Debt Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

18 March , 2022

Global alliance calls for regulation of harmful buy now, pay later industry

CHOICE has joined consumer groups from 9 countries, including Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA), calling for urgent action on buy now, pay later (BNPL) credit providers as new data shows many Australians are struggling with this form of debt. This is a media release from CHOICE. It was originally published on 17th March, 2022. The global statement…

7 December , 2021

New report shows buy now pay later debt is causing significant financial stress

A new survey of financial counsellors about the impact of buy now pay later (BNPL) on their clients is a wake up call to the community about this new form of debt. This is a media release from Financial Counselling Australia . It was originally published on 6th December, 2021. The report’s title says it all: It’s credit, it causes…

29 November , 2021

Consumer advocates welcome recommendation for stricter controls of credit funded gambling online

Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Financial Rights Legal Centre and the Consumer Action Law Centre welcome the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services’ recommendation for legislation to prohibit online gambling operators from accepting credit card funded deposits. This is a media release from the Financial Counselling Australia. It was originally published on 26th November, 2021. Yesterday the Committee released…

19 May , 2021

CFA & ACCC Consumer Advocacy Showcase & Award Winners

On Monday 12 April, Consumers’ Federation Australia (CFA) and the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) co-hosted the Consumer Advocacy Showcase & Award, in the final online session for the 2021 ACCC National Consumer Congress. The Showcase celebrates effective and good practice within consumer advocacy. The joint-winners were Fiona Guthrie, with Who’s Making Australians Bankrupt?; and Matthias Oldham, with Junk Insurance…

16 December , 2020

Up to 1.9 million Australians paid debt vultures in the last 12 months: Consumer Action Law Centre

According to a new report released yesterday by Consumer Action Law Centre, approximately 1.4 to 1.9 million Australians have paid for debt management or credit repair services in the last 12 months. These companies are known as ‘debt vultures’ as they often target people in financial hardship with poor quality debt advice and services. This a Consumer…

30 November , 2020

Young people wading in sea of debt as they bear the brunt of COVID-19

Consumer data released by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) reveals a growing proportion of young Australians left vulnerable as they face a future of mounting debt due to the lasting impact of COVID-19. This is a CPRC Media Release After 6 months of steep financial challenges, many young consumers have turned to unsustainable practices to get…

25 September , 2020

Consumer groups slam move to remove responsible lending laws

Removing credit protections will cause harm to people and the economy CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Financial Rights Legal Centre have responded to the Government’s announcement that it will remove credit protections for borrowers saying right now what people need is more income, not more debt. Government’s proposed reforms will remove bank responsibility…

24 September , 2020

AFCA Datacube updated with latest complaint statistics

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has updated its online comparative reporting tool, the AFCA Datacube, to include information about all financial complaints lodged with it from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. This allows historical comparison with complaints data from AFCA’s inception on 1 November 2018. The AFCA Datacube allows anyone to see how…

18 August , 2020

Young people facing debt tsunami as they borrow from their future to make ends meet

New consumer data released today by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) investigates the experience of consumers during the three months from May to July and raises serious alarms about the debt tsunami facing young people (18-34) as they try to make ends meet during COVID-19. 70% of young Australians are now concerned about their…

7 July , 2020

How to reduce your debt – Legal information bites by Queensland Legal Aid

In this short animated video, Legal Aid Queensland’s Paul Holmes, senior lawyer (consumer advocate), Civil Justice Services team talks about how to reduce your debt, particularly during COVID-19. In the legal information bites series, Legal Aid Queensland talks about the law, your rights and where to get legal help if you need it. To find…

17 May , 2020

Consumer groups say a self-regulatory code for Buy Now Pay Later lenders is no substitute for consumer protection in law

Thirteen consumer groups have joined together to provide a submission on the draft Buy Now Pay Later Code of Practice (BNPL code), developed by the Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA). While noting that industry codes can provide beneficial commitments, the consumer advocates consider inconsistent regulation among buy now pay later products and other consumer credit…

4 November , 2019

Caution urged when engaging budget and debt management services

Consumers facing financial difficulties are urged to exercise caution when approached by budget and debt management companies that charge fees for their services. Complaints have been received by Consumer Protection from consumers who claim that they are charged fees for services, which were not delivered and some have signed contracts without realising that this would…