‘I left my husband with a bin bag of clothes and no bank account to my name – now I’m the CEO of a six-figure business’
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GBNEWS
Dr Nicola Harding's journey began with a single bin bag of belongings and the courage to escape.
At age 28, with four children and no access to her own money, Harding made the life-changing decision to leave a relationship that caused pain.
From teenage mother trapped in a financially abusive marriage to CEO of a security consultancy, Harding's story highlights the devastating impact of financial abuse, which affects one in six women in UK relationships.
She told GB News: "When I left, I didn't plan it. Something happened, and I left with just a bin bag. The whole experience left me on the brink of financial ruin since I didn't have a bank account of my own".
She stayed at her brother's property - essentially a building site with a hole in the wall - while making daily trips to see her children, including her then 10-month-old youngest.
Today, Harding leads We Fight Fraud, specialising in fraud prevention and cybercrime, and advises the UK Government on financial crime.
Dr Nicola Harding with her daughter
skyparlour
The financial abuse Harding endured took multiple forms, with her ex-husband maintaining strict control over their joint account both during and after their relationship.
She said: "Before we split up, I'd started college about six weeks earlier. He would give me the exact amount for train fare, but I wasn't allowed keys to my house or money for lunch. I wasn't even allowed to socialise."
During her marriage, she worked in low-income positions at call centres and customer service roles, relying heavily on tax credits. Years later, she discovered loans had been taken out in her name without her knowledge.
Harding said: "I didn't realise the extent of my financial situation when I left. Years later, I found out I couldn't get credit because of loans taken out in my name, like Provident loans I never applied for."
Even today, 14 years later, her ex-husband still attempts to take out credit using her old address.
The immediate aftermath of leaving left Harding and her children in extreme poverty, surviving on a single person's allowance and student loan.
She explained: "When we first split up, I had no access to money. My ex was still claiming benefits for the children, I had no recourse to public funds for my children."
The family survived on one-pot meals, with Harding making large batches of chilli to last the week. She prioritised rent and council tax payments, knowing she risked losing her home or facing imprisonment if she defaulted.
She said: "That type of poverty you think it shouldn't exist now, but all it takes is a few things to go wrong, like a relationship breakdown."
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The situation was compounded by having to furnish a new home after leaving everything behind, leading to additional credit burdens.
The long-term impact of financial abuse severely restricted Harding's ability to rebuild her life, particularly through damage to her credit score.
She said: "Recovery takes time - emotional, physical, legal, and financial. Your credit rating is the last thing you think about, but it's one of the most restrictive barriers to recovery."
She found herself unable to pass credit checks, limiting her housing options to direct rentals from landlords. A turning point came when she discovered Loqbox, a UK credit-building platform that helped her improve her score through weekly £2.50 payments reported to credit reference agencies.
Harding said: "What I like about Loqbox is that it's a proactive approach that makes you realise that you shouldn't be held accountable for things that weren't your fault."
Within months, her credit score improved significantly, opening new possibilities for her future.
She said: "It means finally not having to worry that I won't be able to move house or cope if there's an emergency."
After leaving her marriage, she pursued higher education as a mature student, eventually earning a PhD in criminology. Her expertise in fraud prevention and financial crime has made her a sought-after speaker at global conferences.
To others facing similar challenges, she offers hope and says: "Believe you can achieve whatever you want. There are tools and support available, you just need to know what's out there that can help you, and take it one step at a time.
"None of us want to talk about the shameful side of money, especially when it's a symptom of abuse, but being able to communicate is so important."
Harding also explained that her ambitions continue to grow, adding: "Everything's on the table now."
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