A controversial pastor went bust after running up a credit card bill of more than £140,000. Ex-roofer Mark Ralston, 48, was made bankrupt over the debt owed to American Express. Ralston is senior pastor and founder member of Hope United, who have churches in Dundee and Motherwell with more than 100 members. Last week, the church and Ralston caused uproar for publicly supporting two elders of their Motherwell congregation who were convicted of beating their children over poor school grades. American Express raised the action against Ralston at Hamilton Sheriff Court in September 2015 to recover £141,967. He was made bankrupt as his assets were £82,500 – about half the amount they were trying to recover. A court order was also placed on Ralston’s £250,000 home in Shotts, Lanarkshire, preventing its sale until the debt was cleared. The bankrupty was lifted in July but the court order, called an inhibition, was still in place last week. Ralston now appears … [Read more...] about Pastor of controversial smack row church goes bust over £140k credit card bill
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Sainsbury’s credit card customers fuming as IT glitch leaves them unable to pay bills
FRUSTRATED Sainsbury's Bank customers are unable to pay their credit card bills over the phone because they are struggling to get through. Some are being forced to wait on hold for more than an hour when trying to get through to the call centre after an IT glitch meant that they didn't received their credit card statements on time. Sainsbury's Bank's customer services has been struggling to cope with the volume of callsCustomers face late payment penalties if they don't pay off their cards on time - but without the statements they don't know how much money they owe. Others who prefer to use telephone banking have been unable to pay their credit card bills on time. Sainsbury's Bank has also recently changed the appearance of their statements leaving some confused customers needing help to understand it. Not everyone trying to get through on the phone lines is a credit card customer but the influx of calls has had a knock on effect. One unhappy customers is unable to pay his credit card … [Read more...] about Sainsbury’s credit card customers fuming as IT glitch leaves them unable to pay bills
Ban proposed on “minimum payment” credit card bills as debt fears grow
The financial watchdog is considering a ban on credit card companies promoting minimum repayment options to get Britain paying off more of its rising personal debt, as official figures showed households falling into the red for the first time since the Eighties, and individual insolvencies hit their highest level in six years. Analysis of the credit card market by the Financial Conduct Authority found one in four repayments are only at the minimum required amount or just above it. Given the scale of the credit card market – with the Bank of England putting the figure at £70bn held in outstanding debt across over 30 million card holders – the watchdog branded this reliance on repaying just the... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for … [Read more...] about Ban proposed on “minimum payment” credit card bills as debt fears grow
The credit cards that will rip you off if you use them on holiday
YOU'VE already started counting the days until you jet off to the beach - but have you given any thought to which debit card you are going to use while away? Using the wrong plastic abroad comes with hefty fees which can be a nasty surprise when your next statement rolls round. Here's what you need to know. Why can't I use my normal credit card for spending when I'm abroad? No one is stopping you from using it. But if you do, it's likely you'll be hit by a host of hidden charges. There are lots of different fees to be aware of, according to Andrew Hagger of personal finance website MoneyComms. One of the most common ones is something called a "non sterling transaction fee." This will typically add up to 3 per cent to the cost of any purchases you make when abroad. You should also avoid withdrawing cash on a credit card unless you have to or you'll also have to count in the ATM withdrawal charge - typically between £1.50 and £5.00. To make matter worse some cards … [Read more...] about The credit cards that will rip you off if you use them on holiday
Hefty credit card bills and a £9m fall in value at Arch, auditors say
Hundreds of thousands of pounds were put on credit cards at an under-fire development company, councillors have been told. A report to Northumberland County Council’s audit committee revealed £246,000 was spent by a small group of staff at Northumberland’s regeneration company, Arch, over four years on company cards. Coun Nick Oliver, portfolio holder for corporate resources, told ChronicleLive the “majority” was spent on hospitality, with clear business cases not offered for why the cash was spent. Arch has already come under scrutiny over hospitality cost, with a report revealing lavish meals and £58-a-bottle wine at some events. The latest Northumberland County Council Audit Committee report also revealed council officers had once again contacted police over some findings at Arch. Few details were given, but the committee were told the referral concerned “a potential breach of the law in relation to clearly outlined local Government and … [Read more...] about Hefty credit card bills and a £9m fall in value at Arch, auditors say