Financial Counselling Australia *(FCA)
FCA is the peak body for financial counsellors in Australia.
Financial counsellors provide information, support and advocacy to assist people in financial difficulty. Working in community organisations, their services are free, independent and confidential. Financial counsellors have an extensive knowledge of a range of areas of law and policy, including consumer credit law, debt enforcement practices, the bankruptcy regime, industry hardship policies and government concession frameworks.
From time to time, many people find themselves struggling to buy food, pay the rent or mortgage and can be juggling numerous debts. If you’re in this situation, a financial counsellor can help you understand your options so that you can get back on your feet.
* FCA is formerly the Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association (AFCCRA)
Financial Counselling Australia is a member of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia.
What’s news
29 April to 5 May. Click here for great resources and info about the special events. FCA is proud to be a Privacy Week Partner.
The 2012 FCA Conference
Registration is now open for the 2012 FCA Conference, the 2012 EDR Forum and Jan Pentland Foundation Dinner to be held at the Sebel Citigate, Albert Park, Melbourne from Tuesday 15th May to Thursday 17th May, 2012.
2012 Conference Program
Twilight Workshops
2012 EDR Forum Program
Register online
FCA Conference and Twilight Workshops
Jan Pentland Foundation Dinner
External Dispute Resolution Forum
More 2012 Conference information . . .
Australian Financial Counsellors
Find a financial counsellor in your state or territory
Financial Counsellors are based in community agencies and are funded largely by State or the Federal Governments. Counsellors are required to act in the paramount interests of consumers, free of any conflict of interest and free of any commercial benefit.
Financial counsellors provide a FREE, INDEPENDENT & CONFIDENTIAL service.
Campaigns
“Fair Calls for All”
Everyone needs to call 1800, 1300 or 13 numbers at some point – to talk to your bank in an emergency, order a cab, organise a Centrelink payment. Making that call from a landline or mobile makes a big difference to the call cost but it doesn’t have to be that way. We need a hero. Number woman is here to work with the telcos to bring about Fair Calls for All.
Fair Calls for All is a joint campaign between the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) ACOSS and Financial Counselling Australia. The impetus for this campaign was feedback from financial counsellors about the significant barriers their clients were facing because of the cost of calling these numbers.
Read the Number woman survey report
Go to the ACCAN website to join this campaign
Read more about the campaign . . .
media releases
Stick with Reform of Payday Lending say Financial Counsellors
The Chairs of every State and Territory financial counselling association in Australia have today written an open letter to Minister for Financial Services, Bill Shorten, calling on him to stick with reforms to the payday lending industry.
Open letter to Bill Shorten . . .
Read more . . .
Peak body calls on Labor and LNP to commit to a 48% interest rate cap in Queensland
Financial Counselling Australia, Australia’s peak financial counselling body, is calling on the Queensland Labor Party and the Liberal National Party to commit to maintaining Queensland’s 48 per cent interest rate cap on payday loans should they win the upcoming election.
Read more . . .
Formation of Financial Counsellors ACT – A Milestone for Financial
Counselling
The financial counselling sector has warmly welcomed the formation of a new incorporated
financial counselling association: Financial Counsellors ACT.
Read more . . .