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Here is the link, or click on the live news button at the top.

http://www.creditcrunch.co.uk/newsfinder/

BBC live radio, a concerned father called up to tell us that the vouchers he got from Zavvi for his children were refused
at the stores - as he was classed as a creditor. In my opinion these paper vouchers are a promise by Zavvi to hold
your goods, what ever you choose them to be, until you turn up boxing day to collect YOUR property. In effect, by refusing
to honor these promissory notes, Zavvi has already taken payment for goods AND is now RE-SELLING the same goods,
selling the same goods twice! To claw back as much money as possible.

I'm not to familier with the law, but, if I was a holder of Zavvi vouchers.. I would at least call the police to make a report that
my goods are held by Zavvi, then after making the report - I would head down to Zavvi, collect goods to the value of the vouchers,
head to the till, tell the attendand "here is my voucher, here are my goods... i am going to walk out wiht my property, if the alarms go
off then sue me". I some *censored* of a security guard then tried to stop me, I would give him hell.

I am sure that this man is not a unique case, and many Children up and down the country have had part of their Christmas spoiled.

Did you get vouchers for Christmas? Did you give vouchers to your loved ones for Christmas?

Take my advice, go out and exchange them for GOODs NOW! They already have your cash.

Before the stores you are going to shop in go the same way as Adams, Woolworths, Zavvi and the rest... Remember,
at least 30 retails companies are set to go bust in the New Year, do you feel Lucky?

Parasites, the lot of them. Look at how, YOUR tax money is being stolen from you.

Goldman Sachs, which switched from being an investment bank to a bank holding company in September, lost £1.36 billion in the final quarter of this year.

They went cap in hand, squealing like ikle igle piggies - we need money, we need money.

Well, they got their state TAX funded hand out and as soon as they got what they wanted they paid out the equivalent in bonuses.

And here is the rub, this is their defense

"The firm defended the practice of paying out such bonuses, arguing it helped it to "attract and motivate" the best people."

Well if they bloody well did have the right people with the right motivation, they would not have made such a big loss in the first place.

And to take YOUR money, raise YOUR taxes while YOU are struggling to make ends meet, Johny banker is sipping champaign and sailing on a yacht somewhere of the back of YOUR cash.

AND to boot, if these pigs had not fattened themselves up so much from the public trough, they are raising the interest rate on YOUR credit card, and mortgage debt - given half the chance they will repossess your house too!

AND WHAT'S MORE!!! IF they had the money in the first place to pay all those bonuses, then... they really did not need to STEAL from the tax payer at all.

Banksters, the lot of them. And Gordon Brown is letting them get away with it.

Anyone else outraged?! Your bank charges are going up, to pay the banks, and your taxes are going up, to pay the banks - you're getting shafted at both ends. Tell me, who benefits, well its certainly not you or I.

I can smell revolution in the air, and the banksters will be first up against the wall.

And across the industry I can smell FRAUD on a scale never before seen - wasn't there a story on a special police force investigating bank FRAUD and bringing to justice the people responsible for bringing down the banking system?

FRAUD FRAUD FRAUD

Read more here.

http://money.uk.msn.com/investing/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=11973572

Another popular myth, blasted about my the likes of Kursty Allsop is that lower house prices only
affect you if you are selling your house, and that if you are in it for the long term you have nothing
to worry about.


Oh how WRONG could "Property Experts" be, they have no idea the world of pain they have lead people to!

Blindly adding this misinformation to their list of reasons why it is a good idea to buy a house at any time, thousands of first time buyers marched on not thinking about the consequences.

This week, debtors of the Abbey bank received a gentle reminder of their contractual obligation that if their houses fell to far past their original valuation at the time of taking out their mortgage, they would have to make up the difference by paying a lump sum up front.

I don't think that people can afford to do this, having "got on the ladder at all costs".

Abbey has said it has no plans to use the clause to force borrowers to do so but it did not guarantee that it would not do so in future. But in all honesty, with the sheer steepness of the house price falls we have already seen, the collapse of the lending market and the gloomy recession on the horizon - banks may have no choice but to ask for £1000s or reposes their customers homes.

Again, does any of this seem familiar to the people who were in the last recession?

No one ever seems to learn.

And while house prices were rising (unsustainably), no one wanted to listen - and most people treated you like a leper for suggesting otherwise.

I seem to be wearing my "Told you so" T-shirt more and more often.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7781043.stm

Thanks to Secret Squirrel for bringing this to attention.
Get a move on and send out your claims, don't get distracted by all the Christmas fun.


http://www.creditcrunch.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=1369&pid=3222&st=0&#entry3222

Quite difficult to find this via google... does not show up high in rankings when searching for credit crunch... shame as there is some nice advice, please visit the following link to the Citizens Advice Bureau.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/whats_new_oct08_how_to_survive_the_credit_crunch.htm

Household finances have been badly stretched in the past year as the costs of energy, food and borrowing money have soared. But there are ways to help yourself and organisations to help you cope if you are struggling. Here are some simple tips to help you get on top of things:

1. Don't bury your head in the sand

Ignoring your debt problems will only make them worse. Don’t ignore calls or letters from the people you owe money to (your creditors).

Contact them to explain why you’re having problems. The sooner you do this, the more options you'll have for solving your financial problems.

2. Get advice

There are many organisations which offer free and independent money advice such as Citizens Advice, Shelter, National Debtline, and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. Their debt advisers can assess your situation and work out the best course of action for you. For details of organisations which can help, go to the bottom of this page.

3. Pay your priority debts first

There are some debts you need to pay first before others, because the consequences of not paying them can be much more serious. For example, mortgage or rent debts are a priority as if you don’t pay these you could lose your home. Debt advisers can help you plan your budget and pay your priority debts first.

4. Pay what you can each month

Work out how much money you've got coming in and going out of your household on essential expenses like food and bills. Then work how much you've got left over to pay your creditors. If you can't afford to pay back all the money you owe, work out how much you can afford and offer to pay this. A debt adviser can help you do this.

5. Maximise your income

Are you getting all the money you're entitled to?

There may be benefits or tax credits you can get such as Pension Credit or Disability Living Allowance which you haven't claimed. Working Tax Credit is an in-work benefit which is not just available to people with children. You might be able to get it if you work enough hours and are disabled or your income is low enough, even if you don't have children. You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit to help you pay your council tax and rent. You don't necessarily have to be out of work to get these benefits. You may be able to get help with your health costs such as prescription charges and dental costs. You may be able to claim help with education costs such as school meals and clothing.

You may be able to get a grant to help you pay for things like fitting home insulation and improving energy efficiency. This can help cut down the fuel bills.

Your gas and electricity supplier may be able to help you if you have fuel debts.

To find out if you can get help, visit the British Gas Energy Trust website at: www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk or the EDF Energy Trust website at: www.edfenergytrust.org.uk.

There are also some charities which give grants to people to help pay their bills or buy essential items. You can find a list of these charities on the Turn 2 Us website at: www.turn2us.org.uk.

An adviser can help you maximise your income. For details of organisations which can help, go to the bottom of this page.

6. Make savings on your household expenses

Look carefully at your spending and see if there is anything you are able to cut down on. For example, you could shop around for a cheaper gas or electricity provider, or look at cheaper mortgage or insurance providers.

You can find more information about changing your gas and electricity suppliers from the website of the consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus at: www.consumerfocus.org.uk.

To find out more about how to save money on financial products such as mortgages and insurance, go to the website of financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority at: www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk.

7. Think twice about taking out a loan to pay off all your debts

You may end up paying back a lot more than you borrowed and at very high interest rates. You may not be able to afford the repayments and the loan may be secured against your home which you could then lose.

8. Facing possession proceedings? Don’t panic

Always attend the court hearings yourself. Court proceedings do not mean that you will automatically lose your home. The court process acts as a final check to make sure repossession is the last resort. Some courts have advice desks which can provide last minute assistance.

9. Take care with “mortgage rescue schemes”

Selling your home and renting it back might seem like a quick fix to your debt problems. But, many of these schemes offer very little security. You could end up paying very high rent or even being evicted. These schemes are also not regulated so you will not have access to the same protections as a mortgage holder.

10. Don’t abandon your property

If you are struggling with mortgage repayments you may be tempted to send the keys to your lender or abandon your property. Don’t do this without advice. You could still be responsible for the debt on the property and may be pursued for it years later.

Further help

Hearing about the Government plans to guarantee mortgage payments for 2 years on the news last night, I was disgruntled for a number of reasons. One, just how many more people is the taxpayer going to support/guarantee from what seem to be never ending pockets - this is going to be one big bite when the taxes come in to pay for all this spending our oh so wise leaders are advocating now.

Secondly, the small print that customers who had less than 16,000 pounds in the bank would NOT (yes NOT) qualify for the opportunity to take a 2 year interest payment holiday. What? If someone has 16k or more in the bank, why are they not using that money to pay their mortgage for the length of time they need it - at £1000 a month, they'd have at least 12 months mortgage payments (allowing the rest to live from etc) to give them time to find another job etc etc. Who is going to have difficulty paying their mortgage with that money in the bank - they may need to cut down on other luxury spends, but really, why are they being helped out? Is this actually going to "help" anyone or is it just a headline grabbing story that the Government hope that people don't bother to read the small print - hey no-one's read the small print on their loan agreement for years, why are they going to do so on Government schemes????

Quite honestly, as a taxpayer, I feel that I'm being milked dry, the cash cow the Government is squeezing every last drop out of.

Hey Banks, struggling, bad business model - here have some of my hard earned cash so you can slash the interest rates on my savings and keep encouraging all the other irresponsible suckers to keep borrowing money they'll never pay back.

Hey Car Manufacturers, not planned well enough for a downturn, no horizon scanning - here have some of my hard earned cash to keep you going, so you can then charge me ridiculous sums for a new car.

Hey Mortgage Borrower - can't pay your mortgage, bitten off more than you can chew, borrowed against the profits that are fast disappearing for consumer cack you didn't really need? - here, have some of my hard earned cash to keep paying your mortgage off, I didn't want to pay extra on mine anyway.

Along with some others in the UK, I made good decisions, I've saved regularly, I bought a flat with a mortgage that was within my means, calculating if I could afford it if interest rates went up, flexibility of a second bedroom to rent out if I had to etc etc - I've managed my money effectively, I have no debts other than my mortgage - Yes government, look in my wallet, take what's there to reward all the other ignorant chancing money grabbing b*stards who don't give a monkeys about anything other than their own immediate gratification - whether that be through ridiculous bonuses or through the lastest fast car/4x4 that they just can't afford.

Oh, and if any bankers supported by the government get bonuses this year - I'll be queuing up to demand mine along with all the other NHS/Police/Teachers. If you're Government backed, don't be getting bonuses on taxpayers money. That, would be the last straw.

Ah, those creative people at

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=63375&st=0

Look at what they put together last year...


Little Wonkey
==========

little wonkey
a little wonkey
was the banking code

gotta keep on lending onwards
till the model broke

sell us your dodgy loans, Nationwide, Nationwide
hell is your crud like loans, Nationwide, Nationwide

very wonkey
stupid donkeys
didn't toe the line

cannot keep on lending onwards
now we're all sub-prime

Away in a BTL empire
=================

Away in a BTL empire,
No crib for His shed
The little Lord btl'er
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord btl'er
Asleep on the hay

The sheeple are lowing
The poor renter wakes
But little Lord btl'er
No mortgage payment He makes

I love Thee, Lord btl'er
Look down from the flats
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord btl'er,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pay

Bless all the dear renters
In Thy tender care
And take us to negative-equity heaven
To live with Thee there



Credit Wonder Land
================

To Let signs gone, are you listening,
In the lane, ForSale signs are glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a K-winter wonderland.

Gone away is the leasing agent,
Here to stay is a new EA
He sings a love song,
As we go along,
Walking in a credit wonderland. *dooobedoobedoo* laugh.gif

In the meadow we can build a slum,
Then pretend that it is Gordon Brown

He'll say: Are you working?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in court.

Later on, we'll retire,
As we dream by the mire
To face afraid,
The plans that we'd made,
Walking in a credit wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a PM up,
And pretend that he's a grown up
We'll have lots of fun with sense undone,
Until the other kids knock him down.

When it sells slow, ain't it thrilling,
Though your credit gets a chillin
We'll frolic and play, the Gov't way,
Walking in a credit wonderland.


Let it sell! Let it sell! Let it sell!
=======================

Oh the ForSale sign outside is frightful,
But BTL is so delightful,
And since the market has gone to hell,
Let It Sell! Let It Sell! Let It Sell!

It doesn't show signs of selling,
And I've bought some flats for letting,
The leases have gone to hell,
Let It Sell! Let It Sell! Let It Sell!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold my credit tight,
All the way home I'll be alright.

The ToLets are slowly dying,
And, my dear, the interest is frightening,
But as long as you'll love me in negative-equity hell,
Let It Sell! Let It Sell! Let It Sell!


Once in Royal Davids City
=====================

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed
Where a landlord bought the property
now it's buy-to-let instead

Kirsty said the markets hot
But the place has got dry rot.


He came down to earth from heaven
when the credit lines did fail
With no tenants he's in doo-doo
So he starts to weep and wail

Still he holds,in futile hope
Prices slide the slippery slope.



Now the fixed rate deal has ended
And the high street is quite bleak
Landlord's warned of banks foreclosing
He is really up the creek

Pay the price for avarice
HPC will take the piss. rolleyes.gif rolleyes.gif

Merry christmas everybody.


Hark The Herald Angel Sings
=======================

verse:
Hark! the herald agents sing
who'd have thought it, cash is king
property sales are in a mess
my TT's been re-possessed

chorus:
investment landlords are confounded
the mortgage's up, the rent has foundered
tenants have the upper hand
landlords know that they are damned

verse:
Hark! the herald agents sing
only vendors ever ring
buyers have long since departed
time for price falls to get started

chorus:
But the vendors just won't listen
refuse to accept that rates have risen
willing to wait as long as it takes
but we'll go broke, for heaven's sake

the last chorus (with descant):
how we wish we hadn't ramped
now we're going to be tramps
the scum of the earth we are, it's true
gone to rack, and ruin, too

12 Credit Days Of Xmas
===================

On the 12th day of Xmas, my bank gov sent to me:
12 Credits crunching,
11 Chains collapsing,
10 LIBORS leaping,
9 Landlords sweating,
8 Bears rejoicing,
7 EAs closing,
6 empires crumbling,
5 Gold price hikes...
4 desperate sales,
3 grinning hawks,
2 battered doves,
And a smug face on HPC!

To the tune of 'O Christmas Tree'
==========================

O Gordon Brown, O Gordon Brown
When will these house prices come down?

O Gordon Brown, O Gordon Brown
When will these house prices come down?

Theyve risen now, for several years,
Now buy to letters are in tears ( rolleyes.gif )

O Gordon Brown, O Gordon Brown
It looks like house prices are coming down.


(away in a manger) 2
================

I bought with a stranger,
Just space for two beds
The price cost sweet Jesus
It took all i had

The stars on the tonights sky
Sang down while we paid
The landlord did fleece us
He took all our pay

The flooring are bowing
The taps drips do wake
But little does please us
No profit we make

I hate These, Long leases
Im behind with my Sky
And stay by my side,
'Til bailiffs are nigh.

The interest rate, just teases,
I ask it to stay
Close by 6 forever
I hope and I pray

Bless all the dear nimbys
Now in tender care
And take us to see them
We'll beat their ass bare.



more credit crunch songs here:
http://www.creditcrunch.co.uk/videos/creditcrunchsongs.php

During a briefing by academics at the London School of Economics on the turmoil on the international markets the Queen asked: "Why did nobody notice it?"


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/3386353/The-Queen-asks-why-no-one-saw-the-credit-crunch-coming.html


We here at creditcrunch.co.uk did! And so did GHPC, and GEI. Online communities, looked down upon by the British press, saw it coming at least half a decade ago.


We did our best effort to get the message out, but even our own politicians ignored us.

The Icesave payout process will start this week for UK depositors in Icesave, the internet retail deposit business of the UK branch of Landsbanki, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme confirmed today. http://www.fscs.org.uk/consumer/ Any Icesave customers who do not receive their first email from FSCS by close of business on Friday should contact FSCS on 0845 7300 131 (Icesave enquiries only). Forward this information to anyone you know that has had money in Icesave.