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Steps you can take today

Templates you can send, negotiation scripts, and the order to do things in when you are already behind.

19 guides

Guides in this section

3 months

of fixed costs: the floor for an emergency fund in the UAE, and why

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An emergency fund in the UAE — how many months, where to keep it, and why a visa changes the number

How big an emergency fund needs to be in the UAE: the grace period after a job ends, what ILOE pays, the lumps that keep landing, and where the money sits.

Do this8 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

Free

and instant: what the official UAE travel-ban checks cost and take

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How to check a travel ban in the UAE — Dubai Police, Estafser, and what each one covers

How to check a UAE travel ban in minutes: Dubai Police's free Circulars and Travel Bans service, Abu Dhabi's Estafser by Unified ID, and what neither shows.

Do this7 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

30 days

from the termination date: the deadline to submit an ILOE claim

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How to claim ILOE unemployment insurance in the UAE — the 30-day deadline, the 60 percent, and the steps

How to claim ILOE in the UAE: 60% of your average basic salary for up to 3 months, capped at AED 10,000 or 20,000, claimed within 30 days of termination.

Do this7 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 400

the Ministry's fine for a worker who never subscribed to ILOE; AED 200 for lapsed premiums

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ILOE fine in the UAE — the AED 400 and AED 200 fines, how to check whether you have one, and how to pay

ILOE fines from the Ministry: AED 400 for never subscribing, AED 200 for lapsed premiums with the policy cancelled. How to check, pay, and get the cover back.

Do this6 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

7 working days

the Central Bank's deadline for a bank to issue a liability or clearance letter

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Liability letter and clearance letter in the UAE — what each one is, how to get it, and what it costs

What a UAE liability letter, no-liability letter and clearance letter each prove, how to request one in the app, the 7-working-day rule and the fee caps.

Do this9 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 750

the median monthly price of a bed space in Dubai on 2026-10-06, from 35 listings

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Living in Dubai on AED 3,000 to 4,000 a month — the bed space, the bus pass, the money home, and what is left

Is AED 3,000 or 4,000 a good salary in Dubai? The month at that income: a bed space from about AED 750, a nol pass, the money home, and the two bank rules.

Do this7 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 1,300

the median monthly price of a shared room in Deira on 2026-10-06, from 35 listings

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Living in Dubai on AED 5,000 a month — the real budget, line by line

Is AED 5,000 a good salary in Dubai? The month line by line: a shared room, a nol pass, phone, food, the money sent home, what is left, and the three traps.

Do this9 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 3,250

the ceiling on all monthly repayments at AED 6,500 a month, half of income

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Living in Sharjah on AED 6,500 a month — the room, the commute, the car loan and the money home

Is AED 6,500 a good salary in Sharjah? The month line by line: a shared room from today's listings, the commute, a car loan, two plans, and the money home.

Do this8 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 150,000

the ceiling two UAE banks publish for a loan with no salary transfer

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Loans and credit cards without a salary transfer in the UAE — who lends, on what, and what it costs

UAE loans without a salary transfer, from the banks' own pages: CBD and Mashreq up to AED 150,000 over 48 months, a AED 5,000 floor, 10.49–17.49% a year.

Do this9 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

17 Jan 2020

the day India declared the UAE a reciprocating territory for executing court judgments

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Paying a UAE loan from India, the UK or the Philippines — the routes, and whether the bank can reach you there

How to keep paying a UAE loan after you leave: the three routes into the bank, the settlement letter rule, and what a UAE judgment can and cannot do in India.

Do this8 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

5 business days

the cooling-off period after signing any credit agreement in the UAE

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The pre-approved loan SMS in the UAE — what "pre-approved" means, and the four questions before you reply

What a UAE bank's pre-approved loan SMS really promises, the rules behind it: opt-in marketing, no phone selling, a 5-day cooling-off, and 4 questions first.

Do this9 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

40 / 30 / 30

KHDA's caps on a Dubai school's three termly instalments, as a share of the year's fees

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The UAE money year — the five lumps, the month each one lands, and how a good salary still ends up short

School fees in three terms, rent in cheques, the car, the visa, summer flights: the UAE money year month by month, and why AED 45,000 feels short.

Do this9 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

AED 60,000

a year: the income floor for an unsecured credit card in the UAE

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What loan or credit card can you get on an AED 3,000 to 10,000 salary in the UAE

What a UAE bank can lend on AED 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,500, 8,000 or 10,000 a month: the AED 60,000-a-year card floor, the 20× loan cap, and the 50% ratio.

Do this8 min readUpdated 6 October 2026

Groups of 4

in a free 12-week support group, starting in November

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Introducing Hisab Circle: a free 12-week support group for people paying off debt in the UAE

Hisab Circle is a free 12-week support group for people in the UAE who are paying off debt, in groups of 4. The first batch starts in November 2026.

Do this7 min readUpdated 24 September 2026

1 hour

to build the system, then years of it running without you

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Build a money system in the UAE - automate your salary in one hour

Rent, school fees and registrations all land as lumps here, and gratuity replaces a pension. How to set up a UAE salary so payday runs without you.

Do this14 min readUpdated 23 September 2026

50%

the ceiling a UAE bank measures your monthly commitments against

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Debt burden ratio in the UAE — how much can you actually borrow?

How UAE banks work out your debt burden ratio, the 50 percent ceiling, why an unused credit card counts against you, and how to see the number first.

Do this9 min readUpdated 10 September 2026

30 days

the ILOE claim window, and the one deadline that does not come back

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Lost your job in the UAE — your loans, gratuity, ILOE and visa

The first week after losing a job in the UAE: the visa grace period, the ILOE claim, your gratuity, and what to tell the bank before the settlement lands.

Do this11 min readUpdated 3 November 2026

1 email

the request that can buy you breathing room

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How to request a loan deferment from a UAE bank - email template included

A practical guide to requesting payment relief from UAE banks like Emirates NBD, ADCB, and DIB, with a copy-paste email template you can adapt today.

Do this7 min readUpdated 10 September 2026

In writing

the only way a settlement protects you

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How to Negotiate Debt Settlement in UAE — A Practical Guide

How UAE debt settlement negotiation actually works — when banks consider accepting less, how to make an offer, and how to protect yourself in writing.

Do this10 min readUpdated 10 September 2026

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