If two people jointly enter into a credit agreement, they are both liable for the whole amount of the debt. This is known as 'joint and several liability'. For an agreement to be joint and several, it must be signed by all parties in the form required by the Consumer Credit Act. So, if you have not signed such an agreement, you are not liable for your partner's debts

However, joint and several liability can also apply to rent arrears on joint tenancies, or arrears on joint mortgages, to council tax payments for couples and to water/sewerage charges on properties which are jointly occupied. You need to talk to the individual creditor to obtain a clear understanding of the liability for the debt.

Any debts become the liability of your estate. If there were sufficient assets in your estate to settle your debts then this would be done by the executors. Creditors may sometimes attempt to claim payment from a partner or relative of the deceased, particularly if they lived with them, but if the estate cannot settle the debts, partners or relatives are not obliged to do so. There are several exceptions to the rule

• Debts for which someone had joint and several liability with the deceased.
• A mortgage remains on a property even if this passes to a new owner by inheritance (although it may be paid off by an insurance policy at death).
• Taking over tenancy from the deceased by succession, which may involve taking over rent arrears if these cannot be paid by the estate. A tenant by succession can lose their home if the arrears are not paid.
• For married couples, there is joint liability for council tax. In the event of a spouses death, the surviving partner remains liable for any arrears.

It is always worth checking to see if there is payment protection or other insurance in place to clear the debts on death.

If you are behind with the payments you agreed when you first took out a credit agreement, even if you are making reduced payments, your creditor can take you to Court by issuing a County Court Claim form. The cost of any resulting Court action will be added to the amount you already owe.

The creditor must formally let you know you are in default by issuing a Default Notice, before commencing Court proceedings

County Court Judgments (CCJs) are recorded on the Credit Reference Files maintained by Credit Reference Agencies. The entry on your file may affect your ability to obtain further credit as most lenders check these files to help them decide whether or not to grant credit. Creditors record only factual information on individuals such as missed or reduced payments and the general 'blacklisting' of families or addresses is a misconception.

You can obtain a copy of your credit file by contacting one of the credit reference bureaux direct. There is a small fee for this information. Click on any of the links below to obtain more information.

www.uk.experian.com
www.equifax.co.uk
www.callcredit.plc.uk

Many creditors do not wish to collect reduced payments and often pass accounts to Debt Collection Agencies. The first letter you receive from the agent will be strongly worded and may contain threats of Court action. Don't panic. Make the agent a monthly offer of payment that you can afford and send them a copy of your budget. Start and continue sending the payment to the agent.

You should contact a local specialist mortgage adviser to answer this question. It is unusual to get a 100 per cent mortgage in this type of case and the size of the deposit which you can pay will influence the type of mortgage that can be obtained. Your parents may be in a position to provide a deposit or take out the mortgage. Before taking out any new finance, you should complete a personal budget which lists your income and you outgoings to ensure that you can afford the loan as well as any other additional expenditure, such as Council Tax, utilities, maintenance and so forth.

Bankruptcy could be an answer but it depends on your individual circumstances and additional questions need to be asked before advice can really be given. You should discuss these with an organisation that provides free, independent advice like the local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) or the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) free helpline on 0800 138 1111. Bankruptcy can free you from overwhelming debts so that you can make a fresh start, subject to some restrictions and it also makes sure that any assets you have are shared out fairly among your creditors. I assume you don't own a house, as you say you are paying rent. If you do, you will be asked to give up your interest in your home. You will also be asked to give up any possessions of value, although there are certain items which are excluded. You can find out more details in the Insolvency Service Guide to Bankruptcy, by calling 0121 698 4241 or visiting their Web site http://www.insolvency.gov.uk.

You have various avenues you can explore.

• Firstly look at your budget and see whether your income can be increased or spending reduced. If so are you able to start reducing the balance that you owe?
• Secondly if your credit rating is still good you may be able to switch to other cards that are offering lower or even 0% start or transfer rates.
• Lastly if this still looks difficult I suggest you talk to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service [CCCS] on 0800 1381111. They can help you draw up a Debt Management Plan which could mean that you make just one payment to them and they would distribute the money to your various creditors. There is no charge whatsoever for this service.

As this is largely dependent on each individual's circumstances, you are advised to contact your local Citizens Advice or local council welfare rights office who will be able to examine your circumstances in detail and offer advice accordingly. You can find more information at www.citizensadvice.co.uk.

A joint application is more at risk, because there is more chance of one of the applicants not being able to keep up their earnings and enable the couple to keep up mortgage repayments. This is particularly so with a couple — married or not. There is more chance of them having a baby and one person having to give up work.

No — the mortgage lender cannot insist on you taking out any insurance — or any other product — with themselves.

These offers may be very tempting, particularly if you are in difficulties meeting your repayments now. However, read the small print. Make sure what the terms are after the initial period runs out — what will the interest rate be then?

Most insurance policies are now on the basis of "new for old". That means that you can claim for the replacement value of the items lost or damaged.

Depending on your lifestyle, many people find that the basic state pension does not provide a good standard of living. The pension credit helps to boost your retirement income, but may not be enough. It is good sense to start putting something away now.

Apply for a pension forecast. You can do this by writing to the Department of Work and Pensions or visit their Web site at www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

This will tell you what pension you should receive and if you do not qualify for the full pension it will tell you what voluntary contributions you can make to boost your pension.

You could try a local credit union, particularly if the amount is not too high. If you want to buy something, you might be able to buy it on Hire Purchase or leasing. There may even be a "buy now pay later" offer — but don't go into this without the means to make the repayments. If you are on low income, the Social Fund may be able to help with emergency loans (apply to your local Social Security Office).

Not necessarily. Many companies specialise in rescheduling your debts in this way. Although the monthly repayments may look invitingly smaller, you may well be locked into a loan agreement for a long period, and in the end you are paying back much more than otherwise.