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FCA publishes reports according to our policy directives, drawing on the casework of financial counsellors.

Insights From Financial Counsellors into Gambling Harm and Gambling Advertising

FCA surveyed financial counsellors across Australia to find out what harm they are seeing with their clients that is caused…

Rank The Banks (and Other Lenders and Debt Collectors) Report 2023
This report sets out the findings of a 2023 survey of financial counsellors about the hardship practices of the big four banks, the non-major banks, other credit providers (finance companies, second-tier lenders) and debt collection companies.
Weathering The Storm: Insurance In A Changing Climate
Climate change is causing premiums to rise, forcing many people to reduce their cover or opt out of insurance altogether. Even where people can afford insurance, inconsistent and confusing policy terms often mean that when they go to make a claim, they find they aren’t covered. And rising costs of rebuilding mean that many people find they haven’t been adequately insured.
Small Loans, Big Problems – Insights on Buy Now Pay Later From More Than 500 Financial Counsellors On The Frontline
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) use has ballooned over the past year, with soaring numbers of people resorting to the unregulated credit for basics, such as food, fuel and energy, as Australians struggle with cost-of-living pressures, survey of more than 500 financial counsellors has revealed.
Services Guide for Financial And Mental Wellbeing
A guide which aims to build the capacity of the finance and mental health sectors and create better linkages between both so they can guide people towards the right support as early as possible.
Comparative Analysis of credit card interest rates vs BNPL fees
In this report, researchers from Curtin University have calculated the actual costs of the most popular BNPL products for smaller purchases of up to $2,000 and compared them with the costs typically incurred with the use of a traditional credit card. This research shows that if you don’t pay on time, the charges and fees on small amounts of BNPL purchases can be just as expensive or more expensive than credit cards. The addendum to the report was uploaded in February 2024 to clarify some of the figures in the initial 2022 report. This was done in response to interactions between Curtin University and Humm.
The explosion of gambling harm and the need for urgent training for financial counsellors
This survey of financial counsellors highlights the growing harm caused by gambling and the urgent need for additional workforce training. Financial counsellors are reporting that the rapid growth of gambling has resulted in increasing numbers of people affected by gambling harm, experiencing multifaceted problems. Helping these clients is more complex than working with clients not affected by gambling.
Gambling and Suicide Prevention – A Roadmap for Change
This report documents a virtual policy roundtable held with representation from the gambling industry, government, financial counsellors and therapeutic gambling counsellors, the gambling and mental health helplines, regulators, coroners, banks, peak bodies, people with lived experience, and others touched by gambling. The purpose of the roundtable was to consider what each sector could do, and what could be done collectively, to reduce gambling-related suicide.
It’s Credit, It’s Causing Harm and It Needs Better Safeguards: What Financial Counsellors Say About Buy Now Pay Later
This report is based on a survey of financial counsellors about their casework experiences with clients who present with buy now pay later debt. Released in December 2021.
Telcos and Financial Hardship: Feedback from the Frontline
This report is based on a survey of financial counsellors about the hardship practices of telecommunications companies. The report also brings together relevant information from other sources about the way the telco industry treats its customers.
Key Findings Infographic: What Financial Counsellors Say About Responsible Lending Laws
FCA surveyed financial counsellors across Australia to gauge their reactions to the proposed scrapping of responsible lending laws. This one page infographic outlines the key findings of the survey.
Save Safe Lending: The Views of Financial Counsellors about Proposals to Wind Back Responsible Lending Laws
FCA surveyed financial counsellors across Australia to gauge their reactions to the proposed scrapping of responsible lending laws. The survey provides important insights into why financial counsellors think the laws are important, how many use the laws to help clients and what they predict will happen if the laws are removed.
Money on Your Mind: Financial Counselling and Mental Health
Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) surveyed financial counsellors across Australia to gauge their views and experiences about the link between financial hardship and mental health, and to assess whether the coronavirus pandemic is having an impact on the mental health of those in financial hardship. Read the findings in this report.
Rank the Banks (and Other Creditors) 2019
This report sets out the findings of the 2019 survey of financial counsellors about the hardship practices of the big four banks and non major banks. The survey also assesses the hardship practices of debt collection companies, Buy Now Pay Later providers and consumer lease companies. There are also questions about bank consumer advocates.
Who is making Australians bankrupt?
Who is making Australians bankrupt? An Overview
We Need to Talk About Newstart
A graphic recording setting out the advantages of raising the rate of Newstart allowance.
A Survey: the unmet need for financial counselling
Double Punishment – How People in Prison Pay Twice
A report based on the experiences of financial counsellors and other experts who work with people in prison, explaining how people often leave prison in a much worse financial position than when they entered.
Rank the Banks 2017
Financial counsellors in Australia rank the financial hardship policies of the big four banks and the smaller banks and look briefly at debt collection companies and how financial hardship practices compare across industries.
External Dispute Resolution: Results of a Survey of Financial Counsellors
Financial counselors rate their experiences of working with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and the Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and whether they should be merged.
Infographic – Results of Financial Counsellor EDR survey
Financial counselors rate their experiences of working with the financial external dispute resolution schemes and whether they should be merged.
Assisting Clients Affected by Family Violence – Survey Results
A survey of the experiences of financial counsellors and financial capability workers in working with people experiencing family violence.
Financial Counselling – It Makes a Difference
A collection of financial counselling case studies from across Australia.
Everybody Needs a Savings Buffer
A report explaining why income and expenditure statements need a default savings category.
Problem Gambling Financial Counselling: Survey and Case Studies
Submission to: ASIC
A survey of 50 specialist problem gambling financial counsellors.
Online Gambling: 12 Things That Need to Change
12 changes needed for online gambling reform.
Safer Online Gambling: A Model
A model for safer online gambling to protect consumers.
Perspectives of financial counsellors and consumer solicitors on personal insolvency
Financial counsellors and consumer solicitors rate the impact of Australia's personal insolvency laws on people in financial distress.
Duds, Mugs and the A-List: the Impact of Uncontrolled Sportsbetting
This report describes the serious issues that financial counsellors see in their casework with people who have sports betting debts.
Rank the Banks 2015
Financial counsellors around Australia rank the hardship practices of the 'big four' banks, some of the smaller banks and GE.
Comparative Hardship Workshop 2013 Handout
A summary tool used at a comparative hardship forum involving banks, energy companies, water companies and telcos.
Comparative Hardship Workshop 2013 Summary
A summary of the comparative hardship forum involving banks, energy companies, water companies and telcos.
Rank the Banks 2013
Financial counsellors rank the hardship practices of the major banks and some smaller banks.
Centrepay – A Good Idea that’s Lost its Way
A report outlining concerns with how Centrepay works in practice.
What Financial Counsellors Say About Payday Lending
The results of a survey of financial counsellors who see clients with payday loans in their casework.
ATM Fees in Indigenous Communities
This report is based on the experiences of money management workers and financial counsellors working with clients in remote Indigenous communities and the importance of fee free ATMs in those communities.
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