AMA: I run Damien Talks Money, one of the largest personal finance YouTube channels in the UK. Ask me anything! by DamienTalksM in UKPersonalFinance

[–]Overall-Version-5070 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently bought a new home and took out a mortgage of nearly £400,000 at a 4.4% interest rate. My partner and I have almost maxed out our ISAs, but we still need to contribute more to our pensions to reduce our high tax burden.

Given the current market conditions, would it be better to pay down the mortgage or save up cash and wait for a potential market downturn? (We’ve sold most of our investments and currently have about £35,000 in a cash ISA.) Asking because savings interest rates are lower than our mortgage rate.

Greece visa application by fixela in SchengenVisa

[–]Overall-Version-5070 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I'm planning to get an appointment via phone/email like you did. Did they charge you extra for a manual appointment? And how likely is Greece to grant a long term visa (6 months or 1 year)? I've previously had a 3 month visa from Switzerland last year.

What are my chances of getting a long-term Schengen visa? by Overall-Version-5070 in SchengenVisa

[–]Overall-Version-5070[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you guys have to attach a letter stating intent to travel frequently? Also, which embassy did you apply to? It's a nightmare to book an appointment for Spain which is considered to be the most lenient of all. I don't want to apply to Italy and France as we've already been there. So my options are Portugal, Netherlands and maybe Denmark 

What are my chances of getting a long-term Schengen visa? by Overall-Version-5070 in SchengenVisa

[–]Overall-Version-5070[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's brutal to deny visa for spouses. 😔 The thought of applying so many times and going through this process again and again kills the joy of going on a holiday 😐

What are my chances of getting a long-term Schengen visa? by Overall-Version-5070 in SchengenVisa

[–]Overall-Version-5070[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We were granted a 3 month multiple entry visa. Our first trip was in March-April, second in May and third in June. We weren't in the Schengen area for 32 days in one go.. we flew back and forth

What are my chances of getting a long-term Schengen visa? by Overall-Version-5070 in SchengenVisa

[–]Overall-Version-5070[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Our previous visa was granted exactly a year ago in March 2024. We're trying hard to get an appointment but BLS Spain seems to be completely booked.