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Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) - Travel (529) - Nairaland

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Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) / Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 / Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant (2) (3) (4)

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Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by shndy: 7:58pm On Jul 20, 2022
Hello everyone. Please I need advice. My husband and son will be joining me here by next month. I'm about signing a tenancy agreement which stipulate that no other person should reside or occupy the premises without the landlords consent. My husband has no plan of staying, he'll just visit periodically. My son stays.

Some friends told me it doesn't matter as the landlord/agent can't know. And so far they are my immediate family.

Do I need to point this out or not?

Furthermore my status expires may 2023, (with plans to renew tho). Tenancy agreement is 12 months and will end on July 2023. Will this be an issue too?

Thanks in advance
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by dubaiprince: 8:57pm On Jul 20, 2022
shndy:
Hello everyone. Please I need advice. My husband and son will be joining me here by next month. I'm about signing a tenancy agreement which stipulate that no other person should reside or occupy the premises without the landlords consent. My husband has no plan of staying, he'll just visit periodically. My son stays.

Some friends told me it doesn't matter as the landlord/agent can't know. And so far they are my immediate family.

Do I need to point this out or not?

Furthermore my status expires may 2023, (with plans to renew tho). Tenancy agreement is 12 months and will end on July 2023. Will this be an issue too?

Thanks in advance

It's tricky. If the apartment is a shared one, be sure your landlord will find out at some point. If it is a flat or house and you dont have nosy neighbours that give the landlord info, then your landlord may not find out. Please note however that most landlords carry out inspection but they need to give you 24hrs notice for such. I don't think your husband visiting should be an issue however your son might be because some apartments don't allow children. I learnt a law is in the works to stop this.

Your conscience probably knows what the right thing is but I think you are fighting it because of some people's advice. I had a similar advice when I was house hunting but I just ignored to have rest of mind. I agree tho that giving detailed information here can come at a cost.

What do you mean by status expiring?

5 Likes

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by shndy: 9:03pm On Jul 20, 2022
dubaiprince:


It's tricky. If the apartment is a shared one, be sure your landlord will find out at some point. If it is a flat or house and you dont have nosy neighbours that give the landlord info, then your landlord may not find out. Please note however that most landlords carry out inspection but they need to give you 24hrs notice for such. I don't think your husband visiting should be an issue however your son might be because some apartments don't allow children. I learnt a law is in the works to stop this.

Your conscience probably knows what the right thing is but I think you are fighting it because of some people's advice. I had a similar advice when I was house hunting but I just ignored to have rest of mind. I agree tho that giving detailed information here can come at a cost.

What do you mean by status expiring?
Thanks for your reply. The letting agent is aware of my son coming over. I mentioned that numerous times and filled it in during reference check.

By status, I meant my visa status

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by hustla(m): 9:23pm On Jul 20, 2022
Solumtoya:
So Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the best Credit Tools you can have but yes, like every good thing, it does have its dangers.



Now, as beautiful as it sounds, in my 7 years as a Credit Card Product Manager, I have seen so many people wallow in heavy credit card debts. The truth is most humans are not just disciplined enough to handle such an allowance of funds.


Thanks smiley

Glad someone in the line could give some expose about everything

I appreciate

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by dubaiprince: 9:23pm On Jul 20, 2022
[quote author=shndy post=114928094]
Thanks for your reply. The letting agent is aware of my son coming over. I mentioned that numerous times and filled it in during reference check.

By status, I meant my visa status [/quote

If they are aware of your Son, then i dont think there is a problem. Your husband visiting should not break your agreement.

The only implication of having your visa expire (if you dont renew) before your tenancy ends is that you may pay rent for the period you are not in the property. I would suggest a year contract with a 6 month break out clause.

2 Likes

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by hustla(m): 9:27pm On Jul 20, 2022
semmyk:
[CC Credit, debit ...]
I hope everyone kept safe this last red & amber days. Congrats on being part of UK history (weather wise). Oh, isn't BJ's resignation (Queen at Balmoral and no of ministers/aides resignation) historical just like Iron lady Thatcher was. #justsayingnio
Herewith some info, freely given unsolicited but any can leverage solicitors.
1.0 credit card(s) plays a critical role in flexible living and mobility: aka convenience
[/sub]

Thanks boss
May your days be long!
grin
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Mayflowa(m): 9:52pm On Jul 20, 2022
Hi Everyone,

I need some guidance, please. A friend is starting a master's at Brunel University London this September. He plans to go with his wife and two kids. The problem he is facing is accommodation. The minimum two-bedroom flat we have found online is 1600 pounds. This is around Uxbridge. We are shocked that the houses are too expensive and wanted to find out if that is the going rate around Uxbridge or would he find a cheaper one if he went to the city rather than searching out on the internet from Nigeria?
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by TheGuyFromHR: 10:22pm On Jul 20, 2022
Mayflowa:
Hi Everyone,

I need some guidance, please. A friend is starting a master's at Brunel University London this September. He plans to go with his wife and two kids. The problem he is facing is accommodation. The minimum two-bedroom flat we have found online is 1600 pounds. This is around Uxbridge. We are shocked that the houses are too expensive and wanted to find out if that is the going rate around Uxbridge or would he find a cheaper one if he went to the city rather than searching out on the internet from Nigeria?

Uxbridge is a high-rent area, UMC all the way.
It's certainly not cheap.
When he comes, he can go and look around in person but that won't change the expensive rent.
You should try elsewhere within Greater London. Joining the Indians in Harrow or Wembley might be an option.

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Osoderi(m): 10:46pm On Jul 20, 2022
ukay2:


well said oga mi.... grin

Thank you for sharing
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Osoderi(m): 10:46pm On Jul 20, 2022
CheesyTee:


Check the post above your question.

Thank you. Seen
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Goke7: 12:41am On Jul 21, 2022
Solumtoya:
So Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the best Credit Tools you can have but yes, like every good thing, it does have its dangers.

Most folks here are trying to build Credit Score and to be very honest, CCs are the easiest way to do so. There are so many other ways, of course, and you should do them: Registering in the Electoral Register, Setting up Direct Debits for Utility Bills, Phone/SIM Contracts, etc but from experience since these are not Credit facilities, they may not boost your score as much as a CC.

The rules of CC usage are simple: ensure you pay at least the minimum balance (usually 10% of your usage as at the statement date). So if your cycle is 1st to 30th of every month, on the 30th, you get a statement saying you have used £2,000 and you are given a grace period (typically extra 14 to 23 days) to pay back 10% or more, and whatever balance is unpaid, interest will be charged to the card after the grace period. During this grace period, the next cycle has obviously started running. And the next month balance will sum of what you spent in the month, plus the unpaid balance from the previous month and the interest added. IF YOU DON'T PAY THIS MINIMUM, YOU HAVE DEFAULTED.

Now, the main reasons why CCs are a brilliant facility are evident:
1. Their Interest-free periods means you can use them without ever paying interests: to do this, you must pay everything in full as the interest only starts counting on the unpaid balance after the grace period. An exception is usually Cash Withdrawals, Interest on Cash Withdrawals start counting immediately. Another evil trick of Cash Withdrawal is usually that their interest is higher. There's another evil of Cash Withdrawals but it might be a little technical to explain in this post. Just avoid Cash Withdrawals if you don't want interest
2. CCs are revolving, meaning they are like Overdrafts, not Term Loans, so if I have a limit of £6k, when I spend it and repay, my full limit is re-instated, so I don’t need to re-apply (ever) unless I void the contract. 3. Rewards: Most CCs earn you Miles, Points, etc for usage and referrals.
4. Fees: Many CCs come with little or no extra fees to the Cardholder. I could go on and on.

So, pretty much, you can use your Debit Card for only Cash Withdrawal and use Cash for non-Card payments, while you use your CC for everything else and pay little or no interest while building your credit score.

Now, as beautiful as it sounds, in my 7 years as a Credit Card Product Manager, I have seen so many people wallow in heavy credit card debts. The truth is most humans are not just disciplined enough to handle such an allowance of funds. They deep their hands into it at the slightest opportunity and end up living above their means. CCs are very addictive so don't get a CC if you love to spend, the CC provider would love you and keep increasing your limit and you may land in a gloomy state: you earn just £2k monthly and are given a £6k CC, as you spend and spend, they keep increasing the limit and before you know it, you have a £20k CC fully spent on that Funeral you sponsored in Oshogbo and that trip to Turkey. How will you pay You break the card and start paying back £600 monthly, but that covers only the interest and the amount is NOT reducing every month. You realize you are stuck and have fallen for our trap and that is how we make our interest income and cover for those who are using the card wisely.

I'm sorry this post was really long, I even had to cut this short because I could go on and on about the benefits of CC (purchase protection, chargeback, acceptance, etc), the financially wise know this and hardly ever use Debit Cards but enjoy the benefits of a CC. The financially foolish use CCs to have fun for a few years or months and spend the rest of their lives as slaves to it. The choice is yours!

Thank you very much, I had to sit down and read the documentation of one of my credit cards to understand all the points you listed above. It's really tempting and I think relying on it more than debit cards like you even advise is also a trap.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by bigtt76(f): 12:48am On Jul 21, 2022
His visa validity commences on the UK soil not while in Nigeria so he's free so far he doesn't try to activate it before the validity commencement date


Solumtoya:


I'm not sure, you should be allowed to board but someone might decide to be stubborn and refuse to let you. If you're willing to take the risk and if no one else thinks otherwise, you can go ahead. I would say you should just look for a later flight.

2 Likes

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by jum33: 6:13am On Jul 21, 2022
Solumtoya:
So Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the best Credit Tools you can have but yes, like every good thing, it does have its dangers.

Most folks here are trying to build Credit Score and to be very honest, CCs are the easiest way to do so. There are so many other ways, of course, and you should do them: Registering in the Electoral Register, Setting up Direct Debits for Utility Bills, Phone/SIM Contracts, etc but from experience since these are not Credit facilities, they may not boost your score as much as a CC.

The rules of CC usage are simple: ensure you pay at least the minimum balance (usually 10% of your usage as at the statement date). So if your cycle is 1st to 30th of every month, on the 30th, you get a statement saying you have used £2,000 and you are given a grace period (typically extra 14 to 23 days) to pay back 10% or more, and whatever balance is unpaid, interest will be charged to the card after the grace period. During this grace period, the next cycle has obviously started running. And the next month balance will sum of what you spent in the month, plus the unpaid balance from the previous month and the interest added. IF YOU DON'T PAY THIS MINIMUM, YOU HAVE DEFAULTED.

Now, the main reasons why CCs are a brilliant facility are evident:
1. Their Interest-free periods means you can use them without ever paying interests: to do this, you must pay everything in full as the interest only starts counting on the unpaid balance after the grace period. An exception is usually Cash Withdrawals, Interest on Cash Withdrawals start counting immediately. Another evil trick of Cash Withdrawal is usually that their interest is higher. There's another evil of Cash Withdrawals but it might be a little technical to explain in this post. Just avoid Cash Withdrawals if you don't want interest
2. CCs are revolving, meaning they are like Overdrafts, not Term Loans, so if I have a limit of £6k, when I spend it and repay, my full limit is re-instated, so I don’t need to re-apply (ever) unless I void the contract. 3. Rewards: Most CCs earn you Miles, Points, etc for usage and referrals.
4. Fees: Many CCs come with little or no extra fees to the Cardholder. I could go on and on.

So, pretty much, you can use your Debit Card for only Cash Withdrawal and use Cash for non-Card payments, while you use your CC for everything else and pay little or no interest while building your credit score.

Now, as beautiful as it sounds, in my 7 years as a Credit Card Product Manager, I have seen so many people wallow in heavy credit card debts. The truth is most humans are not just disciplined enough to handle such an allowance of funds. They deep their hands into it at the slightest opportunity and end up living above their means. CCs are very addictive so don't get a CC if you love to spend, the CC provider would love you and keep increasing your limit and you may land in a gloomy state: you earn just £2k monthly and are given a £6k CC, as you spend and spend, they keep increasing the limit and before you know it, you have a £20k CC fully spent on that Funeral you sponsored in Oshogbo and that trip to Turkey. How will you pay You break the card and start paying back £600 monthly, but that covers only the interest and the amount is NOT reducing every month. You realize you are stuck and have fallen for our trap and that is how we make our interest income and cover for those who are using the card wisely.

I'm sorry this post was really long, I even had to cut this short because I could go on and on about the benefits of CC (purchase protection, chargeback, acceptance, etc, the financially wise know this and hardly ever use Debit Cards but enjoy the benefits of a CC. The financially foolish use CCs to have fun for a few years or months and spend the rest of their lives as slaves to it. The choice is yours!
Very insightful ,I can never thank you enough for this wonderful write up, wish you can touch more on the bolded or you can help create a separate thread dedicated for CC as an authority where they can be QA and much more. This kind of rich content will serve as foundation for financial education 101 for we the uk JjC .

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by semmyk(m): 7:27am On Jul 21, 2022
Thanks @Hustla
I get fla?ed and ba?ned when I tried updating and editing grammatical flaws in the write-up. So I won't anymore unless I have to be at the mercy of Justwise who has been phenomenally wonderful.
Thanks @Solumtoya for that insightful piece.
I guess with our two writeups and previous posts here and there by all, we all get clarity on CC and make informed decisions; choices as they are actually.
PS: my sincere #apologies if anyone got ba?n?d while trying to quote my writing on CC.
hustla:
Thanks boss
May your days be long!
grin

p. 527:
semmyk:
[CC Credit, debit ...]
... ... ... [/sub]
p. 528:
Solumtoya:
So Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the ... ... ...

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by hustla(m): 7:41am On Jul 21, 2022
Solumtoya:


If I don't do it, this article from Lloyds Bank will help. It has over 12 tips to improve your credit score in there so promise fulfilled!

https://www.lloydsbank.com/understanding-credit/how-to-improve-your-credit-score.html


Funny enough, I was at Lloyds yesterday and got the paper copy of this exactly writeup

cheesy

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Viruses: 7:43am On Jul 21, 2022
shndy:
Hello everyone. Please I need advice. My husband and son will be joining me here by next month. I'm about signing a tenancy agreement which stipulate that no other person should reside or occupy the premises without the landlords consent. My husband has no plan of staying, he'll just visit periodically. My son stays.

Some friends told me it doesn't matter as the landlord/agent can't know. And so far they are my immediate family.

Do I need to point this out or not?

Furthermore my status expires may 2023, (with plans to renew tho). Tenancy agreement is 12 months and will end on July 2023. Will this be an issue too?

Thanks in advance
Why are you scared of telling your landlord about your husband's visit. Except there is more about the house that you have not mentioned like if it's a shared apartment. If your husband's visit will inconvenience any other person, it's best the landlord knows because anybody that he inconveniences will still tell the landlord. If not I don't know whether it matters to tell him or not.

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by CowbellY: 8:50am On Jul 21, 2022
Solumtoya:
So Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the best Credit Tools you can have but yes, like every good thing, it does have its dangers.

you have a £20k CC fully spent on that Funeral you sponsored in Oshogbo and that trip to Turkey. How will you pay

Okay, but why does it have to bo Osogbo angry cry
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Lexusgs430: 9:33am On Jul 21, 2022
CowbellY:


Okay, but why does it have to bo Osogbo angry cry


Would Ijebu be any better......... You know Ijebu people love burials............. grin
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Lexusgs430: 9:42am On Jul 21, 2022
jum33:

Very insightful ,I can never thank you enough for this wonderful write up, wish you can touch more on the bolded or you can help create a separate thread dedicated for CC as an authority where they can be QA and much more. This kind of rich content will serve as foundation for financial education 101 for we the uk JjC .

It simply means if you spend over £100, section 75 got you covered......

The credit card company is your insurance, incase of faulty goods, defaults etc etc

Even if you bought a £5000 car, paid cash of £4800 and CC deposit of £200... Section 75 got your back, to a total value of £30,000 or so purchase price .........

So CC can be a darling, but also a devil in disguise,if not managed appropriately.......... cheesy

And CC is accepted worldwide, no CBN spend limitation (your only limitation, is your credit limit)...... cheesy

5 Likes 1 Share

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by kode12: 1:41pm On Jul 21, 2022
Mayflowa:
Hi Everyone,

I need some guidance, please. A friend is starting a master's at Brunel University London this September. He plans to go with his wife and two kids. The problem he is facing is accommodation. The minimum two-bedroom flat we have found online is 1600 pounds. This is around Uxbridge. We are shocked that the houses are too expensive and wanted to find out if that is the going rate around Uxbridge or would he find a cheaper one if he went to the city rather than searching out on the internet from Nigeria?

He/she can look for properties in Slough or Langley. There's a bus that runs from Slough town centre to Uxbridge town centre. Slough also has a good Nigeria/Black community so that might be a plus. Avoid accommodation around slough high street and Chalvey, most other areas are alright.
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by santos247(m): 6:58pm On Jul 21, 2022
Please pardon me for this quick questions.
1. Are students and swv holders not eligible to rent council flats? I saw a few in my village and the rent even looks high? I am on the verge of renting.
2. What is the simplest approach to building credit history for somebody who just enter UK?

[color=#000099][/color]

bigtt76:
I said on one other thread - Master's degree in the UK is all about research and individual work, the lecturers only guide you through the process. When you heard about the council flats, the ideal thing to have done is look through your student visa terms and conditions before dabbling into it despite voices advising you to go for it. Always weigh your decision on both sides of the coin not one sided.

I agree with you that some Nigerians abroad may be deceptive but not all. Always weigh things before you take a decision on hearsay. Your reality may be different from the other person. One love peeps kiss



Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by semmyk(m): 8:01pm On Jul 21, 2022
We, Ijẹbu pple shall come for you with full force. Ah, he starts to #shake! he he he grin wink grin
E si iyọnu, we shall dash ọga Lexus ikọkọrẹ ati ẹba tutu, then come push down with garri Ijẹbu + ẹja shawa + atarodo.
Lexusgs430:
Would Ijebu be any better......... You know Ijebu people love burials............. grin

3 Likes

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Mayflowa(m): 8:06pm On Jul 21, 2022
kode12:


He/she can look for properties in Slough or Langley. There's a bus that runs from Slough town centre to Uxbridge town centre. Slough also has a good Nigeria/Black community so that might be a plus. Avoid accommodation around slough high street and Chalvey, most other areas are alright.

I appreciate your response. Thank you very much
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Mayflowa(m): 8:10pm On Jul 21, 2022
TheGuyFromHR:


Uxbridge is a high-rent area, UMC all the way.
It's certainly not cheap.
When he comes, he can go and look around in person but that won't change the expensive rent.
You should try elsewhere within Greater London. Joining the Indians in Harrow or Wembley might be an option.

Thank you for responding
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by semmyk(m): 8:39pm On Jul 21, 2022
santos247:
Please pardon me for this quick questions.
1. Are students and swv holders not eligible to rent council flats? I saw a few in my village and the rent even looks high? I am on the verge of renting.
...
Maybe the following might give pointers
Sinchester:
I stumbled on one of the post where someone says students are entitle to go for council house. Well, before i stumbled on debates about the information council houses here by someone on this thread, i had already fallen into that mess. Let me warn intending people who want to take that information and run with it. Students are not entitled to Council Houses. Yes, its cheaper, but you are not entitled to go for it. Its public fund. I wouldn't want to go into details about what happened to me. ... But pls, stay away from public funds/house or whatever if you're on a student visa.
MichaelUde:
... ...
I remember the discussion on council houses/housing association properties/NRPF and all that. ... ... arguing and wasting time over information that would take 5 minutes to get from an official website. www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk/information-and-resources/rights-and-entitlements/benefits-and-housing-public-funds/housing/housing-association-tenancies
... ...
All the best to us all as we navigate this new land.
[Semmyk Extract] ...
"Housing association tenancies
An allocation of a housing association tenancy is classed as a public fund for immigration purpose when it is offered to a person through a council’s register or lettings system.
"

wonlasewonimi:
You guys will have to renew your visa and that question would be asked if you have at any point accessed public fund which includes council housing.
justwise:
Council houses are subsidize by tax payers so its a public fund. Someone on student visa is not eligible.

Issues of 'public fund' or not might end up being jurisdictional | UK: Scotland, England ... Wales, NI
Lexusgs430:
I followed the conversation about council properties.......
I think the matter eventually went down the jurisdiction route...... It seems UK and Scotland have different rules ...
No recourse to public funds, is an all encompassing rule.......

So, it appears, Scotland is the exception to England, Wales & NI at the moment. Let the folks in the North enjoy whilst it lasts.
However, there is ongoing intense debate in Parliament at the moment to scrap "-Remove No Recourse to Public Funds so everyone can access good quality housing. -Increase funding for council house-building".
But for NOW, heck NO! London Councils have put this to rest.
Even Wikipedia talk I'm own: ... "A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses"

Yet, hope is not lost, a number of Councils/Borough are willing to assist on 'humanitarian ground'

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by nineville(m): 8:52pm On Jul 21, 2022
It has been long we read from @lagosismyhome.
If you are reading this, just checking up on you and to let you know ma'am, that we
"your siblings and followers cheesy" miss your erudite inputs here.

1 Like

Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by semmyk(m): 9:00pm On Jul 21, 2022
Yes o. ... hereby summon to multitask her erudite insightful inputs on Parenting in the UK and Living in the UK.
Where are the Sheriffs to serve the summon! smiley
nineville:
It has been long we read from @lagosismyhome.
If you are reading this, just checking up on you and to let you know ma'am, that we
"your siblings and followers cheesy" miss your erudite inputs here.
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by lightnlife: 10:01pm On Jul 21, 2022
Thanks for this, bro.

I see wetin you do for the closing remark ooo. grin

semmyk:
[CC Credit, debit ...]
I hope everyone kept safe this last red & amber days. Congrats on being part of UK history (weather wise). Oh, isn't BJ's resignation (Queen at Balmoral and no of ministers/aides resignation) historical just like Iron lady Thatcher was. #justsayingnio
Herewith some info, freely given unsolicited but any can leverage solicitors.
1.0 credit card(s) plays a critical role in flexible living and mobility: aka convenience
2.0 having a CC is a lovely thing, if not better than blue band margarine or Irish butter on bread (though for Agege bread, it's still ẹwà agbọnyin). However, having one and using without essentials can be catastrophic just like a person getting on the public road without appropriate training alongside authority inter-alia #license
3.0 the bar to CC is now generally low; not only in the UK
3.0 Funds in CC are available for use 'freely'. Yet, they are just nothing more than #loan.
4.0 however, on the +be side, the funds in CC unlike direct loan may or may not attract interest immediately.
4.1 if you use CC to effect payment (swipe, tap, insert), the amounts will accumulate for a billing period (typically for a month). Thereafter, you'll get a statement indicating amounts spent during the billing cycle and when payment is due. You will quickly observed that
4.1.1 amount to pay is typically not the full outstanding balance as stated. It is generally a %. This is termed minimum amount due. This is the trick of the CC provider. DO NOT fall for this. Rather, pay off total outstanding amount. If for any unforeseen circumstances you can't pay in full, pay at LEAST the minimum and payoff the full amount (+ interest) within the next 1 or 2 month MAX. Even at that, I'll probably say, full amount + interest+ additional offset
4.1.2 the due date is between 1 to 3 weeks away. This date is key and must be guarded jealousy like keeping visa appointment date!
4.1.3 the combination of amount due and due date are lethal. They trigger the spiralling when the financial woes cookies crumbles, fatally so.
5.0 CCJ (County court judgments for debt) in a nutshell indicate that your (so nice) CC provider reports your inability to pay them what is due as when due. So nice bc they offer you fantastic credit limit (and keeps increasing) possibly with other 'freebies' until when you can no longer payback, then their own #payback kicks in. Think of those 1s smiles you get at work or malls et al.
5.1 If you unfortunately get a CCJ, it will stay on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years
5.2 CCJ has a brutal cousin. The HCJ (high court judgement). Never wish to meet this member of the family. There's a legal reason I've split CCJ and HCJ. Let's just say, it's kindda meeting 'those' dreaded unseen uncles and deep-seated aunties.
5.3 once you have CCJ, it becomes near impossible to get credit facilities even 'common' phone contract. God help you, you're still renting and tenancy will not be renewed and you'll have to look around: you are at the mercy of ... ...
And by the way, kick some sensitive jobs goodbye.
5.4 and if your CCJ becomes HCJ, you had better go underground or self-deport. You can't even get certain types of jobs making the downward spiral faster than Eurostar.
6.0. when you use CC as debit card, it comes with complications. Though you can withdraw cash/ego/kudi/owo from your CC, NEVER DO. If you must, in extremely compelling extraordinary circumstances, ensure you back back with a day (a most a week) with full amount (inclusive of charges and interest). Pls note that with withdrawal (and maybe cashback or fuel; need to confirm fuel though), interest kicks in immediately and not at payment due date.
7.0 leverage your CC to build credit record.
7.1 leverage your CC to lowo olowo (use other people's money). For instance, your purchases for the month is interest free; you get to make interest (no matter how small) it might be in your savings account or money market. You also get to build credit record you'll use to invest in real estate and other investments.
8.0 check your motive. Check your intent. Check your need.
8.1 while at it, do SWOT
9. Check for golden nuggets on this thread. Some like lexusgs430 talks cryptly or parable/'proverbially' or in-between-the-world, satirical. TheGuyFromHR might drop it as it is. Mamatukwas cmight omes out of logistics DM to give from the frontline insights Ticha might 'epistelise' once in blue moon (from Kiwis down under). Justwise allows free flow of ideas unlike some other mods. Hustla I've known from the failed agritech thread might come gun blazing. Lightnlife might just chip in life of a (not so) newbie. Just as Amarathripple0 shows how (also not so) newbies goes about navigating the system. There are so many with there own unique ways. Simply learn to reflect (and like they say DYOR): wish, I learn new terminologies daily.
10. Ire o. Have a lovely week. Keep enjoying the fruitfulness of CC. Even if it gets to be kolanut/bitter Kola, do the needful. If it gets to be bitter leaf, do the needful as well. At least, every lemon can be a lemonade.
PS: this is not a financial nor legal advice in law. From your rambling man.
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by LagosismyHome(f): 10:03pm On Jul 21, 2022
nineville:
It has been long we read from @lagosismyhome.
If you are reading this, just checking up on you and to let you know ma'am, that we
"your siblings and followers cheesy" miss your erudite inputs here.

semmyk and nineville thanks for checking

I went on a great family holiday for a week and didnt check Nairaland at all. When I got back I logged in and saw about 200 post on my followed topics. I said chei, I no get power to read now I check later and na so later later, it kept growing. Its over 2k....

The aproko in me wanted to read all so I haven't clicked or check post in what has grown from days to weeks..... I guess at this point I just start afresh .

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Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by LagosismyHome(f): 10:10pm On Jul 21, 2022
Mayflowa:
Hi Everyone,

I need some guidance, please. A friend is starting a master's at Brunel University London this September. He plans to go with his wife and two kids. The problem he is facing is accommodation. The minimum two-bedroom flat we have found online is 1600 pounds. This is around Uxbridge. We are shocked that the houses are too expensive and wanted to find out if that is the going rate around Uxbridge or would he find a cheaper one if he went to the city rather than searching out on the internet from Nigeria?

West London usually isn't cheap and Uxbridge is near some parts that has "cross rail ". Crossrail has jacked up the prices in those area. . .. maybe Slough or Southall will be slightly cheaper but still won't be cheap cheap.
Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by PtBlank: 11:12pm On Jul 21, 2022
So guys on this credit card and credit score matter, how do the credit agencies arrive at the initial score they allocate?

I remember signing up with Experian in February and never logged in until early June only to see a score of 757/999.

I later got an Aqua CC late June and I noticed they also allocated me a score of 530/710 from TransUnion which falls in the "Very poor" category. My bank also shows the same TransUnion score. I have never signed up for an account with TransUnion.

I am not on the electoral roll yet and I plan to get on ASAP. I have never missed any payment (except for my Google photos subscription once £1.59 which I quickly rectified) All my rent and utility bills have been via direct debits. I just wasn't expecting a score so abysmally low.
Is the score allocation normal or is there something specifically I can do to improve on it.

Please seniors help my ministry o

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