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More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July Debts called in by parents Teenagers `scared of debt` Rising household costs could pressure people in debt Pensions debt may impact workers` retirement funds Welsh young adults `at highest risk of debt problems` Over 50s can`t afford to enjoy retirement because of debts Budget: tackling the nation`s debt Short-term debt: `no need for price control` The cost of clearing debt Education debt Tackling the national debt Number of mortgage deals on offer exceeds 3,000 Almost 5 million take on debt to pay household bills OECD: household debt more than 120% of disposable income Petrol price falls help people in debt Amount of mortgage debt taken on at lowest level in ten years Northern Ireland sees significant IVA rise Overdraft debt `becoming more expensive`

`Secret debts` common in the UK

12/05/2009

Nearly a quarter of a million credit cards in the UK are held by people who keep them secret from their partner, research from Halifax Credit Cards has revealed.

It seems there are 217,000 `secret` credit cards in Britain. Some people say they hold a card like this so they can buy things without telling their partner about it. Some just wish to keep a card in case of emergencies.

And others do it because they want to hide existing debt from their partners.

The Halifax press release does point out that even 217,000 represents a mere 1% of cardholders who have a partner.

However, it also stresses the dangers of secret debt: `At a practical level, secret card debt may not be as harmless as it would first seem. When applying for products in joint names, couples may be asked to disclose any outstanding debts - possibly leading to difficult conversations which could otherwise have been avoided.`

"It`s important that people are honest about their finances with their partner," said Adrian Bryant, head of marketing for Halifax Credit Cards, "as it may affect their ability to secure products in joint names."

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More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant 16/12/2010 - According to R3`s quarterly personal debt tracker, more than 4 Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July 26/08/2010 - Consumers took on £2bn more mortgage debt than they repaid Debts called in by parents 26/08/2010 - According to research, `the bank of Mum and Dad` is Teenagers `scared of debt` 19/08/2010 - Nearly two thirds of teenagers are `scared` of debt, according