Joint Media Release: Consumer Groups warn banks’ plan to protect vulnerable customers will fail Consumer groups have today criticised a plan by the four major banks to not include customers who have reached agreement on hardship arrangements with their bank under the new mandatory Comprehensive Credit Regime. “The ABA say that banks intend to protect vulnerable customers from being unfairly treated [ More ]

MEDIA RELEASE Consumer Groups Strongly Disagree with OAIC Credit Reporting Guidance The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has today published Guidance on its website about how lenders should treat Repayment History Information (RHI) for customers that are experiencing financial hardship. RHI is information about whether repayments on loans and credit cards are made on time. Proposed laws will [ More ]

Full-time or Part-time, based in Sydney. This is an identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander position. The Financial Rights Legal Centre is a not-for-profit community legal centre that specialises in helping people understand and enforce their financial rights, especially low income and otherwise marginalised or vulnerable consumers. We provide free and independent financial counselling, legal advice and representation to individuals [ More ]

It’s never been easier to get into debt. And it’s not just those on low incomes struggling to make ends meet – increasingly working people with good incomes are turning to high cost lenders for short term, fast loans. These lenders – most of which offer instant loans online – are making fat profits off people’s desire to have something [ More ]