Facing financial fears - a member story

Mr Ford was worried what the future may hold

The newly-retired widower was increasingly anxious about how much groceries cost and the impact on his overall cost of living.

Mr Ford lived alone following his wife’s passing in 2020 and along with gardening and watching football, he spent his retirement following the news and listening to current affairs commentary.

The former store manager lived modestly and had always been sensible with his money but he couldn’t help but feel worried by the rising cost of his weekly shop.

Older man working at computer

Budgeting support

Mr Ford contacted us to discuss his concerns about how inflation may impact his ability to pay his mortgage in the future.

A member of our friendly team began by chatting through his current circumstances and we helped him complete our questionnaire.

In doing so, we identified that Mr Ford wasn’t in any immediate risk of missing a mortgage payment.

However, we understand that many of our members like Mr Ford want financial reassurance for now and the near future.

We directed Mr Ford towards our Member Care Hub and encouraged him to make use of a range of tools available. These include:

Providing peace of mind

Thanks to our range of tools and tips, Mr Ford was able to feel in control of his money, giving him the confidence that he was in a safe and financially secure position.

Thanks to his budgeting, he knew that if necessary, he could make some straightforward changes that would enable him to make savings.

This gave him the peace of mind he needed that he would be able to cope with whatever may lie ahead.

Next steps

Mr Ford was content he was in no immediate financial difficulty and he was well prepared to pay his mortgage in the coming months.

We asked him to contact us in the event his financial circumstances should dramatically change - or if he wanted to discuss any money worries he may have.

Everyone faces challenges at some point in their lives - whether personal, financial or health-related - and you don’t have to go through them alone. Please visit us in one of our branches or call us on 0800 781 4311.

You can also help us understand your situation by completing our questionnaire.

 

All our case studies are based on real cases but the names have been changed and stock images have been used to protect confidentiality