Michael and Laura took out a loan which was secured against their property. At the time it was easy to borrow more than the value of their property and this was used for general home improvements, as they had recently purchased their first home. They used credit for general living expenses and to supplement their income. They generally paid the minimum amounts due, this caused no issues for a while, however, the level of interest and charges began to accrue and they found it increasingly difficult to maintain the minimum payments.