Financial Literacy and Counselling - Consumer Action Law Centre

ConsumerAction · "The best job I will ever have in my career..." Gerard Brody on his 10 years as Consumer Action CEO

PODCAST: “The best job I will ever have in my career,” Gerard Brody on his 10 years as Consumer Action CEO

PODCAST: In his last week as Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody sat down to reflect on some of his experiences at the centre. One of the most incredible aspects of Gerard's leadership is his calm and v...

ConsumerAction · Why funeral insurance is a crap product and what you can do about it

PODCAST: Why funeral insurance is a crap product and what you can do about it

Philippa Heir is Managing Lawyer at Consumer Action, she is an expert in all things insurance. She says, in short, that funeral insurance is a crap product and makes no sense. "There are a number o...

Financial Counselling Industry Funding Model

Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Department of Social Services Discussion Paper on the proposed Financial Counselling Industry Funding M...

Financial Services Legislation Inquiry –Interim Report B

Consumer Action has joined with Financial Rights Legal Centre and Redfern Legal Centre to make a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission in response to its Financial Services Legislation In...

ConsumerAction · Hannah Dodd's advice for Consumer Action’s next Managing Lawyer 'be kind'

PODCAST: Hannah Dodd’s advice for Consumer Action’s next Managing Lawyer ‘be kind’

Hannah Dodd, Consumer Action's Managing Lawyer talks about her nearly five years at CALC, and what she is looking forward to in her new role at Australian Financial Complaints Authority. She talks...

“Time for the financial harms to stop”: Consumer groups urge Senate to quickly pass reforms on payday loans and consumer leases

Consumer Action is one of 20 community organisations strongly recommending that the consumer credit reforms in the Finance Sector Reform Bill (FSR Bill), relating to Small Amount Credit Contracts (SAC...

Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 – Compensation Scheme of Last Resort and Financial Accountability Regime

Consumer groups strongly support the passage of a well-designed Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (‘CSLR’) and Financial Accountability Regime (‘FAR’). These reforms are landmark recommendations of t...

Submission to Senate Economics Committee: Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 – consumer credit reforms

The submission, on behalf of 20 community organisations, recommends that the consumer credit reforms in the Finance Sector Reform Bill (FSR Bill) relating to small amount credit contracts and consumer...

ConsumerAction · Save Sorry Business Day of Action 3 August with Josephine Beckhurst

PODCAST: Josephine Beckhurst and the #SaveSorryBusiness Canberra Day of Action

Josephine Beckhurst is a Yorta Yorta woman from Barmah in Victoria's north. Josephine and her family are among the many thousands of First Nations Australians ripped off by Youpla/ACBF, the funeral in...

ConsumerAction · Dianne Dejanovic, Consumer Action's longest serving financial counsellor

PODCAST: Dianne Dejanovic, Consumer Action’s longest serving financial counsellor

Dianne Dejanovic worked for 13 years as a financial counsellor on the National Debt Helpline at Consumer Action. She has helped thousands of people during her time and made a massive contribution t...

Crypto asset secondary service providers consultation paper

Consumer Action broadly supports the intention of the Government to introduce regulation to oversee the rapidly growing crypto asset environment. The crypto marketplace currently poses significant...

We’re Hiring! A Director of Financial Counselling

Director of Financial Counselling About the role Consumer Action Law Centre has a vacancy for a Director of Financial Counselling. Reporting to the CEO you'll be leading our Financial Counselling Te...

An evaluation of our Consumer Advice Service

The Consumer Advice Service (“CAS”or“the service”) is a free telephone legal advice service run by Consumer Action Law Centre(“Consumer Action”) for people living in Victoria. Lawyers delivering th...

ALRC Report 137: Submission to Interim Report A

The Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) first Interim Report as part of a three-year review of complexity in Commonwealth legislation regulating corporations and financial services, has been tab...

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Hayne Royal Commission findings on conflicted remuneration forgotten by Federal Government in long-awaited review

Consumer Advocates are calling for an urgent rewrite of the Federal Government’s Draft Terms of Reference (Draft TOR) for the Quality of Financial Advice Review (Advice Review). “This review is sup...

Evaluation of Work Advice Line 2021 Report Cover

Evaluation of Consumer Action’s Worker Advice Service

The Worker Advice Service plays a central role in Consumer Action’s theory of change. The service aims to provide practical legal advice to Victorian community workers so that they in turn can provide...

ConsumerAction · Katia Sanderson talks impact: What it is and why it is important

PODCAST: Katia Sanderson on impact and why it is important

We hear alot about the increasing importance of measuring the impact of what we do at work, but what exactly are we 'measuring' and how can this analysis make a real and positive difference? Katia...

Framework for reform –Modernising Victoria’s building system

This submission responds primarily to the proposed improvements relating to consumer protection, in particular, the proposals to: Improve existing advocacy and support services for individual con...

Telco conduct harming customers reveals why self-regulation is a failure

A new report by Financial Counselling Australia has criticised the selling practices, customer service and financial hardship programs offered by the telco industry in the wake of COVID-19, revealing ...

Submission: Inquiry into Competition in the Australian Financial System

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) have welcomed the Productivity Commission’s review of c...

Submission: Comment on ASIC CP 284: Example statement of advice for life insurance—Update to RG 90

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on ASIC’s draft Regulatory Guide 90: Example statement of advice: Scaled advice for new customer and Consultation Paper 284. We appreciate the complex and exte...

How the National Debt Helpline is stopping bullies and giving hope

Elizabeth Minter As a journalist, I've had my share of vicarious experience of the shadowy side of life: sign up for a courts round covering criminal cases and you soon realise how lucky you ar...

Future of Financial Advice – Post Implementation Review submission

The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Consultation Paper prepared as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Future of Financial Advice reforms....

Federal Circuit Court Financial Counselling Project Evaluation

Since September 2014, the Federal Circuit Court (FCC) in Melbourne has provided direct financial counselling services to self-represented debtors in the FCC’s Bankruptcy Lists. This pilot service, imp...

“Because you need an interpreter should not disadvantage you and you should not be punished for it”

Funding for the Telephone Interpreter Service must be restored. Email EO@FCRC.org.au to find out more....

Too many Australians have suffered at the hands of financial advisers

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes reports that independent Senator Nick Xenophon MP and Labor Senator Sam Dastyari have called for a last resort compensation scheme for financial services...

Consumer Advocates and Financial Counsellors applaud Federal Parliament’s move to scrap $120 bankruptcy fee

Consumer advocates and financial counsellors have applauded Federal Parliament’s move to stop the Australian Financial Security Authority charging individuals a $120 to declare bankruptcy. The fee, i...

Plan ahead to avoid the New Year credit crunch

In the months after Christmas our financial counsellors hear from hundreds of Victorians struggling with Christmas debt. Their credit card bills have arrived and the cost of presents and festivities,...

Will consolidating my debts help?

Key message Get advice about all your options before: taking out a new loan to pay all your existing loans taking out a loan to consolidate your debt For free, independent and confidenti...

Cancelling a direct debit on a statement account

Key Message: You can cancel a direct debit from your bank account (not a credit card); Get advice about the consequences of not paying a debt before you stop payments. What is a direct debi...

Debt collection – your right to stop contact

Key Message: A creditor or debt collector must not contact you about a debt if you tell them in writing not to contact you about the debt. However, the debt collector can make a genuine threat of...

What can I do if I am having difficulty paying my loan or lease payments?

Key points: if you cannot pay your loan or lease because you are in financial difficulty (hardship) you may have the right to have your payments reduced, or changed in some other way. this i...

Submission: ASIC Consultation Paper on an online database for small amount lenders

Joint submission with Financial Counselling Australia and the Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA) to ASIC's Consultation Paper on an online database for small amount lenders. The Consumer Action Law Ce...

Water debt

[box type="note" icon="none"] Use this information sheet if You are having problems paying your water bill Your water business is demanding that you pay more than you can afford You want to kno...

Electricity and gas debt

Use this information sheet if: you are having trouble paying your electricity or gas bill; or you want information about payment arrangements and your rights. You do have rights under the E...

Home Repossession

[box type="note" icon="none"] Use this Fact Sheet if: You are being pursued for payment of a debt; and You are threatened with court action to take possession of your home or other house or land....

Debt Collection – Seeking Compensation in VCAT

Use this factsheet if you: are being hassled by a debt collector think that a debt collector or a creditor might be acting unfairly or unlawfully want to seek compensation for the distress...

What if I have been sued for a debt?

Key message Act quickly to get advice if you have been sued for a debt in the Magistrate’s Court of Victoria. The Magistrates Court Process If the amount owed is $100,000 or less, a creditor...

Do I have to pay an old debt?

Key Messages: There are time limits for taking legal action. This means that your debts may become too old for a creditor to successfully take legal action against you. Get advice before maki...

Debt collection – I’m being hassled by a debt collector, what should I do?

Use this fact sheet if you: are being hassled by a debt collector; or think that a debt collector or a creditor might be acting unfairly or unlawfully What do I do if I am being hassled b...

Debt collection – What can I do if a debt collector calls?

Use this fact sheet if: a creditor or debt collector has contacted you demanding that you pay a consumer debt; and legal proceedings have not been issued. If your problem relates to Centrel...

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