Lexusgs430:
I am so elated today....... My daughter just passed her practical driving test (1st attempt) ......... 🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉

My daddy taxi days are now over .......😂

Iruobe1987:
Please does anyone know if the online passport application tracker actually works. I renewed my daughters passport in July but its at "application received by the centre" since then without moving to the next stage. Do I need to worry about this?

LagosismyHome:


No please .... this can even be a potential fire hazard. This is meant only for garden where there is proper ventilation. Do not use this indoors at all

OKOCHA1:


Is this advisable for individuals still on Tier 4 Visa.

hustla:
Which Lisa apps are the best?
Looking to sign up for one that's easy to get on

Pearlyfaze:


Customer service job.
1. Sensee
2. Capita
3. Concentrix are all hiring WFH

JaySterling:
Fam, do I need utility bill to open a starling bank account ?

Also, must I have lived in the UK for up to 6 months ?

I’m still new here
Please advise

dustydee:


Take the LNER train from London Kings Cross station.

MelaninGemstone:
Hi guys, I just got to London 2 days ago and I would be traveling to Newcastle in a few days (Northumbria University)

Please how can I book a train to Newcastle from London and which train station would I depart from ?

Do all the London Underground travel to other cities ?

Please advise

DoubleN:
Hi Guys,

Please are there any other sites to book short stays apart from AirBnB and Booking.com? Will appreciate a plug.

Thanks.

dustydee:

I use Revolut. I tried it some weeks ago after I read here that banks close accounts and they haven't closed mine. I also used it two days ago.


Curious, why go through this route and pay more fees? Why not Wallet >> Binance >> Revolut?

Viruses:


On the Monzo, my worry is whether there'll be implications even if it goes through.

You know say those of us without ILR/Citizenship sabi fear .

koonbey:


For dental, private PAYG is good enough, IMO. Alternatively, if you have a dentist that has a subscription service nearby, that could work too - like 15 per month for one dentist visit and one or two hygienist visits. 65 per month is for health insurance generally not just dental work, right? I'm not familiar with the costs as I get mine through work so I can't advice if it's a reasonable price, but it's important that you check the fine print to be sure what kinds of dental work is covered. For instance, some cover routine exams but others will say only emergency dental treatment. There's also often a time lag before you can claim.

tushqueen:
Hi, I'm trying to open a LISA and based on recommendations here I have been aiming at moneybox, however I don't know how I ended with Hargreaves Lansdown. Can I ask if there is any fundamental difference between the 2, help my confused state biko.


Thank you.

Lexusgs430:



If you want to take total control of your portfolio...........

Use your virtual equity to copy -:

(Jaynemesis)
(Jeppe Kirk Bonde)
This two above, you can no longer copy. They are already managing over $75 Million of copiers funds each (AUM reached). But search their portfolio, to guide your purchase............

Fabrizio Zanol
Koen Dauw
TeaTea Chi
Richard Stroud
Big-Profits (forex only)

The ones above also, use their portfolio as a guide on investments................

kode12:
I've got £, I need naira abeg. Mamatukwas don go international e no dey answer people again.

Ticha:
Thought I'd answer the questions in a general post

We started off with buying a 2 bedroom flat in Bristol - as our first home. We'd used all of our savings for the deposit but wanted to save up again so rented one room out to a Mon - Fri boarder. We also made some lifestyle changes - sold our 2nd car (we had 1 each), husband started cycling to work (50 mins each way) and I started taking public transport. It turned out the rent from the boarder not only paid all our bills but also covered our basic food costs. By the end of that year, we had saved quite a bit. We then both changed jobs, got paid more and decided to buy a proper family home. It turned out we had some good equity (thanks to rising house prices) in the flat and with our savings, we could afford to buy a bigger house, went to see a broker who also turned out to be a property investor and that's how our property journey started.

Thanks to his advice, we didn't sell the flat but rented it out and bought the biggest house we could afford close to transport facilities. We rented out 3 rooms and kept 2 rooms for ourselves. The rent from the 3 people paid the whole mortgage, bills and covered our food cost so we basically saved all our wages for about 18 months. We then moved to Norfolk - sold the family home and bought 2 houses in one go as we had more than enough equity to put down 2 deposits and even had change left over thanks to the equity from the sale. One in Bristol that we rented out straight away and a complete derelict house for our family home in Norfolk which we completely renovated but before we could move in, my husband got offered a transfer to New Zealand so we rented that one out and shipped out to New Zealand.

Because property is a long game, we have leveraged - so that first flat we bought in 2010 has appreciated so much we took out a deposit out of it to buy a fourth house 2 years ago as well as transferred some to New Zealand to buy our first home here too. This year, we leveraged the New Zealand house by demolishing it and building 2 new houses on the site, re-valued the 2 new ones, rented them out and bought a family home. Again, we have bought a slight larger house and airbnb 2 rooms which has a Jack and Jill bathroom and all the money from there goes into overpaying the mortgage.

The one thing we have done which is not advisable if you want to grow property quickly is that we have left all the mortgages on repayments rather than interest only cos we have also kept our full time jobs as we have no need for the income from the properties to live on now. Our plan is to semi- retire when at 50. That's 7 years away so we're making tracks to achieve that and that involves having at least 2 houses mortgage free.

We're now partnering with another couple - we've joined resources, bought a house sitting on a big plot of land and will demolish that to build 5 houses next year. We've got to the point where we can't service a new mortgage anymore because even if the house pays for itself, banks will still take your incomes into consideration for servicing so a joint venture is the way forward for now.

You do need a deposit and a reasonable credit rating - the higher the deposit, the better the interest rate and the better your credit rating, the better the interest rates as well. You also need to have a good handle on your spending as banks will usually go through your statements with a fine toothcomb. Clean your account up for 3 months before applying for a mortgage. Pay down any unsecured credit, stay away from pay day loans etc.

I have a spreadsheet for calculating if the property works financially or not. For a house you want to live in, most banks will consider 3x income and some even 4x income. Then stress test at around 5% even if interest rates are currently very very low. For a BTL mortgage, you need at least a 20% deposit, a minimum income of 25k (2 banks don't bother about minimum income but their interest rates are quite high), they expect the rent to be 125% of the mortgage payments (interest only so there's lots of wriggle room) but you need to factor solicitor costs, stamp duty of 3%-15% (compulsory on all second homes and 0% on first homes under 125k), mortgage fees, broker fees (you can get a free broker though) and survey fees.

So for a purchase of 100k, you need a 20k deposit, 3k for stamp duty, 600 ish for solicitor, 250/300 for survey costs, usually about 999 for the mortgage application fee and the rent has to be at least 375 a month for a BTL.

For your own home, a 10% deposit will do and with the new government schemes, you can even use a 5% deposit. Plus the additional costs of an owner occupier home is lower - solicitor, stamp duty if buying above 125k are the only extra costs.

Thanks to that first mortgage broker who opened our eyes to the possibilities of what we could do and achieve and for guiding us all the way through and pushing us forward even when we were hesitant.

Hope that helps.

TheGuyFromHR:


Try One Call Insurance.

Mimzyy:
Try Admiral.

umarwy:


Just take not that if you exceed the 1k they will know and adjust your premium accordingly, + admin charges.

wallg123:


Add your wife on the insurance so both of you can drive the car without fear of breaking the law. Cuz it will cost you more if madam is tempted to drive the car uninsured and get into trouble with the law. …

Also get in mind that you still have to pass the UK driving test both (theory & practicals) before the expiration of your 1yr international drivers license for you to continue driving. If not you will go back to square 1.

dustydee:

With that blackbox and depending on how your driving is, your insurance premium may increase. So for example, if you overspeed, blackbox will take note of it and tell insurer that you are a "risk" and then insurer could then adjust your premium accordingly.