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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 5:56am On Nov 30, 2025*

WanderingChild:
@jedisco

It seems my response to you was hidden twice.

Good catch. Hopefully, I can return to my old account soon.

The issues you address re pension and property and your points are valid if and only if certain assumptions hold true. First, that policies continue to remain protective as they are without changing too much tomorrow to impact people. Second, that people can muster the financial strength to wrangle through the potential implications such as taxes and associated compliance that may exist. Third, that people have measures in place to ensure that on their demise, their estate can be fairly accessed by their heirs. I shall set forth to provide more details.

First, we are no strangers to pervasive policies that have been enacted worldwide and historically. Throughout history, governments have restricted non-citizens' economic rights through wartime measures (where asset freezes and confiscations occurred during declared or undeclared conflicts), racial/ethnic targeting (where laws are coded as nationality-based but designed to target specific groups), economic warfare (with redistribution policies framed as correcting historical injustices), national security (post-9/11 measures and sanctions regimes), limited due process (administrative seizures without criminal convictions), difficulty accessing compensation (with long delays, inadequate payments, or no restitution), etc. These policies have consistently resulted in substantial financial losses, displacement, and long-term economic hardship for affected communities, with compensation efforts often proving inadequate or taking decades to materialize. It may be possible to argue that one is merely being over-dramatic, but seeing that one’s base nationality is Nigerian that has on the international stage be threatened with invasion and even designated as a “now disgraced country”, and that the next 2-5 sets of leadership over the next 25 years that will be emerging in most of these developed countries are going to be nationalistic with very extreme tendencies, I do not think it is safe for immigrants to invest their foundational wealth in these countries. Proceeds of such [foundational] wealth could be invested in such countries, but the base (or foundational wealth) needs to be mobile. I am essentially advocating for a tiered wealth protection strategy based on legal vulnerability. This is because during nationalism, or political shifts, non-citizens are legally vulnerable in ways citizens are not. Historically, the cycle is openness then crises then restriction then scapegoating then confiscation. I note here @jedisco that you hold British Citizenship. You have a protection that many immigrants may never have. This changes the dynamics for you.

Second, it is now becoming VERY expensive to maintain accountability as we migrate. The ongoing administrative and financial burden of maintaining cross-border tax compliance can indeed be so substantial that it effectively erodes or even negates the value of maintaining investments across multiple jurisdictions. This represents a different kind of “cost” than outright confiscation, but it is no less real for migrants. For US residents (GC holders and citizens), some overseas investments are tax inefficient (please this is not financial advice – just my opinion). Offshore Investment Bonds (deemed as Passive Foreign Investment Companies or PFICs), QROPS and ISAs, which although favourable from a UK taxation perspective, they are considered toxic investments in the U.S. U.S. taxpayers investing in Canadian funds may encounter PFIC rules that trigger unfavourable tax treatment unless handled carefully. Many overseas institutions will severe relationships with you once you acquire a US citizenship or permanent residency status due to the compliance burdens imposed by FACTA. Recent reforms including the abolition of the UK Lifetime Allowance, the removal of exemptions on Overseas Transfer Tax for some cross-border pension transfers, and the inclusion of pension benefits into inheritance taxes could all have considerable impact on finance planning. For many migrants, the economically rational choice becomes to liquidate cross-border investments rather than maintain them. This is not because of confiscation, but because compliance costs make them financially unviable. This represents a form of administrative confiscation through complexity, where the barrier is not a government seizing property but making it so burdensome to keep that disposal becomes the only practical option. Again, I note @jedisco that you are a PR in Canada. Unlike (rather than similar to) you, I hold a US green card which means my reality is totally different from what you may face. Another dimension for a dual national with a third PR like you. We may have similar bases (Nigerian and British citizenship, but our realities tax wise change at Canada/US route).

Third, there is a real vulnerability in cross-border estate planning that many immigrants face: assets held in countries where neither the deceased nor their heirs have legal status can become legally complicated, expensive, or even inaccessible to recover. For instance,
different countries have vastly different inheritance laws, probate processes, and requirements for foreign heirs. Some countries impose heavy estate taxes on non-residents, require local legal representation (expensive), or have lengthy probate processes that can take years. If heirs are minors living abroad, the complexity multiplies. They may need court-appointed guardians or trustees recognized by foreign courts. Also, there is the documentation burden that heirs could face. Documents need to be apostilled (I am assuming no translation since we are all English speaking), proof of relationship, proof of death recognized by foreign jurisdictions, and sometimes must physically appear in the country where assets are held. For young heirs or those without the resources to navigate foreign legal systems, this creates real barriers. We must not also ignore the fact that some investments like businesses, rental properties, or accounts with maintenance requirements can deteriorate in value during prolonged probate, especially if heirs cannot access them quickly. My argument here is that setting up international estate structures like offshore trusts, properly drafted wills valid in multiple jurisdictions, powers of attorney etc., can cost thousands to tens of thousands of pounds, which many working immigrants simply cannot afford while building their lives.

My caution is this: do not put your survival at the mercy of a system where you are a second-class participant. This is not paranoia. This is understanding the legal and political reality of being an immigrant, especially in an age of rising nationalism and resource competition.

I agree that it is tragic that this level of defensive thinking is necessary. But given historical precedent and current trends, keeping your foundational wealth only where you have full legal protection is prudent risk management, not excessive caution. I am not against investing in the UK for immigrants without settled status, I am saying foundational wealth should be in places where you have the most protection as a citizen. I must also note that we must appreciate seeing things from the perspective of most immigrants who may never acquire settled status in the UK or elsewhere and who may also not have the sophistication to navigate the complex realities involved in cross border management of investments.

There is alot of scaremongering in your post. If the financial gains of owning property in the UK stops working, I'd sell up, bank the gains and invest elsewhere. If I waited until I became a British citizen before I started investing, I'd still have been looking around. I could have easily liquidated my stake and moved with it if it made sense. I wonder if you factored in the many advantages. Following your line of thought, maybe I should rent until I become a Canadian citizen.

All said, what should a resident+ family in the UK who might soon be on a 10yr route do as regards housing? Not buy their property and rent or join the 'comical' group of home owners?

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 5:37am On Nov 30, 2025

Living in Britain has thought me that what the fact is matters less. What's more important is how its perceived.

The constant villification of migrants has created alot of warped narratives. One being that a cohort of humans by reason of their looks aren't worthy to exist in a place. Or the tired narrative in the anglosphere that folks who came into one country wouldn't be able to get in elsewhere.

On the 'Nigerians in Canada' thread, someone once told me that migrants have 'spoilt' the UK. Had to remind him that the UK though double the population of Canada takes in far less people than the later. Among nations in the anglosphere, the UK has been traditionally difficult to get into. This is reflected in it's foreign-born population which is far less than Canada or Australia.

Coming to hard numbers- Canada with a population of 40 million is planned to take in 380,000 (+/- 30,000) permanent residents per year for the next few years. This is beside other routes. Australia has also announced their plan. The UK lets uncertainty persist.

In all, facts are:
1. The idea that those most who came into the UK aren't 'good enough' to be accepted elsewhere is false.
2. The talk that the UK is a generous outlier in accepting migrants is hardly reflected in the data.
3. The talk that it's thesame everywhere is categorically wrong. Even in Britain, opportunities differ significantly across board.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 1:13pm On Nov 23, 2025*

Ships in those days had a boiler room where folks who were constrained to work at the bottom deck stocked coal into the boilers while folks above merried. It was their labour that drove the luxury above. They could even smell it but had no part in it. Even the Titanic had this..

Talking about constraints, my main concern is how changes ultimately affect attainment. If the average Brit feeding off benefits claims they can't get by, how do we expect those with so much more limitations to get by?

Certain examples-
Mortgages: Housing wealth accounts for the significant part of the wealth difference between immigrant and native groups. Many lenders do not lend to folks on a visa. It took a while for even some that do to adapt. Their current risk metric is built around the 5yr limit. How would they adapt this to the 15yr treshold? Why carry the risk of lending to someone who could be removed from the country at year 13 if they lose their job? Rates might likely rise for folks on a visa. Even a 0.1% rise is extra thousands paid in interest- money that perhaps should have gone into a pension.

Already many migrants are spooked and are considering stopping pension contributions - another move certain to impoverish many in the long-term.
I'm not even talking about visa/settlement fees which have risen faster than inflation.

You could see same differential feed into health, life expectancy, delinquent behaviour among offspring e.t.c. because poverty runs deep. At the end someone would bring up a graph of wealth distribution making it appear like some groups are incapable of generating wealth without looking at the underlying drivers.

My hope is that folks escape that bottom deck.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 12:21pm On Nov 23, 2025

Goke7:
The only small hope I see perhaps God willing is to allow folks still get ilr but sill ensure no recourse to public funds since all the headache is about benefits but that alone is already degrading but many migrants if not most won’t mind.

In all a new legislation or the courts may still be the deciding factor reason the govt still continues to say they are still consulting.

I doubt this would be an option
In most things, there's the said and unsaid reason.

What the government has said is concern over benefits.

What the government has not said is the unease about those who recently came to work in Care gaining ILR from next year and leaving the sector. Would they need to open a fresh pathway to get folks in or would social care costs be allowed to rise even further?

Sad to say but this creates a bottleneck that restrains many to the bortom cabin. And it's their labour that'd be used to fund the extravagance of others.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 12:01pm On Nov 23, 2025*

WanderingChild:
On the comical side (no harm intended), the birthing in the US thread on Nairaland literally died when trump with one stroke of the pen ended birth tourism for non-US citizens and PRs. It seems we may see the same for the thread on UK property. If people now have no assurance on their future status, it makes investing in property, pension, SIPP almost toxic for immigrants. Will you be paying pension for a future you may not be entitled to? Imagine people who have paid pension for 5 years and now have to emigrate elsewhere? What happens to the money sunk into the UK pension system? Imagine those who have bought property thinking they were on a path to settlement and now have to emigrate elsewhere. What happens to their property (someone says sell it)? Immigrants MUST be mindful of not allowing themselves become tools to enrich the Prince’s Trust and UK PLC. Deploy that resource in securing alternative options for yourself. Until you have that settlement, be very careful in making certain kinds of investments.

Comical indeed. You sound eerily familiar.

It's important not to miss the forest for the trees. The whole reason most migrate is to secure their future and that could be done flexibly.

You highlight pension and property. Let me delve in

1. Pensions: There are few types here- state, work and private (SIPP)

A). For state pension, this is more of a suscription and not your money. One needs to have 10 qualifying years to be eligible and 35 for the full. One can't opt out as the subscription (NI) is mandatory hence it's hardly an issue except one is leaving. Once eligible, folks would be paid irrespective of where they reside in the world. The UK has one of the most generous state pensions in the anglosphere. My accountant recently told me how his dads 10 or so years of UK pension eclipses the Canadian one of 20+ yrs. The generosity of the UK pension extends to allowing prior residents contribute for some years after leaving. I'd strongly advise anyone 5+yrs in and leaving to consider making voluntary contributions to get them to the 10yr limit. I'm doing same even though I don't factor in state pensions in my retirement planning.

B. Work pensions: They are generally decent but public service pensions esp the NHS one are very generous. Some higher earning civil servants join the NHS a yr or two before retirement just to finetune their pension. While annual uplifts are stopped if one leaves, it still pays out anywhere you are in the world. One might say, why not opt out if you don't have permanent stay or looking to leave? The answer would be - because of the way penions work with your employer making some contributions, opting out means you're giving back between 3- 17% of your pay to your employer as you don't get paid the employer contributions if you opt out. What worse? that tax-free contribution you'd have made into your pension would be taxed if you decide to take it out.

C) Private/SIPP: Again, your money. It's tax advantaged. The government pays you back the tax you've paid on any money you put in a SIPP. A 20k contribution for a higher earner into a SIPP would only cost them 12k with the government sorting out the rest. If you switch countries, one can still put about 3k in their UK SIPP (and still get the government rebate) for a few years after they leave. Not many western nations are that generous. Your SIPP is your money and you can move with it. There are Canadian companies that would shower me with with perks should I decide to move my SIPP over. But I wouldn't. I love the flexibility.

Products like robust pensions, SIPPs are one of the untold treasures of living in a developed nation. Utilise those and without stress, folks are likely to come out better off than folks with similar earnings in developing countries.
That relatively few immigrants engage with the pension system/retirement planning means it's likely be one of the last areas to be touched.

2. Mortgage: This is a no-brainer. Except movement is imminent (less than 2 yrs), then paying your landlords mortgage might not be the best option for many. By dillydallying, people lose the chance to build wealth. When I came into the UK, I pushed forward buying even when I knew I'd be in a place for 3+yrs and could afford it. I felt I could stomach the average 2-3% rise in house prices. Covid happened and I missed out on 30-50k in capital gains I'd have got if I bought earlier. Virtually all my colleagues who left the UK had homes before they left. Some sold, others rented but I've not met any who regretted buying. A colleague who was was set to leave had to delay things as he needed to conclude on his third property before leaving. Chap took a loan and streched thin to see it thru.

It's like someone telling me not to make use of tax advantaged schemes in Canada or not to purchase my house because I don't know how long I'd be there and frankly unlikely to retire there.

The beauty of being in a developed nation with established systems and property laws is that one can leverage that. You can buy a house in the UK and if the maths adds up, hand it over to an estate agent and continue the Lords work elsewhere. Even with a good network, the maths compared against the risk struggles to make sense in 9ja.

A good way of getting advise is asking someone who've been thru a pathway. I've left the UK and looking back I dont regret my NHS pension contributions. I should continue voluntary NI contributions until I meet the state pension treshold. I cherish my SIPP and property investments and only wish I delved in more. Rules can and would change but I aim to make the best of tools at my disposal today.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 2:04am On Nov 23, 2025*

Goke7:
Some of us said this countless times here that folks should look elsewhere but we were told that the Uk is still the best. Honestly I celebrate folks who have since used the Uk as the stepping stone to other places. They are the original MVPs and the wisest.

Hardworking and legal immigrants are being mocked 😜 imagine those on care visas facing the possibility of 15 yrs not even the 10 years that was originally tendered meanwhile the smarter ones have used their care experience to obtain PR in Canada and will be Canadian citizens in just 3 years while their counterparts in uk are filling online surveys that may never make any difference. Anyway each man to his own!

Hehe... folks said 'migrants like seeking utopia' with constant reminders stating 'it's not better elsewhere'. Like I said before, if a Suelette is telling you it's not better elsewhere, you should probably be looking elsewhere. Just like an abuser telling his victims not to leave cos other men are no better.

Oddly, just like with most things, many caught the wave. I have come across a few japa 2.0 crew members of late. On the Canada express entry thread, someone recently shared her move. Even in Cana, last few weeks, I met someone who came into the UK as a carer and in a year+ activated his 2.0.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 1:50am On Nov 23, 2025*

babranancy:
My mum is 69 years and holds a uk visit visa. she came to the UK to visit me and fell ill so she was seen by the GP and the GP prescribed a medication for her. She went to the pharmacy to collect the medication but the pharmacist refused to accept her medication payment because she’s 69 years old so she’s automatically exempted from payment for her medication. I informed them that she’s on a visit visa but they refused saying that I should ask around and if I still want to pay, I can come later and pay.

Please what should I do?
Is she truly exempted from payment because she’s above 60 years?
I don’t want it to be that she’s using public fund and I don’t want anything that will affect her visa application in the future.
Please I need your suggestions. Thank you so much.

The pharmacy would honour the prescription type the medication was made on - in this case, it was a regular NHS one. Even if what you wanted to pay was the £9 or so, that's still an NHS service too. Ideally, there is a different prescription type for private scripts but this is hardly available and frankly, most prescribers don't know of it or even bother. If she had a private script, then she'd be charged significantly more including admin fees.

To me, I don't see an issue here. A relative of mine was in the UK recently and filled a regular med they had run out of. If you really want to chase it up, then you could go back to the prescriber and ask for a private script. But frankly, the pharmacy may still do thesame.

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Travel › Re: How Nigerian Content Creators Destroyed Japa to UK by jedisco(m): 9:21am On Nov 19, 2025

pansophist:
When you do not standard that even the lowest idiot can qualify, this is what you will get.
...
I was in London early this year and I forking dislike that city. It feels so fake. White Brits are less than 30% of the population, and you will find more Asians than white people.

The Africans there are all lowkey beefing each other. Everyone assume you are a fresher, and from your accent, they already place you where you belong. Gangsterism is the new culture among black youth, and it is a miracle if your child grew up there and turn up sane.

Your 13 years old daughter can visit a doctor without your consent and get counsel, test, contraception and pregnancy advice. If your daughter escaped being a certify hoo before turning 18, break bottle for my head next time you see me.

Saner clime lol

From your post, it's quite clear you lack basic self esteem. The UK has done well in keeping folks like you out.

No Nigerian diasporean community comes close to the group we have in the UK. Humans flourish and build wealth in groups. That is becoming increasingly obvious with the Nigerian group in the UK.

Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 2:05am On Nov 18, 2025

Segun2222:
try and read history and leave all this story show us the ratio of successful foreign millatry intervention I argue on facts not based on your emotion show statistics of American military intervention, Iraq , Libya Afghanistan , Syria try using Google more instead of typing like you're in a beer palour

Once again, what should those being decimated do?

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 2:04am On Nov 18, 2025

Goke7:
😂 the US treasury minister said na immigrants make beef expensive for US by bringing and importing diseased cattle through the South American border crossing. What immigrants cannot do or cannot be blamed does not exist

Seriously? Had to go check it out.

I swear, one can't make this up. While searching, I also stumbled upon Vance blaming illegal migrants for outbidding Americans to houses.

Very soon, we'd be told to accept whatever we're dealth. Afterall, UK is the only country that doesn't blame migrants for the rising price of beef.

Food › Re: Why Bread Price Remains High Despite Drop In Flour Cost by jedisco(m): 6:44pm On Nov 17, 2025

SpencerForbes:
I’m Nigeria, if it eventually reduces by N20,000, there’s still no guarantee it will reduce. They’ll rather make more gains than reduce it drastically.
Corruption in Nigeria starts from the grassroots.

Thats not corruption. That's the free market and how inflation works. It's thesame in every society

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Politics › Re: The Real Cost Of Food In Nigeria by jedisco(op): 8:31am On Nov 17, 2025

aariwa:
Were you expecting anything good to come out of mandate failure other the ruination his bolekaja policies threw the country into? I never believed anybody that would be worse than buhari until tinubu proved us wrong

Hehe. Nigerias food scarcity didn't start today though it has significantly worsened of late. Our growing population keeps providing demand but inept politicians have been unable to come up with a concrete solution to utilise our ample arable land. Buhari was talking about grazing corridors in the 21st century. How ridiculous!

Autos › Re: Range Rover For Sale 19.5m Negotiable by jedisco(m): 8:27am On Nov 17, 2025

kingar:
My people are very local my brother.

Truth be said, it's quite nauseating.

A car that's over 10yrs old. I wonder what'd be done if it was new

Autos › Re: Range Rover For Sale 19.5m Negotiable by jedisco(m): 5:14am On Nov 17, 2025

Whats with this habit of wrapping the seats of old cars with transparent film?

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 2:37am On Nov 17, 2025

bigtt76:
It's is real o, listened to them the other day analysing how they are getting this and my mouth open🫢

Not all new. Go to any newbuild and see folks flexings new houses that others struggled to pay for. Someone asked me what to do about the growing 19- 25 year olds who are NEETs (not in employment or education) and claiming benefits. I told them they should be given brand new cars, £5k pm and have folks paid to fulfil their sexual fantasies (esp for the blokes wey no dey see girlfriend in their mums house).
The wealth of the UK cannot match its entitlement. When the money finish, all man eye go clear.

bigtt76:
Na den way. Soon when preek not stand, e go be fault of the migrants 😂

Lol.. we're getting there. Folks would blame migrants for their sexual impotence.

Politics › Re: The Real Cost Of Food In Nigeria by jedisco(op): 2:28am On Nov 17, 2025

Ikaeniyan0:
Anybody who claim food is cheap in Nigeria deserve to be sentence to life in prison.

Food is very cheap in the USA. Ban on meat, fish, chicken etc should be lifted by the FG

Food is a pastime in the west. It's surreal.

The daily takehome of a minimum wage worker (which no one would earn below) would most likely be enough to feed them for a month even if they went for exotic (imported) items.

For higher earners, a few hours pay (after tax) covers monthly feeding costs.

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Politics › Re: The Real Cost Of Food In Nigeria by jedisco(op): 1:46am On Nov 17, 2025

WhizdomXX:
Nigeria households spend almost 60% of income on feeding

If you look around, it's likely even more.

How do those who earn 40k survive?

Food in Nigeria is luxury.

Food › The Real Cost Of Food In Nigeria by jedisco(op): 10:11pm On Nov 16, 2025*

Looking at this representation, it appears Nigeria has one of the highest food prices in the world. I have seen naive statements comparing the cost of coke in the U.S to Nigeria and then postulating food is cheaper in Nigeria. This blindsides the real cost of food i.e cost as it relates to earnings or affordability

The monthly salary of many graduates working full-time today wouldn't get them a 50kg bag of rice. Even if we use minimum wage figures (which many don't earn), the picture is still dire. This is unheard of in many countries.

Even in our mannerisms today, its obvious that food is seen as prenium. 'Enjoyment' in many movies is depicted as a large bowl of food with lots of meat. When someone starts getting obese after marriage, a better job, or political post, folks say they are now enjoying. These could be considered unhealthy habits elsewhere.

This food conversation is eerily similar to taxation. Effective taxation is a significant factor in sustaining the general population wealth of many countries. Something many Nigerians think is a disadvantage of living in western nations

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Politics › The Real Cost Of Food In Nigeria by jedisco(op): 9:35pm On Nov 16, 2025*

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 8:02pm On Nov 16, 2025

Goke7:
that's why ILR is increasing to 10 years, before una(migrants) go buy all the new cars finish for this UK. You came for their jobs, then benefits and una wan add car join am haba na only una waka come?

Hehe... one literally said na we be the reason wey e no fit buy house. Same person is living in a tax-payer funded house on my newbuild estate. Wouldn't be surprised she's eyeing the next motability freeload.

Moving from the UK has shown me how socialist the UK system is. It's quite good for some but unduly punishes others.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 6:18pm On Nov 16, 2025*

Do you want a free new car? There are 167 models to choose from on the Motability website. If you hand over part of your weekly mobility benefit, you can drive away with a leased Kia Picanto worth £15,000. If you part with your entire allowance of £75.75, you can move up to a Nissan Juke SUV, priced at £23,000, or a Volkswagen T-Cross. If you have the finances, you can pay £7,999 on top of your allowance and pick up the keys to a £52,770 BMW i4 M Sport or Mercedes CLA Coupé.
Each vehicle comes with free road tax, RAC breakdown cover, servicing and MoT, tyre and windscreen repair, installation of a charge point for electric cars and insurance paid for three named drivers: family, friends or carers. Claimants can apply for a new model every three years.
https://archive.is/TRQsv

Stumbled upon this and kept wondering..... is it just the usual dog whistle from the right or is there more to it. 1 in 5 new cars are paid by the common purse.
I remember looking at my car invoice and scratching my head on noticing that about 8k of what I paid was for VAT. Meanwhile someone out there is putting 8k down and being handed a new car that's more expensive than mine. More annoyingly, that 8k might be savings from other benefits from the common purse (i.e what we fund). We go dey alright last last

Travel › Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by jedisco(m): 6:01pm On Nov 16, 2025*

eniola1010:
(1) thinking of buying used 2020 rav4 or used 2020 acura mdx. I would have loved the rav4 but its a bit too basic and its horsepower is 203 which may not be powerful to pull through heavy snow, but i know toyotas are very reliable.
And as for the mdx, its a more powerful car and the horsepower is 290 it can pull through snow i guess. It has so many functions like heated seat, heated steering and so much others. But i am skeptical because a car like this having too much funtion and very low price might be prone to eletrical issues.
Although i plan to use winter tires in winter anyways. Which one of the two is a better option?

(2) asides copart, fbmarket place, is there a reliable auction yard one can go to to pick up used, reliable certified cars. I know most places u need a dealer license or some sort of license for this, i will sort that out, but where in ontario can one find such reliable auction yard that categorises cars into good, fair and bad so you know exactly what you are getting into.

Cc jedisco ferfer 73O9

A 5yo car isn't that old and one doesn't expect the electricals to start collapsing especially if it's a dependable car.

The RAV always has a prenium cos it's known to be reliable. However it has too many trims and the entry ones are quite basic. Heated seats and steering wheels are nice. Wouldn't be using a daily driver without these. I wonder what other perks the Acura has over the RAV.

From what you said, I'd be going for the Acura. Always like comfortable cars and granted, I'm not a fan of the RAV. Alternatively for peace of mind, since the Acura is cheaper, why not go for the 2022 model?

Travel › Re: Living In The UK: Property,Mortgage And Related by jedisco(m): 5:53pm On Nov 16, 2025

ukay2:
Thank you for your response.....I will continue with my S&S ISA and Lifetime ISA to max out the £20k annually....any remaining funds will then go to SIPP.....i no get strength to de share any percentage of my funds with the government at withdrawals sha...

Hehe.. All good. Most important thing is making progress and reviewing as more information comes to light.

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Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 10:00am On Nov 16, 2025*

Segun2222:
you prefer a civil war where millions will die instead? and there still wont be a solution

I am still struggling to grasp how you came to that conclusion. How does fighting terrorists amount to civil war?
If anything at all would cause a civil war, it's the countinued killing of folks for no clear cause. In most parts of the world where this has happened, it's only a matter of time before an equally brutal resistance rises. Already, these terrorists control large swathes of land and receive tax. Are you actually saying we should sacrifice southern Kaduna, Jos, Benue and parts of Nassarawa/Kogi/Kwara/Niger/Abuja to them so you could keep pretending nothing is happening?

What part of your hometown would you be willing to give over?

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Investment › Re: Treasury Bills In Nigeria by jedisco(m): 9:46am On Nov 16, 2025

Educationalserv:
wealth redistributed to who ? Nigeria Politicians? Who have looted /Mismanaged all Form of Incomes earned by the Nigeria state and horrible outcomes= Debt 200 trillion , poverty 90 percent, out of school kids 20m unemployment 60 percent under employment 80 percent , inflation 50 percent , Crime 100 percent . Corruption 100 percent.Kobo will not be redistributed to the poor .more Looting for polithieves .
Treasury bill will crash cos is still tax free with stable currency in several East Africa Nations and Southern.
CBN will be force to raise back rate when offer and not subscribe or under subscribe effectively return back the 10 percent WHT

Most of those politicians are cheered on by ruderless masses for different reasons. This government is not without fault but they have made some decent macroeconomic decisions to fix the mess left by the last government which were brainless but still got cheers from many.

Regarding TBs, like I've said for years - the rates need to come down. It might not be good for ones portfolio but it's better for the economy. Higher rates should only serve to drive down inflation reduce once that is accomplished so local businesses can thrive.

Subscription is largely guided by macroeconomic drivers and trust in the economy. Our TBs have been oversubscribed for a long time even when the last government were running things to the ground. Time would tell but I doubt a 10% tax on quite good rates would make much of a difference.

BTW, you sound strikingly familiar. I thought you were all for the 'real economy'. What happened?

1 Like

Travel › Re: Living In The UK: Property,Mortgage And Related by jedisco(m): 9:24am On Nov 16, 2025

oluwaleokey:
I just want to say, I wanna begin my journey today, open a Lisa account for myself and partner and possibly use AJO as channel to speed up the process...in addition to the little savings we have at the moment.

Can one set ups the moneybox account now without funding immediately due to awaiting AJO collection in January but just to kick start the one year rule, I mean start counting or must there be accompanying payment lump sum or monthly while setting up?

Please for a FTC, what is the current threshold amount to escape SDTL? Also what's the price limit of a building (old or new) an FTC could buy voa LISA?
Is it £425k or £300k... is this correct? This would obviously hinder FTC to buy houses in SE England with the prices I see flying around.

Kudos on starting.
You can set up a Moneybox LISA account and put a token in there say £10 to get the clock counting for you. You don't need to pay in monthly.

I've never appreciated the allure of Ajo especially for someone in the UK. The risks are too much. What happens if someone dies, defaults, gets deported or moves countries? What if one of the contributors is involved in fraud and using proceeds to contribute thereby creating a financial link? Moreso, no interest is paid on the money being held. You can do your own Ajo by investing a fixed montly sum in a S&S ISA. Even if you decide not to buy st0cks, you still get some interest on uninvested sums.
If your Ajo is already running, then you want to bring your pack into your account at least 3-6 months before your mortgage application as that's the cut-off most lenders use when asking for account details. That way, you save yourself the hassle of undue explanation.

SDLT is hardly an issue for a FTB. Even if you're buying a house above the zero-band threshold i.e 300k. You only pay stamp duty on the sum above the limit. So if the house is 350k, you only pay 5% stamp duty on 50k. So there's hardly any advantage of buying a cheaper house for the sole purpose of escaping stamp duty
https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates

It's worth confirming what the current LISA treshold is. I know some londoners ran into issues as they couldn't use their LISA for a purchase. You could review the prices of houses you want and can afford to buy and decide if you'd be under the treshold or if you're better off in a S&S ISA.

Pension contribution stuff is meatier but becomes more understandable with time. Once you've clicked thru ISAs, then you can start thinking SIPPs and weighing pros and cons and the best way to contribute based on your circumstance.

2 Likes

Travel › Re: How Nigerian Content Creators Destroyed Japa to UK by jedisco(m): 12:29am On Nov 16, 2025

MatrixCircle:
When the japa madness started and peaked in 2022, 2023, that saw thousands of Nigerians relocated to UK 🇬🇧 through students route, Care COS and less through other routes as Nurses etc.

Sounds like you have a small mind. The world is much bigger than you think and migration has gone on and would continue to go on for the whole of mans existence.

UK makes decisions based on numbers coming in. If Nigerians didn't go, perhaps Indians would have taken their space and the result would still be thesame.

I would only speak against those who markerted illegality. Those who spoke about their legal journey have every right to.

11 Likes 3 Shares

Investment › Re: Treasury Bills In Nigeria by jedisco(m): 4:57am On Nov 13, 2025

Educationalserv:
Stock Market losses 4.6 trillion due to new CGT introduce by FIRS
Next Fix income Market like Treasury bill will crash too
And Govt will be force to raise rate wiping out all the 10 percent WHT .
are this guy's really Smart or doing try and Error

CGT on market gains is expected and welcome. Its a good way wealth in which from the market is redistributed to all.

What do you mean by 'Treasury bill will crash'?

The CBN largely raises rates in response to inflation

We need TB rates to drop fast so that investment can flow to the real economy. You dont expect local businesses to thrive if they are borrowing at rates of over 20% when businesses in other nations can get loans at sub-5%

4 Likes

Travel › Re: Living In The UK: Property,Mortgage And Related by jedisco(m): 6:17pm On Nov 11, 2025

Solumtoya:
James Shack. One of the Youtubers who God used to shape my financial knowledge in the UK.

On Over-paying mortgage, I don't now, it depends on risk appetite which is also dependent on one's age, etc.

He is about my best. He does bring experience and a nuance to many things.

Ultimately, the main point is there are many things to consider flexibility being one of them. It's not just pay down and reduce it to Bleep years.

1 Like

Health › Re: CS: What Will You Do If Your Wife Turns Out Like This? (Photo) by jedisco(m): 9:57am On Nov 11, 2025

This is unlikely a C/S scar except one that got complicated. This is likely for a more extensive surgery.

That said, this scar is hypertrophic/keloidal. Some people are prone to it and even with the best of techniques would still have horrible scars.

Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 4:22am On Nov 10, 2025

Teedol:
First, am afraid the Governors and local council chairmen are not doing enough, we read everyday in the news how some Governors and law makers now reside in Abuja permanently, yet they get re-elected every 4 years to various positions by the same oppressed people.

2nd, if you know you are in such critical danger, you prepare defence and rally your co villagers, if not possible because of superior fire power, flee to a safe place, why would I wait to be overrun by bandits?

First paragraph is spot on. Hence why I can't fault victims for seeking help.

The second is more nuanced.
First these villages have a known location. The herdsmen OTOH are nomads and have been migrating for centuries. Looking at the gear these gunmen weild, anyone looking to challenge them needs to be well armed. How do villagers reliably fund the procurement of similar weaponry? Would they start kidnapping folks and demanding ransom like herdsmen did? Would their known rich folks be willing to go head on with the government by sponsoring purchaes? Even if the issue of finance is solved, we move to supply lines. How do they procure these weapons? Most of these weapons come via the Sahara with supply routes manned by folks herdsmen share a common heritage with. Thirdly even if they get the weapons and are ready, they are just sitting ducks waiting for the Nigerian army to swoop on, place allegations on and retrieve weapons from. We've seen this occur on multiple occasions in KD and Jos. Even the former Benue state governor could not arm the security team meant to deter herdsmen.

Lastly, asking folks to flee is quite easy when you are far. In the past, I used watch videos of war casualties around the world and wonder why folks didn't just run away. Lets remember almost every human would do everything possible to protect their life.
These people and their progenitors have spent their whole lives in that place. Their livelihood comes from there as many are farmers. If the get up and run, who will feed them? Where would they stay? And most importantly, they create a vacuum for bandits to move into. Sadly, this is now happening in many parts.
Talking about where they'd stay is also quite important. I've had to sleep in the police barracks for some days during an ethnic riot. Trust me, it was a very unpleasant experience. I look at pictures of IDP camps and would wish it on no one. There's a reason why after sometime in an IDP camp some folks attempt to go back to their hometown and strike a deal with bandits by paying them huge sums or part of their farm produce. If nothing is done, then ultimately a formidable ethnic militia would arise to counter these bandits. By then, it may be too late.

It's a sorry state of affairs and I would never fault victims for seeking help. If Trumps threat causes the Nigerian government to act, then their pleas would have achieved something.

1 Like

Travel › Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by jedisco(m): 9:39pm On Nov 09, 2025

Teedol:
Someone asked what is the solution to banditory? My answer is, every Governor most be proactive instead of being reactive, take the war to them, you as a Gov should declare war on banditory unless you are complicit, organise local vigilantes, spend money on them stop stealing and looting the montly allocations, employ the youths and train them to become vigilantes, equip them with amunitions, pay them well, put a bounty on the heads of the bandits and see how banditry will naturally and gradually fizzle out.

Almost there but not quite. The governors have been 'trying' since 2010.

If it was my question you're referring to- it's simple.
What should the victims do? I have seen villages being laid bare with hundreds killed. Many locals in Kaduna, Jos e.t.c know their village is next in line to be decimated. What should they do?

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