10th April 2014 - On behalf of financial counselling agencies and financial counsellors, FCA is today calling on the Federal Government to end current funding uncertainty. On 30th June, the entire $20 million in Federal funding for financial counselling expires. FCA notes that there is a precedent for an early announcement, with…
Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - Charging struggling Australians a filing fee for bankruptcy is like trying to get blood from a stone. Consumer advocates and financial counselling agencies say the $120 fee, to be charged from 1 April, will be an unwelcome roadblock for people seeking a fresh start. Financial Counselling…
31st March 2014 - Financial Counselling Australia has today released its report “Click Here: Who is Referring to Financial Counselling Services?” All of the major banks, a number of major government departments, finance industry peak bodies and dispute resolution schemes include information on their websites explaining how people can access financial…
11th March 2014 - With just one day to go until Australia’s credit reporting system changes, financial counsellors have called on Australia’s credit reporting agencies to do the right thing – stop hiding information about how to access a “free” credit report. The introduction of comprehensive credit reporting tomorrow (12th March…
26th February 2014 - Financial Counselling Australia has welcomed today’s announcement by the Assistant Treasurer, Senator Sinodinos about options to address problems with short-term leases of less than four months and indefinite leases with no fixed end date. Currently these leases are not regulated by the national credit laws. As…
12th February 2014 - A coalition of consumer advocates and financial counselling agencies has expressed dismay at a plan to charge Australians filing for bankruptcy. The Australian Financial Security Authority (ASFA) has proposed to impose a new fee of $120 from 1 April 2014. Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Action Law Centre,…
5th February 2014 - The critical role of financial counsellors in alerting regulators to unconscionable and unfair business practices was highlighted in yesterday’s announcement by ASIC of enforcement action against unlicensed rental companies. ASIC has entered into enforceable undertakings with companies including Home Essentials Pty Ltd and I Love My…
3rd February 2014 - Financial Counselling Australia’s pre-budget submission calls for the ongoing funding of Commonwealth-funded financial counselling services. The Federal Government currently invests around $20 million per annum into financial counselling services. All of this funding expires at 30th June 2014. The financial counselling sector is uncertain about the…
29th January 2014 - Financial Counselling Australia has today released a “Funding Snapshot”, documenting total funding for financial counselling from State, Territory and the Federal Governments. The document is in “draft” form. It was very difficult to obtain accurate figures about funding levels. Publicly available data is often hard to…
28th January 2014 - Financial Counselling Australia has today released its 2012-13 Annual Report. “It was a big year for FCA with significant milestones”, said FCA’s Executive Director Fiona Guthrie. “We all like to think we’re making a difference, but in writing this annual report we’ve tried to step back…