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Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Rachel contributed a whooping 22 entries.
By Fiona Guthrie, CEO of Financial Counselling Australia Photo Credit: Scott Jewell, ABC. Anyone can find themselves in financial difficulty. You might lose your job, get sick, or your relationship might break down. You may simply not have enough money to make ends meet. If this happens to you, a financial counsellor can help. Financial […]
When Brad turned 18 years old, he took out his first loan. He borrowed money to buy the things he always wanted as a kid but could not afford: a big screen television and a new sound system, and a nice secondhand car. Fast forward 10 years and his was unable to pay off those debts anymore, in fact, he could no longer afford groceries. He was in trouble […]
In light of the severely detrimental economic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Australian economy, it is more important than ever to understand the meaning of hardship and how to support people going through a tough time. According to the Financial Rights Legal Service, there are often two main reasons for financial hardship: a person could afford the loan […]
Mark ran a cleaning business on and off for nearly 18 years, but it was challenging. He faced issues like customers who wouldn’t pay, unpredictable contracts and increasing price of supplies and equipment. “You don’t want to feel that you’re failing, you have the plan, you have the wife and children to support, which is why the pressure was all on me. […]
Angeline has a job and earned a good wage, however, she made a few financial mistakes that got her into a level of debt she was unable to pay off. “I just got too involved in credit cards. In the end, I had no money. It was the biggest mistake that I ever made. It’s […]
About four years ago, Nicole started getting sick. Her health got progressively worse. Then, she needed to attend a time-consuming number of specialist appointments and pay for medication, which led to her losing the ability to work full time. “I had to use up like all of my savings and then I wasn’t getting a full income. I was living in city where it’s a little […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a destructive force across the country and the globe. For many businesses, it has been a difficult and stressful time. However, for some, the nature of their business, whether it be producing hand sanitizer or masks, means that have been able to carve out small to large successes. Joe has been running […]
Liz ended up in financial hardship when she lost her job. Luckily, she found work again but this time but her new role paid much less. This severely impacted her ability to meet her loan repayments. She hopes to one day find work that pays a higher wage but, in the meantime, Way Forward has put together a plan, which is helping to repay her loans. She is clear […]
Following a long-term relationship break down, Nira was saddled with debts that were part of the relationship but was then stuck with paying those back by herself. “It was really overwhelming to have to pay the debts. I was in repayment every fortnight and it was two different banks. I had to overwork myself. I was so stressed.” She was referred to Way Forward […]
“I had so many sleepless nights and it was really stressing me out. I was really down. Now, I know exactly where my money is going. It’s manageable for me and it just makes me feel happy and relieved. I feel like I’m in a much better position and enjoying life again. It’s […]
“We want to pay back our debts but we want to make it affordable…Way Forward put together a plan. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Hani and her husband were so excited to have bought their first family home. They had chosen house and land package that was perfect. Once […]
I still deal with that bank today simply for the fact that they looked after me. If they hadn’t done that I would have said: yup, I’m out and just walked away and gone somewhere else to go bank. When Lee became sick with cancer, it strained not only on his personal life but also the company he was running. “We had a new […]
Way Forward Debt Solutions is a registered charity in Australia – ABN 20 628 702 821
$155,545
Family Circumstances
55 year old Manager earning $2660 a fortnight. I went through a separation and with the reduction of my wife’s income supporting household expenses, I struggled to keep up with the repayments across all my facilities. I eventually started using credit to pay credit and was in an endless cycle. This large amount of debt has caused additional stress, its affected my health and struggled to find support to manage my finances.
All I want to do is get this happening and work my way out of this. It’s definitely 100% better than where I was, I was just getting further and further behind. You probably will never fully appreciate how much I appreciate what you have done for me and how much of a difference this has made. Do not be afraid to contact Way Forward, their staff were extremely understanding, supportive and reassuring in assisting with managing what had become an extremely difficult and embarrassing situation for me.
$216,300
Medical expenses
I work 3 jobs to support my family of 5. My husband is unable to work due to a severe health issue and medical costs for my son who is disabled are increasing. With the reduction of income and the high level of debt, I was struggling to maintain all our commitments and relied on credit to pay credit. I just couldn’t keep paying everybody.
Thank you for giving me back my life and getting me out of depression and mental torture. Now, I can spend more time with my family and go back to what we use to do like going out on the weekends and visiting friends and relatives. Life is indeed great! Thank you very much and my big salute to Way Forward. Please go on and continue helping Australians that are trapped with the maze of debts. More power to the team! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
$70,300
Overcommitted
I’m a 47 year old earning $2600 a fortnight in a government job. I was a single parent for many years while my daughter was young and began to obtain credit to cover living expenses. I then continued to obtain credit to cover debt repayments and this continued for several years. Once I reached my limit of obtainable credit, I realised I was overcommitted and could no longer afford the repayments, so began looking for help.
Thank you again – although I have a long way to go, I now feel that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that a massive weight has been lifted, very happy with the outcome. I wish you guys were around 2 or 3 years ago.
$61,000
Health Challenges
I’m 48, earning $2200 a fortnight working in retail. My husband fell ill and left work to go onto the aged pension. He requires several hospital stays yearly, which means I need to take time off work to care for him. With the reduction in income and 3 dependent children, I obtained a credit card to keep up with living expenses. I was overcommitted and unable to keep up with the minimum instalments.
We can’t thank you enough for all that you have done for us. We feel like we can breathe again knowing that we’re heading in the right direction. We’ll be forever grateful. We are very grateful for what Way Forward has done for us and still cannot believe that an organization dedicated to help people like us in our situation exist.
