T was probably diabetes, serious but not life-threatening, the vet said as he handed my wee dog Jessie back into my arms. She had been sedated for tests. There was definitely something wrong with her. She had been drinking what seemed like gallons of water and peeing in the house.
Every time she did it, she looked sorry, her eyes wide with worry.
I knew by then that she couldn't help it, so there was no point in scolding her.
In the eight years since we had been together, she had barely put a paw wrong.
Jessie the west highland white terrier was the first dog I had owned as an adult and I loved her so much I also bought her a sister, Bonnie, to keep her company.
You never have a bad day when you live with a dog – or rather if you have the worst day in the world (Shock. Husband has girlfriend. But there's more. Shock, horror. Girlfriend is pregnant.) they always make it better. The husband was the loser.
Cheeky, intuitive, loyal. Their love is unconditional. Whatever happens in your day, they welcome you home with unsuppressed excitement.
Like my parent's westie, who lived for 18 years, I expected Jessie to live forever paid the vet's bill and he sent me off to see a specialist for more tests. Just in case.
Jessie was losing more weight but she could still wag her tail like a trouper.
The specialist also thought it was diabetes but suggested an ultrasound ($280), radiographs ($255) and a body function test ($165). More tests than any human in my family had ever had. Certainly more expensive.
He walked back into the consulting room with wee Jessie, groggy from drugs and with her fur shaved on one side. She had cancer, a tumour on one kidney.
It is rare in dogs but it could be worse, he said. Dogs can live long and happy lives with one kidney. He said they could operate and remove the cancerous kidney.
I didn't need to consider it. I booked her in for an operation and didn't even ask how much it would cost, didn't even care.
I paid the bill of $1117.05 and went home to wait. Four days later we went back.
I can still see Jessie's look as she turned her head and gazed after me over the vet nurse's shoulder as she was carried into the surgery area. Dogs are more intuitive than humans. She knew more than I did.
I left her in the care of the experts along with a $2000 deposit. They gave me a Take Home Information Sheet. That was a hopeful sign. She had her operation the next day and everything looked good.
The receptionist was very helpful. Of course I could talk to the surgeon, she said. They encouraged people to talk to them about their patients. But he never returned my calls.
Then Jessie died. Of course it wasn't as sudden as that. But as her condition deteriorated, no one said she would die.
You might think I would have worked it out for myself but I trusted the experts.
Two days after the operation I got onto the surgeon. I made notes as we spoke and have kept them. The cancer may have spread to her brain, he told me. She'd had a seizure – but I knew that, didn't I, he said. I think I would have remembered if I had been told.
The surgeon was totally offhand. Obviously he preferred dealing with unconscious animals than people who can talk back. I wanted people to know who he was but the lawyers would only have taken his name out.
It was touch and go for another two days. I hoped for a miracle. There wasn't one. The nurses called me in the middle of the night and by the time I got there Jessie had died.
I hugged her body, which was still warm. Four days' treatment cost me $11,767.60. Yes, it was a fortune. I had to remortgage the house.
I would have been happier if it had saved Jessie's life but I don't begrudge one cent of that money. I had to give her the best chance that I could while the vets were saying that she may have survived.
I cried for weeks. I report on horrific crime and do not cry. But I still cry as I write this. I'm not crying about the cost but, as time has passed, I have become increasingly bitter that perhaps the vet hospital strung me along to make money.
I like to think I was not keeping her alive for myself. If any of the vets had said there was no chance, that my dog was in pain and the best thing for her was to have her put down, I would have done it.
The only thing to do was get another westie to keep Bonnie company, wee Hinnie – a Geordie term of endearment, and she is living up to her name.
Folks who don't have dogs think we are completely mad. It's a shame as they don't know what they are missing.
Would I do it all again if my other two dogs became as ill? You bet. I would do anything to save their lives.
But this time I have pet insurance. All it will cost me is the $100 excess. And I would find a different surgeon, one who didn't bark and had a bedside manner.
Source
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Cruel conman jailed for tricking consultant out of £350K
IT WAS an e-mail that was too good to be true.
For anyone willing to help a Nigerian transfer $300 million into a UK bank account they would receive up to half of the fortune.
But for leading consultant surgeon Fawzia Ashkanani the temptation was irresistible.
The breast cancer specialist remortgaged her house and borrowed thousands of pounds from friends and family to invest more than £350,000 in the get rich quick scheme which turned out to be an internet scam.
Nigerian conman Chinaenye Mokelu, 44, was jailed for five years for his part in the phishing spam e-mail which was said to have “ruined” the consultant’s life.
Describing the impact of the fraud on the surgeon at Dumfries Infirmary, Michael Fraser, prosecuting, told Basildon Crown Court: “She said how this whole episode has left her feeling upset with a huge feeling of guilt because she has let down members of her family and indeed close friends.
“She is struggling to cope with repaying the £210,000 remortgage.
“It has also had a profound psychological impact on her. She has considerable difficulty in relating and talking to her patients because this matter has caused her considerable embarrassment.”
The court was told “gullible” Miss Ashkanani saw the opportunity, presented when the e-mail landed in her inbox in August 2007, as a way to finance her dream of setting up clinics in the most deprived areas of Africa.
Mr Fraser said after making contact with the sender, she was asked to pay £4,500 to broker Mokelu, to enable the transfer of funds.
As part of the elaborate fraud, Kuwati-born Miss Ashkanani travelled twice to London to meet several of the gang of fraudsters – who have never been traced by police.
During one meeting in a Holiday Inn she was shown a suitcase full of fake $100 notes. In September 2007, Miss Ashkanani was told the sum of £210,000 was required to release the funds.
So desperate was she to get hold of the promised £75,000,000 reward she raised the amount by remortgaging her house.
The conmen even mocked up and dispatched a document which appeared to be a £150,000 transfer to her account purporting to be from US Citibank Group.
Then came a phone call demanding £750,000 in tax. When Miss Ashkanani said she could not find that amount, the court heard, she was told “raise as much as you can” and threatened with police investigation if she pulled out of the deal.
She convinced her brother to lend her more than £50,000 which was paid into a Lloyds bank account controlled by Mokelu.
The married father-of-two – whose wife and seven and 14-year-old daughters have returned to Nigeria – was arrested as he withdrew £20,000 in cash from the fraudulent account. When police searched his home in Grays, Essex, they found a suitcase full of fake cash and a counterfeit Nigerian passport.
They also found a mobile phone with Miss Ashkanani’s work, home and mobile numbers saved under the names “Miracle 1, Miracle 2 and Miracle 3”, the court was told.
During some 18 months, Miss Ashkanani handed over £352,937.
Mokelu was sentenced to a five-year jail term – four years for conspiracy to defraud and another year added on for using a fake Nigerian passport to set up a fraudulent bank account.
Source
For anyone willing to help a Nigerian transfer $300 million into a UK bank account they would receive up to half of the fortune.
But for leading consultant surgeon Fawzia Ashkanani the temptation was irresistible.
The breast cancer specialist remortgaged her house and borrowed thousands of pounds from friends and family to invest more than £350,000 in the get rich quick scheme which turned out to be an internet scam.
Nigerian conman Chinaenye Mokelu, 44, was jailed for five years for his part in the phishing spam e-mail which was said to have “ruined” the consultant’s life.
Describing the impact of the fraud on the surgeon at Dumfries Infirmary, Michael Fraser, prosecuting, told Basildon Crown Court: “She said how this whole episode has left her feeling upset with a huge feeling of guilt because she has let down members of her family and indeed close friends.
“She is struggling to cope with repaying the £210,000 remortgage.
“It has also had a profound psychological impact on her. She has considerable difficulty in relating and talking to her patients because this matter has caused her considerable embarrassment.”
The court was told “gullible” Miss Ashkanani saw the opportunity, presented when the e-mail landed in her inbox in August 2007, as a way to finance her dream of setting up clinics in the most deprived areas of Africa.
Mr Fraser said after making contact with the sender, she was asked to pay £4,500 to broker Mokelu, to enable the transfer of funds.
As part of the elaborate fraud, Kuwati-born Miss Ashkanani travelled twice to London to meet several of the gang of fraudsters – who have never been traced by police.
During one meeting in a Holiday Inn she was shown a suitcase full of fake $100 notes. In September 2007, Miss Ashkanani was told the sum of £210,000 was required to release the funds.
So desperate was she to get hold of the promised £75,000,000 reward she raised the amount by remortgaging her house.
The conmen even mocked up and dispatched a document which appeared to be a £150,000 transfer to her account purporting to be from US Citibank Group.
Then came a phone call demanding £750,000 in tax. When Miss Ashkanani said she could not find that amount, the court heard, she was told “raise as much as you can” and threatened with police investigation if she pulled out of the deal.
She convinced her brother to lend her more than £50,000 which was paid into a Lloyds bank account controlled by Mokelu.
The married father-of-two – whose wife and seven and 14-year-old daughters have returned to Nigeria – was arrested as he withdrew £20,000 in cash from the fraudulent account. When police searched his home in Grays, Essex, they found a suitcase full of fake cash and a counterfeit Nigerian passport.
They also found a mobile phone with Miss Ashkanani’s work, home and mobile numbers saved under the names “Miracle 1, Miracle 2 and Miracle 3”, the court was told.
During some 18 months, Miss Ashkanani handed over £352,937.
Mokelu was sentenced to a five-year jail term – four years for conspiracy to defraud and another year added on for using a fake Nigerian passport to set up a fraudulent bank account.
Source
Monday, August 24, 2009
New buyer mortgage deals 'creep up' as remortgaging drops
May data from the Bank of England confirm the trend lenders have been seeing.
With standard variable rates so low, home owners are happier to stick there, rather than remortgage onto high fixed rates – despite warnings that the moment the Bank of England increases rates variable rate deals will jump, as will fixes.
Fixed-rate mortgage deals have already started to rise.
Falling house prices putting some homeowners in negative equity or leaving them with very little equity is also creating a brake on remortgaging.
Last week rating agency Fitch warned 35 per cent of borrowers do not have enough equity to secure a remortgage.
In May there were 30,984 remortgage deals – 9.8 per cent down on the six-month average.
Andrew Montlake, at mortgage broker Coreco, said: "I am concerned that the number of remortgages has fallen. Fixed rates are rising and anyone settling for short term gain on a lender's SVR could be in for some long-term pain.
"People wanting to have their cake and eat it could fix part of their mortgage and leave the rest on a tracker, which will at least give some level of security without substantially upping their current payments."
The number of house purchase deals stood at 43,414 – up 21.7 per cent on the six-month average.
However, high deposits needed to make a purchase are still holding back many first-time buyers from taking advantage of low house prices.
The mortgage market as a whole, however, remains anaemic, with lending growth dropping from over ten per cent two years ago to 1.4 per cent now.
Mr Montlake added: "Slowly but surely, the number of new home loans being approved is creeping upwards, reflecting the growing confidence in the UK property market.
"Some people were expecting better figures but let's not kid ourselves, it's still very difficult to secure mortgage finance at higher LTVs."
Source
With standard variable rates so low, home owners are happier to stick there, rather than remortgage onto high fixed rates – despite warnings that the moment the Bank of England increases rates variable rate deals will jump, as will fixes.
Fixed-rate mortgage deals have already started to rise.
Falling house prices putting some homeowners in negative equity or leaving them with very little equity is also creating a brake on remortgaging.
Last week rating agency Fitch warned 35 per cent of borrowers do not have enough equity to secure a remortgage.
In May there were 30,984 remortgage deals – 9.8 per cent down on the six-month average.
Andrew Montlake, at mortgage broker Coreco, said: "I am concerned that the number of remortgages has fallen. Fixed rates are rising and anyone settling for short term gain on a lender's SVR could be in for some long-term pain.
"People wanting to have their cake and eat it could fix part of their mortgage and leave the rest on a tracker, which will at least give some level of security without substantially upping their current payments."
The number of house purchase deals stood at 43,414 – up 21.7 per cent on the six-month average.
However, high deposits needed to make a purchase are still holding back many first-time buyers from taking advantage of low house prices.
The mortgage market as a whole, however, remains anaemic, with lending growth dropping from over ten per cent two years ago to 1.4 per cent now.
Mr Montlake added: "Slowly but surely, the number of new home loans being approved is creeping upwards, reflecting the growing confidence in the UK property market.
"Some people were expecting better figures but let's not kid ourselves, it's still very difficult to secure mortgage finance at higher LTVs."
Source
Monday, August 10, 2009
What To Expect With An Offset Remortgage
Like other offset mortgages, the offset remortgage is much in demand, as UK home buyers wake up to the benefits of flexibility. The best offset remortgage deals have all the flexible features of other offset deals, with a couple of added incentives for remortgage customers. With flexible remortgages, home buyers can expect to save on a couple of fees that other home buyers might have to pay. These include legal fees and valuation fees, for example. Some offset remortgage lenders also wave arrangement fees and many may offer insurance products as added incentives for flexible remortgage customers.
An offset remortgage will also usually be portable, which means that if buyers move to another property they can move the mortgage without incurring additional mortgage fees. And an offset remortgage will also allow borrowers to overpay, either by paying in a lump sum to the mortgage account or by making a regular overpayment. Offset remortgage customers should also look out for underpayments, as this might be a useful feature if circumstances change. However underpayments and payment holidays could increase the mortgage term and/or the total amount payable.
Source
An offset remortgage will also usually be portable, which means that if buyers move to another property they can move the mortgage without incurring additional mortgage fees. And an offset remortgage will also allow borrowers to overpay, either by paying in a lump sum to the mortgage account or by making a regular overpayment. Offset remortgage customers should also look out for underpayments, as this might be a useful feature if circumstances change. However underpayments and payment holidays could increase the mortgage term and/or the total amount payable.
Source
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Importance Of Remortgaging
I personally believe that the quality and suitability of a homeowner’s mortgage is the second biggest factor that will ultimately determine the success of a property investment, especially with buy to let investors; the biggest factor being the market condition. However, you alone can’t control the market condition, but you alone can play a key role in determing the fate of your mortgage.
A mortgage is probably going to be the biggest financial responsibility you will take on, so it is a big deal. Forget your lousy electricity and water bills- you will still have a home even if failing to pay those. The majority of people will be at their mortgage lender’s mercy for 25years or there about; that’s a long time to be on your knees and it’s certainly not an enjoyable position to be in (some may protest to that claim).
Source
A mortgage is probably going to be the biggest financial responsibility you will take on, so it is a big deal. Forget your lousy electricity and water bills- you will still have a home even if failing to pay those. The majority of people will be at their mortgage lender’s mercy for 25years or there about; that’s a long time to be on your knees and it’s certainly not an enjoyable position to be in (some may protest to that claim).
Source
Monday, July 27, 2009
Enquire into a remortgage by visiting our mortgage centre
Remortgaging has become a popular way for many consumers in the UK to enjoy the benefits of getting rid of a poor value mortgage and switching to mortgage that offers better value for money and huge savings over the term of the loan.
When interest rates start to rise remortgaging becomes even popular, with many consumers looking for different ways to try and cut back on repayments and to save money on the interest that they have to pay on their mortgage loan.
The interest rates charged on mortgages can vary from one lender to another, and therefore you may find that you can get a far better deal on your mortgage by switching to a different lender. There are also those that decide to remortgage in order to switch to a different type of products – for instance, switching from a variable rate mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage to help stabilise repayments and make financial management easier.
Many homeowners have made huge savings on their mortgage repayments by remortgaging, and the world of remortgages has become big business in the UK over recent years. The mortgage market is a highly competitive one, and you will find that if you have good credit all lenders will be vying for your business.
In order to try and attract more custom and stay a step ahead of the competition, lenders will strive to offer better deals than their competitors. This is where homeowners can really cash in, by switching to a mortgage where they are charged less interest. Even an interest rate that is around 1% less than you are currently paying could save you thousands of pounds over the term of your mortgage.
For those that want to switch to a different type of mortgage product, remortgaging is also ideal. If you are currently on a variable rate mortgage you may have found that rising interest rates are causing severe financial difficulties, and making it difficult to budget.
With a fixed rate mortgage you can enjoy the same repayments each month because the interest rate will remain the same no matter what happens with the Bank of England base rate, so you won’t have to worry about fluctuation and won’t have to concern yourself with making changes to your budget every time the interest rate changes.
Remortgaging has become a far simpler process these days, and it is far faster and easier than it used to be. However, there are some things to look out for, namely in the way of fees.
You may find that you are charged an exit fee by your existing mortgage provider for closing your mortgage account, and you may also find that you are charged set up fees by your new mortgage provider, all of which can add up to a considerable amount. On top of this you may have to deal with solicitor costs and even valuation fees, even though you are actually purchasing a new property.
When you take all of this into consideration you have to think carefully as to whether it is worth actually switching your mortgage or whether you will be better off sticking with your existing one.
In some cases you may find a lender that offers to pay the legal fees and valuation fee when you switch your mortgage, and if this is the case then you may find that remortgaging is more viable. It is important to weight up the costs of remortgaging as you could otherwise be putting yourself through a lot of hassle only to find that you are actually no better off in the long run.
Source
When interest rates start to rise remortgaging becomes even popular, with many consumers looking for different ways to try and cut back on repayments and to save money on the interest that they have to pay on their mortgage loan.
The interest rates charged on mortgages can vary from one lender to another, and therefore you may find that you can get a far better deal on your mortgage by switching to a different lender. There are also those that decide to remortgage in order to switch to a different type of products – for instance, switching from a variable rate mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage to help stabilise repayments and make financial management easier.
Many homeowners have made huge savings on their mortgage repayments by remortgaging, and the world of remortgages has become big business in the UK over recent years. The mortgage market is a highly competitive one, and you will find that if you have good credit all lenders will be vying for your business.
In order to try and attract more custom and stay a step ahead of the competition, lenders will strive to offer better deals than their competitors. This is where homeowners can really cash in, by switching to a mortgage where they are charged less interest. Even an interest rate that is around 1% less than you are currently paying could save you thousands of pounds over the term of your mortgage.
For those that want to switch to a different type of mortgage product, remortgaging is also ideal. If you are currently on a variable rate mortgage you may have found that rising interest rates are causing severe financial difficulties, and making it difficult to budget.
With a fixed rate mortgage you can enjoy the same repayments each month because the interest rate will remain the same no matter what happens with the Bank of England base rate, so you won’t have to worry about fluctuation and won’t have to concern yourself with making changes to your budget every time the interest rate changes.
Remortgaging has become a far simpler process these days, and it is far faster and easier than it used to be. However, there are some things to look out for, namely in the way of fees.
You may find that you are charged an exit fee by your existing mortgage provider for closing your mortgage account, and you may also find that you are charged set up fees by your new mortgage provider, all of which can add up to a considerable amount. On top of this you may have to deal with solicitor costs and even valuation fees, even though you are actually purchasing a new property.
When you take all of this into consideration you have to think carefully as to whether it is worth actually switching your mortgage or whether you will be better off sticking with your existing one.
In some cases you may find a lender that offers to pay the legal fees and valuation fee when you switch your mortgage, and if this is the case then you may find that remortgaging is more viable. It is important to weight up the costs of remortgaging as you could otherwise be putting yourself through a lot of hassle only to find that you are actually no better off in the long run.
Source
Monday, July 20, 2009
Remortgaging in the current climate
Many people will find that they need to seek professional mortgage advice in order to obtain a remortgage. This may not have been the case five or so years ago when mortgages were easier to obtain as more money was available from the banks and building societies. These days, due to what is known as the ‘credit crunch’, there are less mortgages around resulting in mortgage advice becoming more valuable than ever before.
The on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia explains a credit crunch as follows. ... “There are a number of reasons why banks may suddenly increase the costs of borrowing or make borrowing more difficult. This may be due to an anticipated decline in value of the collateral used by the banks when issuing loans, or even an increased perception of risk regarding the solvency of other banks within the banking system. It may be due to a change in monetary conditions (for example, where the central bank suddenly and unexpectedly raises interest rates or reserve requirements) .....
Currently the UK is experiencing all of the above. It may well be that the on-going credit crunch may force the UK into a recession. Many economic pundits are attempting to predict when and if this will happen, but all concur that unless the oil price moderates, the Bank of England cuts rates, or the interest rate banks charge each other to borrow large amounts of money from each other comes down, we will be in technical recession by the end of 2009 or earlier.
According to Peter McGahan, managing director at Worldwide Financial Planning.........
“There are many people who are keen to remortgage now who are finding that they cannot, due to the above problems. For them it’s a difficult situation in that they are now susceptible to their existing lenders’ uncompetitive rates.
Those facing the biggest difficulties will be those coming off a two-year fixed rate (which were priced competitively at the time), or those who took out a mortgage with a high loan to value ratio. These groups may find it tricky to remortgage, along with those who need to borrow at high income multiples as lending criteria have tightened so much.
The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone. There are plenty of people who took out mortgages with a high loan to value ratio who will be less than pleased as house prices fall”.
Peter’s top 10 tips when remortgaging....
1. Until early 2008, anyone could arrange a mortgage, but today it’s the job of a professional who specialises in mortgages. Nationwide announced recently that they are now moving to quality rather than quantity in deciding which mortgage advisers they work with.
2. A specialist mortgage adviser will know exactly how to position your case with a lender and will invariably have extra clout because of their collective buying power.
3. Ensure that you look at any mortgage offered in its entirety. The interest rate is just one part of the deal as other add-on fees could prove expensive. They are often added onto the loan which is expensive when the interest is spread over the whole mortgage term.
4. Watch out for being tied into your mortgage beyond the normal term at a higher rate. It’s a common ploy that catches many people out.
5. Ask your mortgage adviser to negotiate with your existing lender. If a lender knows you might take your mortgage elsewhere they may agree better terms with you.
6. If you can’t afford your mortgage payments, act straight away and talk to a mortgage adviser or your mortgage lender. You may feel better for seeking advice.
7. Your lender or a mortgage adviser will be happy to help and will discuss all the options available. They have a requirement to treat you fairly, so give them a chance to do that.
8. If you have a repayment mortgage, look to switching onto a cheaper interest only mortgage to give you some space, then switch back. Seek advice before doing this as sometimes lenders will charge a fee to change the basis of the mortgage.
9. Do a budget planner. Stop unnecessary payments. Pay the important bills first, not those who shout loudest. The priority bills are those who can take legal action such as any loan secured against your house, rent, council tax, water, gas, electricity, unpaid fines, hire purchase, and of course your phone if you are reliant upon it.
10. If you find a good deal, act quickly, as rates are disappearing almost as fast as they appear.
Source
The on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia explains a credit crunch as follows. ... “There are a number of reasons why banks may suddenly increase the costs of borrowing or make borrowing more difficult. This may be due to an anticipated decline in value of the collateral used by the banks when issuing loans, or even an increased perception of risk regarding the solvency of other banks within the banking system. It may be due to a change in monetary conditions (for example, where the central bank suddenly and unexpectedly raises interest rates or reserve requirements) .....
Currently the UK is experiencing all of the above. It may well be that the on-going credit crunch may force the UK into a recession. Many economic pundits are attempting to predict when and if this will happen, but all concur that unless the oil price moderates, the Bank of England cuts rates, or the interest rate banks charge each other to borrow large amounts of money from each other comes down, we will be in technical recession by the end of 2009 or earlier.
According to Peter McGahan, managing director at Worldwide Financial Planning.........
“There are many people who are keen to remortgage now who are finding that they cannot, due to the above problems. For them it’s a difficult situation in that they are now susceptible to their existing lenders’ uncompetitive rates.
Those facing the biggest difficulties will be those coming off a two-year fixed rate (which were priced competitively at the time), or those who took out a mortgage with a high loan to value ratio. These groups may find it tricky to remortgage, along with those who need to borrow at high income multiples as lending criteria have tightened so much.
The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone. There are plenty of people who took out mortgages with a high loan to value ratio who will be less than pleased as house prices fall”.
Peter’s top 10 tips when remortgaging....
1. Until early 2008, anyone could arrange a mortgage, but today it’s the job of a professional who specialises in mortgages. Nationwide announced recently that they are now moving to quality rather than quantity in deciding which mortgage advisers they work with.
2. A specialist mortgage adviser will know exactly how to position your case with a lender and will invariably have extra clout because of their collective buying power.
3. Ensure that you look at any mortgage offered in its entirety. The interest rate is just one part of the deal as other add-on fees could prove expensive. They are often added onto the loan which is expensive when the interest is spread over the whole mortgage term.
4. Watch out for being tied into your mortgage beyond the normal term at a higher rate. It’s a common ploy that catches many people out.
5. Ask your mortgage adviser to negotiate with your existing lender. If a lender knows you might take your mortgage elsewhere they may agree better terms with you.
6. If you can’t afford your mortgage payments, act straight away and talk to a mortgage adviser or your mortgage lender. You may feel better for seeking advice.
7. Your lender or a mortgage adviser will be happy to help and will discuss all the options available. They have a requirement to treat you fairly, so give them a chance to do that.
8. If you have a repayment mortgage, look to switching onto a cheaper interest only mortgage to give you some space, then switch back. Seek advice before doing this as sometimes lenders will charge a fee to change the basis of the mortgage.
9. Do a budget planner. Stop unnecessary payments. Pay the important bills first, not those who shout loudest. The priority bills are those who can take legal action such as any loan secured against your house, rent, council tax, water, gas, electricity, unpaid fines, hire purchase, and of course your phone if you are reliant upon it.
10. If you find a good deal, act quickly, as rates are disappearing almost as fast as they appear.
Source
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