Moneycare can ease your financial worries today
Moneycare can ease your financial worries today
19 October 2016
Today is Moneycare Day, and The Salvation Army’s Territorial Moneycare Coordinator, Tony Devlin, is encouraging Australians to change one thing to improve their financial situation. “This could be as simple as changing a bank account or starting a savings plan,” he said.
Moneycare is a Salvation Army service that provides free and confidential financial counselling. The service helps people in financial difficulty, in a financial crisis situation or who wish to avoid financial difficulties.
Thirty-five Moneycare sites across the Australia Eastern Territory, from Cairns to Broken Hill to Albury, have been set up today in shopping centres, Salvation Army centres, Family stores, Salvos Stores and other community centres to offer free financial advice in a number of different ways.
In Canberra, Moneycare is holding a mini expo, featuring a number of Salvation Army services, including financial counselling and the Army’s No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS). In Dubbo, Moneycare is hosting an energy awareness day to offer electricity savings advice.
For people who are unable to visit a Moneycare stall in their local area, Tony encourages them to head to the salvos.org.au/moneycare website to sign a pledge and commit to making a financial change. The pledge will be processed by a Moneycare staff member who will then contact that individual and assist them with their request.
“If they say, ‘I want to change my bank account’, we understand that so we’ll get someone to contact them and help them through that process. They don't have to know the detail,” Tony said.
Moneycare Day is being supported by Nine Network’s finance editor and 2GB radio presenter, Ross Greenwood, who will be offering financial advice throughout today via his social media pages.
Tony’s top three financial tips:
1. Avoid “Dud Debt”. This includes pay-day loans and consumer leases. Seek out a no-interest loan via The Salvation Army’s NILS option.
2. Find the right bank account for you and use it correctly to minimise fees and charges, such as using foreign ATMs. Not many people know that they can be on a basic bank account that doesn’t have any fees or changes.
3. Purchase basic insurance to protect yourself from unexpected financial costs such as car damage. Only in the last 12 to 18 months has basic insurance become available that is appropriate for lower income people.
If you are struggling financially or need further advice regarding the above tips, Moneycare is available to assist. Go to salvos.org.au/moneycare for further information.
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