of raising a child from birth to the age of 21 is £26 a day

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OFT acts to stop unfair practices with Payday loans

Some payday lenders use direct debits as a way of gaining greater control over the repayment but this can be detrimental to the borrower.

If the borrower were to default then the lender can make multiple attempts to take money from their account, often incurring additional charges.

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Bankruptcy advice firm forced to close by The Insolvency Service

One dodgy debt advice company, UK Bankruptcy Ltd (UKB), used its clients' creditors to fund their business.

Consumers that were referred to them by the official sounding IVA Council (IVAC) were persuaded to stop paying into an IVA and enter into bankruptcy.

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Latest Debt News

The latest debt related news since the last email.

- MBNA caught out bullying?

- Blow in bank charges case

- Bankruptcy advice firm gets closed

- New court ruling on overpaid benefits

- OFT takes action with Payday loans

- How to spot a 'loan shark'

- Former comedian goes to jail

- DebtWizard Forum

- Free budget wizard

- Mike's blogs

See the news archive

Future Shows

Radio and television appearances can often be at short notice.

If you are interested in Mike's shows then keep checking the home page for details, homepage.

Confirmed shows

Mike Thomas will be live taking your calls, texts and emails on any debt questions on the following shows.

Just click on the links below to find out how to listen or contact the show.

BBC West Midlands - Ed Doolan 1pm, Thursday 6th January 2011

BBC Shropshire & West Midlands - Keith Middleton's Extravaganza 10pm, Sunday 16 January 2011

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Featured shows

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Just look for the 'Featured Shows' section on the home page and click on each title to hear the show.

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We want to hear your story

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We are interested in your story, can we help you?