Financial Counselling Newsletters - 23 December

Written on the 23 December 2020 by SAFCA

FCA Weekly Bulletin

• Christmas message
• Haines speech opposes winding back of Responsible Lending Laws
• EAP Newsletter
• Telstra hardship team Christmas operating hours

FCAN Sharkwatch Financial Counselling Journal

• Financial Abuse is a hidden scourge in Australia
• The ATO and Self Managed Super Funds
• Safe Lending Laws
• The year in review Personal Insolvency
   

FCA Weekly Bulletin

Monday 14 - Friday 18 December

Welcome to the final edition of our Weekly Digest for 2020! What a year it's been.

Here at Financial Counselling Australia, we'll be taking a break over the Christmas and New Year's period. Our office will be closed 25th December - 6th January.

There will be no Toolkit administration support, no Weekly Digest and no new posts from us in this group during the break.

Looking for a different Weekly Digest? You can find all our previous versions on the Weekly Digest Toolkit page.

Haines Speech Opposing Wind Back of Responsible Lending, Quotes a Financial Counsellor

Independent Member for Indi in the House of Representatives, Helen Haines, responds to the government's proposed wind back of responsible lending laws in the speech below.

Haines quotes the concerns of Sandra Blake, a financial counsellor working with bushfire affected small businesses.

This shows the significant impact that contacting your local politicians and speaking out can have. Thank you to those who have already done so.

Have you had responses from MPs or Senators? If so, it would be great if you could share these with James Sleep at james.sleep@financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au. Thank you.

Link to video

Haines Speech Opposing Wind Back of Responsible Lending, Quotes a Financial Counsellor

Independent Member for Indi in the House of Representatives, Helen Haines, responds to the government's proposed wind back of responsible lending laws in the speech below.

Haines quotes the concerns of Sandra Blake, a financial counsellor working with bushfire affected small businesses.

This shows the significant impact that contacting your local politicians and speaking out can have. Thank you to those who have already done so.

Have you had responses from MPs or Senators? If so, it would be great if you could share these with James Sleep at james.sleep@financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au. Thank you.

EAP Newsletter: Wrapping Up 2020

As part of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) package for the sector, we receive emails with wellbeing tips that include helpful resources.

The theme of this week's newsletter is clear communication. In 2020, being clear about what we required from those around us moved us forward in this year of uncertainty.

It includes resources about:

• Clear Communication
• AccessMyEAP App
• Loneliness
• Wellbeing Calendar
• Calm & Connected

You can read the full newsletter by clicking here

Telstra Specialised Assistance Team: Christmas Holiday Hours

To help you plan around the holiday break, the Telstra Specialised Assistance Team have let us know their availability over the holidays.

Specialised Assistance Team will go to skeleton staff from 21 December 2020 they'll still have enough coverage of the call queue.

It's best that any FC wanting to engage with the Hardship team during this period email specialassistance@online.telstra.com.au . Wait times may be higher than normal.

The call queue will be closed over the national public holidays 25 December, 28 December and 1 January.

For urgent requests - the inbox will be the best contact point, as this will be monitored throughout the holiday period.

They return to normal staffing levels from 4 January 2021.

FCAN Sharkwatch

Read the latest edition of Sharkwatch, the Financial Counselling Journal, click here