DEBT COUNSELLING
What is Debt Counselling?
If you are in debt and are having difficulty making regular monthly payments, Debt Counselling / Debt Review will assist you with getting your budget under control and implementing a new repayment plan with your creditors.
Debt Counselling / Debt Review can only be offered by a qualified Debt Counsellor who is registered with the National Credit Regulator.
During the first step you will be asked to submit your documentation such as ID, payslips/ bank statements, etc and to complete an application form for Debt Counselling / Debt Review. A credit report and register you on the NCR (National Credit Regulator System) as well as on the Debt Help System.
During the next step your debt counsellor will inform all credit providers that you have applied for debt review and request all account balances from them. This information will be captured on the system.
The debt counsellor will now prepare a proposal based on your financial situation together with the information sent by the credit providers. You will approve this proposal along with the credit providers who will either send an acceptance letter or a counter proposal.
When the final agreement is reached with all credit providers, your court application is prepared and the attorneys obtain a court date.The attorney will then appear in court to have your application granted by the Magistrate of the Court.
The entire process takes 60 business days, from the date that you apply for debt review until the court application is brought to the relevant Magistrate’s Court.
Once your debt has been paid back, your debt counsellor will request a paid up letter from the creditors. Once all of these letters have been received we will issue you with a Clearance Certificate which is then sent to all creditors and the NCR in order for your name to be cleared on the credit bureaus.
This is how will Debt Counselling Help You?
You receive protection under the National Credit Act
From the moment you apply for Debt Counselling / Debt Review with us your creditors cannot touch you as long as you pay regular monthly installments. No threatening calls from credit providers. No more judgements against you. No more garnishees. Absolutely no legal action will be taken against you if your monthly payments are up to date. This is the best way to clear your debt and to become debt free.
Pay one monthly installment
A new repayment plan is discussed with the creditors which means you’ll be paying a much smaller amount every month. On average your new installment will be between 40% and 60% of what you are currently paying!!
- Pay 70% of normal vehicle installment
- Pay 80% of normal Bond installment
- On unsecured debt, pay between 30% and 40% of normal installment. We
can reschedule the payment over 5 years and the interest rate will be substantially lower
Be able to afford your monthly commitments
Because the National Credit Act acknowledges that your household is under stress and that this stress must be relieved, our job is to help you to start breathing again, to live life again. We’ll help reduce your monthly debt burden in order for you to afford your personal monthly commitments.
The negotiations are done on your behalf
The Debt Counsellor takes over here, your creditors are not even allowed to call you. They have to talk to the debt councillor. The Debt Counsellor notifies the creditors of your situation. The Debt Counsellor requests a Certificate of Balance and then starts negotiating with the creditors on your behalf. Ultimately, The Debt Counsellor ensure that you enter into a manageable repayment plan, lower monthly payments, lower monthly interest.