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Financial Counselling
IT’S FREE, PROFESSIONAL & INDEPENDENT
People from all walks of life can find themselves in financial difficulty.
More than 2.5 million Australians (13% of the population) live in households of high financial stress and financial difficulty. This can be caused by a multitude of situations including losing your job, downturn in business, getting sick, having an accident, gambling, family and relationship changes, Family Violence, Scams or you simply have too many bills and loans and don’t have enough money to cover your expenses and financial commitments. If this happens to you or someone you know , a Financial Counsellor can help.
Why Financial Counselling?
Help is available from a free financial counsellor to manage your financial stress.
Financial Counsellors are non-judgmental, qualified professionals who provide FREE information, support and advocacy to people experiencing financial difficulty, including small business owners.
Free Service
Financial counselling services are free, confidential, independent and non-conflicted.
Manage Financial Stress
Financial Counsellors will help you understand your financial situation and can advocate with your bank and other lenders and creditors.
Professional Advice
Financial Counsellors are skilled professionals, bound by a Code of Ethical Practice to deliver the best outcomes to their clients.
Inclusive Service
People from all walks of life can find themselves in financial difficulty. We understand and we're non-judgmental.
About Financial Counselling
Financial Counselling Services are Free, Confidential and Non-conflicted
A Financial Counsellor is a community worker who acts without a conflict of interest, as a negotiator and an advocate on behalf of people experiencing financial hardship or people who are unable to manage their debts. Financial Counselling services are funded by state and federal governments and donations.
Financial Counsellors are skilled professionals, bound by a Code of Ethical Practice to deliver the best outcomes for their clients.
The National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 restricts the use of the terms, “financial counsellor” and “financial counselling” and similar terms of similar meaning. The restriction means that only financial counselling agencies who meet the exemption from an Australian Credit Licence can use the restricted terms.
Financial counsellors provide free, confidential and independent services. The purpose of the restriction is to ensure that Credit Licence holders who are not financial counsellors do not mislead people by representing their services as financial counselling (when they are not).
A Financial Counsellor CAN provide the following:
- A full assessment of their financial situation, including regular income and expenditure, assets, and liabilities
- Advise and assist with problems related to debt and debt enforcement
- Understand which debts are priorities
- Develop a money plan/workable budget
- Advocate and negotiate with banks and other lenders
- Assist with concessions, grant eligibility and referrals for material aid
- Assist with lodging complaints to external dispute resolution services
- Refer to other community, health, and legal services
- Provide information about consumer rights
- Information and options for change and improvement
- Information on credit laws, the debt recovery process, pre insolvency advice, bankruptcy and other areas of legislation.
Financial Counsellors DON’T:
- Lend money
- Provide material aid
- Recommend any kinds of loan products
- Do tax returns
- Provide debt consolidation services
- Provide financial product advice or
- Advise on investments
ASIC Exemption:
Financial counselling agencies that engage in credit activity as part of a financial counselling service are exempt from the ASIC requirement to hold a credit license or AFSL.
The exemption is subject to further conditions including that:
- Financial Counsellors do not give advice to clients about purchasing investment products, such as shares or managed investments; and
- No fees or charges are paid by clients for any aspect of the financial counselling service; and
- The financial counselling agency is likewise unable to be remunerated (including by commission) directly or indirectly in relation to any action of the client; and
- The financial counselling agency does not operate or participate in a financial services business beyond the scope of this relief, and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that none of its employees do so.
- In order to obtain this relief, individual Financial Counsellors must also be members of, or be eligible to be members of, a recognised State Financial Counselling Association. Membership requirements themselves set standards about conflicts of interest and professional conduct.
Warning: Fee charging services
Financial Counsellors and financial counselling services do not charge any fees. If at any stage of your contact with a so called 'financial counsellor’ or ‘debt counsellor’ they ask you to sign an agreement which includes paying any costs or fees, check this out carefully. Seek advice from a free Financial Counsellor or call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
Warning: Debt, credit or budgeting "solutions"
There are companies that advertise that they can solve your debt and credit problems by negotiating for you or helping you budget. Many of them are costly and don’t give you the full range of choices you may have. Think twice about using these services. There are things you can do to help manage debt yourself, at no cost or a free financial counsellor can help.