Publications

This handbook is a practical guide for people having trouble with their mortgage.  Getting behind on your repayments for a home loan is stressful. This handbook will help guide you to get a repayment arrangement in place with your lender.  It explains your options and it has sample documents you can use and a list of useful contacts.

This edition of the Mortgage Stress Handbook was written by the Financial Rights Legal Centre (then known as the Consumer Credit Legal Centre) in 2011 with input from Legal Aid NSW. This edition reflects the changes brought in under the new national regulatory framework for credit. The first edition was written by Legal Aid NSW in 2009.

The Handbook is available online at www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/mortgagestresshandbook.  Or free copies are available from Legal Aid NSW by calling 02 9219 5028.

CCLC released its ‘Report in relation to Debt Collection’ in April 2004. The report, produced with support from the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, reviewed the law in relation to debt collection, and consulted with industry and consumer stakeholders. In partnership with the Australian Consumers’ Association, we surveyed consumers regarding their experience of debt collection practices.

The level of consumer debt in Australia has been growing at unprecedented rates. At the same time there have been changes in debt collection practices, including increased outsourcing of debt collection to specialised debt collection agencies, and considerable consolidation of the debt collection industry resulting in a number of large, listed companies operating across state borders.

The report identifies a number of issues of concern, including harassment, collecting old debts, credit reporting, issues in relation to proof of debt, and other unethical debt collection practices.

CCLC was commissioned by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to conduct a research project on finance and mortgage brokers operating in Australia. We set out to look at some key aspects of the broker industry in Australia (such as fee/commission structures, access to lenders, etc) as well as the consumer issues that arise out of the use of broker services. The Report was released in March 2003, and contains an extensive analysis of the Australian broker industry, the regulation of brokers, the effectiveness of consumer redress, international regulation of brokers, and suggestions for reform.