Debt agreements are an alternative to declaring bankruptcy. Rather than be haunted by the irreversible effects that bankruptcy can have on your credit record, entering into a debt agreement can give you a debt-free fresh start. They’re becoming the popular choice for Australians in need of debt solutions. Debt agreements are overseen by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA). As a government body, it’s AFSA’s job to regulate debt agreement administrators, in order to ensure they are resolving debt at the highest standard possible. The AFSA has been finding an increasing number of Australians are turning to debt agreements to solve their debt problems.
Why So Many Australians Are Turning to Debt Agreements
Although a debt agreement is technically an act of bankruptcy as it is under the Bankruptcy Act of 1966, it is considered another option to going bankrupt. There are also many differences between the two, making one look like a much better option to thousands of Australians. A formal debt agreement will appear on your credit file for five years and can prevent you from obtaining further finance during that time.
The AFSA has reported that there were 28, 288 personal insolvency cases reported across Australia during the 2014-15 financial year. Additionally, their June report found that there was an increase of 4.3% for people who entered into Debt Agreements compared with the March quarter. That figure rose from 2,568 to 2,678. Of the Australians who entered Debt Agreements, only 7.7% of them were for business-related reasons, which suggest that the rest were personal debts like credit card debt from overspending.
The amount of Australians entering into debt agreements for personal reasons shows that as a nation, we frequently get over our heads in arrears. Whether getting into uncontrollable debt is due to living beyond our means or just poor budgeting remains to be seen. Debt agreements are for unsecured debts; unpaid credit card, telephone and utility bills. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) puts the nation’s credit card debt at nearly $32 billion, which works out to approximately $4,300 per cardholder. That’s quite a lot of unsecured debt. It’s no wonder people are having difficulty making repayments.
Debt agreements are for people without a former bankruptcy on their credit record, who want to pay back their creditors. Going through a practitioner who specialises in agreements, your debt is negotiated with creditors and merged into a big sum that you pay back over time. If you have a debt agreement, the interest is frozen and anyone you owe is no longer able to contact you to request payment. It takes away the multiple burdens of debt collectors sending letters and making phone calls.
If you’re in need of a solution to your financial burdens, fill out our enquiry form and find out how we can help you.
