Financial Counselling
Our Financial Counsellors cover the Eurobodalla, Bega Valley and snowy Monaro areas. Our Financial Counsellors provide information, advice and advocacy for people in financial difficulty with the aim of assisting people to regain control of their financial situation and empower them to move on without further stress over money matters;
Our Financial Counsellor works with clients to:
- Assess the overall financial situation
- Explain options and their potential consequences for each option
- Provide information on credit laws, the debt recovery process and other areas
- Advocate and negotiate with creditors on the client’s behalf when necessary
- Set up debt repayment plans and
- Provide information on entitlements and forms of government assistance
The sorts of issues that Financial Counsellor’s deal with are varied and include:
- Budgeting and money management strategies
- Unaffordable loans
- Utility bills
- Pay day lending
- Credit card debt
- Mortgage arrears
- Rates and water arrears
- Taxation bills
- Repossession
- Unpaid fines
- Early release of superannuation
- Credit reports
- Bankruptcy and other forms of insolvency
If you would like support in any of these areas, please contact us.
Service Providers can also refer to this program by completing a request for service form.
When preparing and coming to your first appointment we ask that (where possible) people bring:
- Bank statements—for the last 3 months
- Pay slips or a recent Centrelink Income Statement
- All bills, account statements
- Any legal letters and notices regarding your debts
Useful links:
- National Debt Hotline 1800 007 007
ndh.org.au - Financial Rights Legal Centre – for self-help information;
financialrights.org.au - Moneysmart – free online tools, tips and guidance on money matters
moneysmart.gov.au - Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW – complaints about electricity, gas (not bottled gas), and some water retailers in NSW
www.ewon.com.au - Australian Financial Complaints Authority – fair, free and independent dispute resolution for consumers and small businesses with financial complaints
www.afca.org.au