Exciting News!

Just a short post today as I have some exciting news to share.                                               Romans ebook cover

As you may know, I run J.A.Scott Publications (www.jascottpublications.com), publishing ebooks, mainly through Amazon.  We now have three names, plus my own, on our label and Alex Boxall has just released his first book.  It is a 28 Day Bible Devotional focusing on the book of Romans.

I am very excited to see the other books in this series which Alex is already working on.I am also pleased to announce that Peter Bangs has almost finished his book on how to use story telling techniques to share his message more effectively and that will be released very soon.


P.S. If you like any of the books we have published so far, please check out Luke Strickland’s book Life Space, also available on Amazon.

5 Things your Bank Manager does NOT want you to know


As we all know, the banking industry is simply there to make money from the likes of you and I.  They do this by playing on fears and half-truths that, whilst not propagated by the banks, are definitely left uncorrected.

Here are what I believe to be the top 5 Things your bank manager does not want you to know:

1.  You do NOT need a good credit rating.

Credit ratings are simply there in order to allow you to borrow more money.  Ironically, the banks perpetuate the idea that in order to get anywhere in life you need to build a good credit rating.  In order to do this you need to borrow money.  When you do this, the banks profit.  Your credit rating increases and you are then allowed to borrow more money.  And the banks profit more. “But I need a good credit rating to get a mortgage!”  Not true – you simply need to be able to prove you can afford the mortgage payments.  Evidence of employment, salary, banking history and so on will make this more than possible.  You may have to fill out a couple of extra forms, but its a small price to pay for remaining debt free!

2.  You do NOT need a Credit Card “just for emergencies”.

However they are sold, credit cards are bad news.  They encourage spending and discourage saving and ultimately lead to being trapped in debt.  Instead of getting a credit card to pay for emergencies, why not set up an emergency fund from which you pay for any emergencies?  That way you will never owe the banks anything.

3.  You do NOT need to pay extra for premium banking services.

“Only” £10 a month will get you travel insurance, or phone insurance, or a guaranteed overdraft, but is £120 a year too much to pay for these things?  Most home insurance will cover mobile phone damage.  Unless you are travelling abroad for more than one or two holidays a year then it would be cheaper to buy insurance as and when you are going.  And as we already know, overdrafts are a no no.  So, £120 for some unwanted benefits is not ideal, but it does make the banks more money…

4.  You do NOT need a loan for a car, a holiday or anything else.

Deferred gratification is a skill worth having as it will keep you out of debt and free from the chains the banks are desperate to put you in.  Learn to save.  Instead of making debt repayments, make purchase prepayments.  Set yourself up a savings account, workout how much you could afford to pay every month towards the car or holiday of your dreams, and rather than having to pay for it for 3, 4, 5 or more years, you could probably prepay for it in two and never owe anything to the bank.  Sounds ideal to me.

5.  You do NOT need an overdraft facility.

If you are budgeting correctly and have good control of your finances, then having an overdraft facility is just an excuse to put more money in the banks coffers.  The banks have enough of your money.  It’s time to stop giving them your money in the form of overdraft interest charges and start making them work for you.  Save.  Keep an Emergency fund and make sure that you never need to borrow money again.

Remember: the Banks are there simply to make money from you.  Do not let them get away with it. It’s time for you to make money from them!

If you would like to know more about managing your finances and would like to get out of debt quicker than you thought possible, then check out my book; The 21 Day Debt Revolution and start changing your life today.

How Getting Married may be Dangerous for your Financial Future



And it could completely mess up your financial future.


Young couples spend literally tens of thousands on one single day.




Here’s the truth though: No one remembers the expense.






Don’t let getting married put you in debt.





The Quickest and Simplest Way to Get Out of Debt







All it involves is determination and a little hard work.

So, here goes:







Is it easy?  Not always.


Can you do it?  Absolutely.


Grab you copy from Amazon now!


5 Things Couples Say That Destroy Their Financial Future


Just sharing my thoughts on some things that couples say that set the relationship down a surefire path towards financial problems:

1. “We’ll do the budget tomorrow…” – The easiest way to start losing your grip on finances is to put off doing a budget.  I won’t sugar coat it, setting up a budget can be boring and can lead to arguments and disagreements that are never pleasant.  Not doing a budget, however, leads to debt, resentment and massive strain on relationships and finances.  Once you have set a budget it should be fairly easy to make any small adjustments needed.  Don’t put it off…

2.  “I’ll just put it on the credit card…” – the truth is that no matter how well intentioned you may be, unless you have complete control over your spending, using a credit card will invariably lead to debt.  The worst kind of debt.  “just” putting things on the credit card means you’ll suddenly be faced with a £1000, £2000 or even £5000 bill and you will have nothing to show for it and no idea where that money went…

3.  “This is all your fault.” When talking about finances, laying blame does not get you anywhere.  Blame causes resentment, anger and bitterness along with a sense of withdrawal when it comes to discussing finances.  This invariably means that your finances will suffer.  And so will you.

4.  “You never…/You always…” – Using the words “never” and “always” are what I call “button” words.  They are accusatory words that always lead to arguments.  In future, instead of saying : “You never stick to the budget…” try saying: “I feel loved when you stick to the budget because…”

One is very negative, the other encourages change…

5.  ”      ” – Simply not talking about money makes the conversation become taboo and as we know, “a problem shared is a problem halved”.  Failing to share the problem, on the other hand, compounds and multiplies the problem.  As the old advert used to say: “It’s good to talk!”

It’s be great to hear any comments you may have, both positive or negative!


If you’d like to find out more about this topic, check out the Newlyweds’ Guide To Money. On Amazon now.

Money and Marriage

I realise that I have not updated this blog for some time.

I promise I will be returning with more regular updates soon.  I have been busy writing and am ready to reveal the cover to my newest book!

Take a look:

Newlyweds Guide Final Cover


This is considerably longer than The 21 Day Debt Revolution and I am very pleased with it.  I hope you will be too.

Stay posted for more news on the imminent launch date!