Struggling families will be able to avoid going to loan sharks by using a new low-interest lending scheme.

The State’s free money advice service has secured millions of euro in debt write-offs since January for people struggling with problem debt.

The five main banks have been accused of insulting Irish groups which help people in debt by funding a similar British charity to start work here.

Couples should be upfront about spending habits once their relationship gets serious. That doesn’t mean that they have to forsake their independence says Grainne McGuinness but it means when times are tough, they will be more united

Groups working with distressed mortgage holders have welcomed “belated” attempts by the Government to address the mortgage arrears crisis but criticised the lack of detail available so far.

The banks and courts are showing scant mercy when it comes to families struggling to stay in their homes. Norma Costelloe talks to families who think this year could be the year that the bailiffs finally come knocking.

The Money Advice and Budgeting service has welcomed comments made by the Head of the Central Bank this afternoon, which indicate that the rule on 20% mortgage deposits may be eased.

Retailers have come under pressure to remove a surcharge of up to 50c imposed on customers topping up their pay-as- you-go electricity and gas cards.

Affordable and sustainable repayment schedules are required to protect vulnerable consumers should a proposed state debt collection agency be established.

MOTHER-OF-SEVEN Kate Byrne has been saving for Christmas since last June — her boys are hoping to get the new X-Box One this year. Byrne, whose seven sons range in age from seven to 23 years, says this year they’ve all agreed to share a ‘family present’ rather than opting for individual gifts.

Struggling borrowers will be able to avail of debt write-offs and restructure their loans under a deal agreed with the Central Bank, financial institutions, and credit card companies.

People availing of Ireland’s personal insolvency procedure will not have to worry about enjoying the odd treat or holiday so long as they comply with their banking agreement.

Cash-strapped families will put off paying bills to cover the cost of their children’s First Holy Communion a charity has warned, after the Government confirmed that a grant for “religious ceremonies” is to be axed.

The scale of debt crippling ordinary Irish families struggling to pay their bills and hold onto their homes has been laid bare in a stark new report.

The Government has announced it is cutting the exceptional needs payments for religious ceremonies.

IT’S all about love and romance when couples first move in together. They are eager to spend more time together and get to know each other in new ways. They also believe they are making a good financial decision.

Debt may be the f-word in many households, but for those fearing being put through the wringer by the new Insolvency Service, the f-paragraph might provide reassurance.

Thousands of homeowners are living in a state of fear because of intimidation from illegal moneylenders who are operating “unchallenged”, the St Vincent de Paul has warned.

Almost half of people contacting the Money Advice and Budgeting Service for help with mounting debt are mortgage holders.

THE number of women in debt is on the increase according to the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).

CHARITIES have declared the past year one of their toughest ever, as they faced record demand for services while public donations came under severe strain.

MORE than 17,500 people in financial distress contacted the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) during the first nine months of this year.

MORE than 210,000 ESB and Bord Gáis customers are in arrears on their bills, with many thousands more having agreed alternative payment plans.

A NEW mortgage support and advice service should be set up to deal with the huge volumes of distressed mortgage holders and the range of issues they face, the Government’s mortgage arrears report has advised.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is warning parents not to borrow from money lenders to fund their children's return to school.

Figures released at the weekend show the ESB is cutting off 30 households a day.

EMERGENCY welfare payments have ballooned to a cost of €100 million for the first six months of this year, as more people than ever look for extra help to survive.

HARD-PRESSED consumers are going back to basics with research showing that coupons and the hunt for special offers in supermarkets are central to the nation’s shopping experience.

AN increasing number of bereaved families are seeking state assistance to help pay for funerals as a result of the recession.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service said it often sees an increase in people seeking its help in the New Year due to the financial pressures of Christmas.

A MONEY advice helpline set up just over a year ago has received more than 10,000 calls.

BORD GÁIS and the ESB have come under fire for what has been described as an “abuse of a position of dominance” for asking vulnerable families for upfront cash payments of €400 and €300, respectively, before making new connections.

CAMPAIGNING lawyers have urged the Government to step in to stall or prevent the repossession of family homes in the same way they bailed out the banks.

HOUSEHOLDERS could save hundreds of euro a year simply by checking the accuracy of their bills, cooking their own food and hanging out their washing in summer.

IRISH consumers in denial about their debt-fuelled credit card lifestyles are on course to rack up over €3 billion in debt this Christmas.

FIRST-TIME home buyers are spending less of their monthly salary on mortgages in the first firm indication that house price affordability is improving.

CORK CITY weren’t the only ones doing Ireland proud in Reykjavik last week.

THE big banks are still free to bump up spending limits on credit cards without the say-so of cardholders — despite a ban proposed two years ago to protect consumers.

UNCHECKED moneylenders who are asking for up to 180% interest rate are face restrictions under plans being discussed by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Financial Regulator.

Savers should use windfall payments from their Special Savings Investment Accounts to pay off expensive debts and borrowings, the Financial Regulator said today.

SAVERS should use payments from their SSIAs to pay off expensive debts and borrowings, the Financial Regulator said yesterday.

THE new consumer laws have come too late for one man who managed to rack up debts of €35,000 on his credit cards, after banks kept on upping his credit limit.

AROUND 16,000 people are turning to the State’s Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) every year to help them get out of debt.

FAMILIES with an income of up to €40,000 a year are now among the new poor, according to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

DEBT attached to ESB bills was yesterday highlighted as the major source of financial headache for the nation’s least well-off.

IRISH shoppers will spend €3 billion on Christmas this year, topping a league of European nations.

THE recent report published