Bad Credit Guide to Surviving an Adventurous Student Gap Year
When planning all the exciting parts of your gap year, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of under-preparing, should anything go wrong.
Your family will no-doubt offer lots of their own advice, but whilst meaning to be helpful, they can come across as over-protective and some of their stories could easily be viewed as “scare mongering”.
“The most important thing to remember is you are there to have the best time possible” said a spokesperson for Bad Credit Loans 4 You (/student-loans-even-with-bad-credit.html ), a specialist in helping those with bad credit obtain loans, “so if you prepare for unexpected problems, physical or financial, then it will help you overcome any inconvenience with ease, should one arise”.
More and more people are finding that they arrive in a foreign country only to find that their bank card has been frozen, even though they informed their bank they would be travelling to that country.
This anti-fraud initiative can save you thousands if your bank card is actually stolen, but can create a big headache and a large phone bill if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere when it happens.
Some banks will contact you to confirm that it has been blocked, if they have your mobile number, but making calls or receiving them whilst abroad can be extremely expensive.
“If you are going to spend any significant amount of time in one country, it’s advisable to buy a local SIM card for your phone, as you don’t want to come home to a bill of hundreds of pounds from your mobile provider and calls from the local SIM to the UK are generally cheaper”.
“Its worth paying a small fee to have your mobile unlocked before you travel, so you can use any SIM card in your device and do not have to purchase a new one each time”.
Some parents believe that setting themselves up as a third party on your account will give them full access, although this is recommended when you are out of the country for a long period of time, it only allows them to make transfers or payments and the bank will still want to speak to the account holder before reactivating the card.
“Third Party mandates are simple to set-up, you can make an appointment at your local bank who will supply all the necessary forms, and it can help put a parent’s mind at ease”, confirmed the Bad Credit Loans 4 You spokesperson, “they might even see that the balance is getting low and offer to help by topping it up until you get back”.
“Whilst you are at the bank, we would recommend asking how much it costs to use your debit card abroad”.
Most banks now charge at least 3% for every transaction on a debit card, with credit cards being even more expensive.
With this in mind, its worth looking at other forms of payment. The pre-paid card market is getting more and more competitive, with some great fee-free deals out there for comparison.
By getting more than one card, you can keep them in different places so you can always have access to cash when its needed, plus most cards offer both online and telephone top-up services.
Travelex or Caxton FX come highly recommended as do FairFX.
Prepaid cards have better exchange rates than cash or travellers cheques and have minimal, if any withdrawal or load fees.
Since the card is not connected to your bank account, you have the security in knowing that only the money on the card at the time can be accessed to prevent bad credit problems, and usually the companies can withdraw or transfer any funds to another account if the card is lost or stolen.
An accident is guaranteed to happen whilst on a gap year. It can range from spilling a drink down a designer dress to having a serious injury whilst taking part in a white-knuckle adventure.
Being boring is not what a gap years all about, so make sure you are at least prepared if something does go wrong with a good quality insurance policy.
Don’t get caught out by applying for a cheap years cover online as overseas medical bills can be sky-high, with a broken leg in the US costing more than £22,000.
Analysts Defaqto recommend insurance policies offered by Flexicover Direct, Citybond Suretravel, Insure & Go and Manor Insurance.
It’s worth checking the exclusions of the policy, depending on what you plan to do on your gap year, as some daredevil sports like quad biking, water rafting or bungee jumping may be excluded.
If some of the journey is across Europe, make sure you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by going to www.ehic.org.uk as some companies will not pay out if you do not have one.
“For more information and local advise about places you are travelling, we recommend students visit the government website www.fco.gov.uk”.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You helps out people who fear they have been blacklisted because of CCJ’s and Defaults.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You holds a Consumer Credit Licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading. The company is also covered by the Financial Ombudsman.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office for Data Protection.
For help, phone 0800 011 4503 or visit
/student-loans-even-with-bad-credit.html
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/student-loans-even-with-bad-credit.html
Loans 4 You of London Ltd
Innovation Centre
Monks Brook
PO30 5WB
United Kingdom
Tel: 0800 011 4503
Bad Credit Loans 4 You brings together a team of specialists that together offers over 50 years of expertise to help applicants gain the bad credit unsecured loans they need.
From its UK head office in Monks Brook, Loans 4 You operates across Britain, sourcing loans for people with bad credit.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You holds a Consumer Credit Licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading. The company is also covered by the Financial Ombudsman.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office for Data Protection.
Bad Credit Loans 4 You has a senior management team with over 50yrs collective experience providing vital knowledge of the bad credit loans sector & helping those with CCJ’s, defaults, late credit card payments, mortgage arrears & other bad credit rating problems.
Our mission is to aid people who have been discriminated against because of their bad credit loans problems. We assess bad credit loans applications on your current budget and ability to repay bad credit loans, not just your bad credit rating.
