Women have so much of everyday life to deal with. The fact that the price of petrol, electricity and food prices are increasing faster than what the Jolie-Pitts can say “another baby’ – does not stop the world in its tracks! And most certainly not for moms and women. We still have to see the everyday things like …the children and carpooling and our jobs and the parent/ teacher meetings and supper and so on and so on and so on.Not only do we do it, we do it well! We are planners and organisers by nature, so how come so few of us have a financial plan in place for our own lives? How come so many of us still believe the myth that “women are bad with money”?

We are so bloody phenomenal at everything else that we do, why should we not excel at handling our finances too? Why is the managing of finances in the household still seen as the “mans role”?

Debt specifically, is something which affects so many of us.If you have not have any negative experiences with debt, please send me your name and address, because I want to come live at your house!

As women we have to become financially informed and educated about our finances. We can only become informed when we become pro – active. Go to your creditors. Find out exactly what your balance owing is. Know what your installments are and know what interest rate you are paying. Know exactly how long you still have to be paying your bond and all your other different accounts. This is your right.

Once your financial status has been confirmed, if its not looking good – I beg you, with tears in my light brown eyes – ACCEPT it. If you do not acknowledge that you have a problem, then you cant find a solution!

And we have to admit, no other species does denial better than the female! ” He’s just running late, He will change, My period will come!” All in the same vein of ” My finances will get better” NOT IF YOU DONT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! There is no fairy with a magic wand thats going to make it all disappear. It is not miraculously going to right itself.

So if you have a financial problem. If you are over- indebted. If your expenses exceed your income, If most of your money goes towards paying your debt, if you are struggling to pay for daily livivng expenses……ACKNOWLEDGE the problem and start looking for solutions. Who knows….the answer may be as easy as DEBT COUNSELLING or as soul touching as I HAVE TO DO WHATS BEST FOR ME.

By Moeshfieka Botha

From a very satisfied client

Thank you to Credit Matters for all your assistance in making this process easy to understand. It is through your commitment to assist me that encouraged my commitment to help myself and finish all my accounts with extra cash I may have. My husband is with another DC and needless to say I am ecstatic that I am with you. You’re a DC who cares and offers an open door policy in helping with queries. Once again my sincere thanks to all of you ( especially Mariam Martin and her team ) for helping me in standing tall.

There are very few people that have only one place that they owe money to. Most people have more than one creditor, which means a few accounts, plus vehicle finance plus a bond! You would need a lot of free time and loads of telephone airtime to deal with each of the financial institutions on an individual basis.Have you seen how long they put you on hold for? Just going through your airtime like you got it for free!

And when you do get through to them, doesnt it make sense that they are only going to be putting THEMSELVES first. Why would your vehicle financing department of FNB care that your personal loan at Nedbank is going to receive less money, when they can have the bigger share of your payments?

Now, no denying that Debt Counselling has its flaws. But every creditor gets regarded as equal and if things work as they should…. YOU dont have to be dealing with your creditors, your debt counsellor has the fabulous task of doing this! Now, if you are stressed and over-indebted…….that should be a load off your mind!

Finding a Debt Counsellor (video 2 of 10)

Watch the below video to see where Credit Matter’s offices are in Cape Town. For those walking the street of Cape Town, come in and see the wacky world of Debt Counselling with Credit Matters. We are located in the centre of town so have a look at the video to see where we are. There is never a dull moment in our offices as we try to fight off the creditors, champion the case of the underdog and generally make debt counselling work. (The first person to mention this video each day when visiting, will get a FREE cup of coffee.. Cell C are showing us the way..)

Debt counselling works! (video 1 of 10)

So you would like to know more about Debt Counselling… The good, the bad and the ugly… well almost. Moeshfieka Botha, Media and Communnications Manager for Credit Matters will give you the low down in this first of 10 series of videos.  Let her know if there are any topics you would like her to discuss in her series.  Contact her on 021 431 9100…

Credit Matters is pleased to announce that we will be publishing a series of 10 free videos answering questions on debt counselling. The first one will hopefully be pubished today.  Moeshfieka Botha is well known as a presenter on current affair programmes on debt. She is a presenter on CTV and writes for various publications on debt, debt counselling, loan consolidation and credit management. Hope you enjoy the series.

For consumers under debt review, the FIFA World Cup may bring further financial woes if monthly payments are missed. While there is no doubt that the World Cup is one of the most exciting events in the history of South Africa, and a time for celebration and fun, the darker side to this once-in-a-lifetime event is the overspending and lapses on payments – especially for consumers who are already undergoing counselling and review for debt. Match tickets, supporter clothing, accessories, drinks, food and other social spending is almost unavoidable, and as a result, many have overspent during this time.

Debt experts advise South Africans to be very careful about not missing monthly repayments, especially if they are already under review. Missing payments could have disastrous consequences, and could result in credit providers terminating the review and taking defaulting consumers to court. Instead, South African consumers should aim to stick to their budgets as much as possible – spending wisely and saving as much as possible. Reckless or unwise spending is already common with South Africans, with over eight million in debt – many of these will not be able to regain the losses they will face with defaulted payments, which makes it all the more essential to keep up monthly payments even during special events such as the World Cup. Speak to our debt counsellors to learn more about effective debt solutions.

While they may find it harder to approach help to get debt counselling, more men than women are in debt across the world. In the UK, recent studies from leading debt charities have shown that an increasing number of men are beginning to turn to counsellors for help with their debts – something which has previously not been as common as women seeking counselling for financial worries. One of the biggest reasons is the fact that women in general find it easier to ask for help in any situation, while men may feel embarrassed or powerless when reaching a difficult situation such as bad debt, and admitting this and seeking help may seem difficult for many. Read more »

With financial worries ranking as one of the highest stress indicators in the world, it is not surprising that debt review and mental health go hand in hand. Anyone who has ever experienced the worry of debt will understand how easy it is to sink into depression or severe stress with the worry of mounting bills and maxed out credit limits, and some have even faced mental breakdowns due to the surmounting stress of bad debt. What many do not know however is that with help from counsellors especially trained to assist consumers in handling debt, this burden can be significantly lessened, helping them manage their debts effectively and strictly.

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Debt review, a frightful word for some and a necessary solution for others – many of us have had to face this reality thanks to a very tough financial year. Financial stress and strain has undoubtedly been the theme for the past 18 months. South Africans have had a rough economic time lately – and everyone from all sectors of society has been affected. Whether you are a teacher, an office worker, a doctor or a domestic worker – everyone has struggled. You are not alone, we are all in the same boat and the rough seas are starting to slowly clear.

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