What’s Hot

May

• Life getting worse for nation’s poor: Salvos

The Salvation Army says an annual survey has found more than half of respondents admitted skipping meals in order to pay for other necessities (16.5.12)

• Government loan scheme to bite sharks

‎The first one-stop financial shop will be opened in Geelong today to provide short-term loans of up to $1200, financial counselling and other community … (14.5.12)

• Mission Australia launches gambling counselling service

  ‎Mission Australia is using shock tactics to launch a new counselling service. … “Even if gambling hasn’t yet become a financial issue for the gambler, … (14.5.12)

• Free advice to better manage your money

• No cuts to rural financial counselling

• ASIC and TIO launch Indigenous audio posters

Banking, Everyday Consumer, NewsASIC and the Territory Insurance Office (TIO) have launched a joint Indigenous financial literacy strategy involving audio posters with messages about ATM fees in 12 Aboriginal languages (12.5.12)

• ACCC and Ombudsmen an important connection in consumer protection 

ACCC chairman Rod Sims today outlined the importance of regulators and Ombudsmen working together to identify issues that pose harm to consumers (12.5.12)

• TIO report responds to consumer concerns

The report recommends incentives to encourage compliance with the TIO scheme, and improved governance with better balance between consumer and industry interests (12.5.12)

• Linked credit case could cast doubt on more NAB student loans

The Consumer Action Law Centre has lodged a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service against the NAB and is seeking to have its client’s NAB student loan terminated (12.5.12)

• Thousands of Sydney children in poverty: Anglicare

• Court overturns sale of $1,000 house

A Melbourne man has won a Supreme Court fight to overturn the sale of his home for $1,000 (10.5.12)

•  Getting By Getting Ahead 2012 a guide to concessions and other ways of keeping costs down”

• Dentists all smiles for Government funding blitz

The peak body for Australian dentists has praised today’s pre-budget announcement of $500 million for dental care.

The funding will be used to treat 400,000 people on the public dental waiting list and to help dentists relocate to rural and remote areas.

The package also includes money to co-ordinate pro bono work for disadvantaged patients, although more than half of the funding comes from other health savings (6.5.12)

• Tough budget works single parents, saves $700m

ALL single, unemployed parents will have their support payments axed when their youngest child turns eight (4.5.12)

• Students pay to rent a chair or sit on the floor (1.5.12)

April

• Two million Aussies can’t afford dental care 

ALMOST two million Australians badly in need of dental care are missing out because they cannot afford it, a consumer group warns (30.4.12) 

• 24/4: Revised payday lending Bill puts profits before people

The Consumer Action Law Centre has condemned the Federal Government’s proposed amendments to its Credit Enhancements Bill, calling them a cave in to industry lobbying and lamenting a lost opportunity to protect thousands of financially vulnerable Australians.

Consumer Action said that, although the Government was dressing these changes up as a compromise, there was no hiding the fact that the new proposal doubles the amount lenders can charge compared to what the Government originally proposed. This is devastating news for the over 50 consumer and community agencies that pledged their public support for the original reforms—and worse news for our clients. Read the full media release here (30.4.12)

• How to save while staying warm this winter (30.4.12)

• Push for dental benefits in Budget (26.4.12)

• Indigenous counsellors take on scammers 
  A GROUP of indigenous financial counsellors have been drafted into the fight against rip-off merchants in remote communities (18.4.12) 

• Helping the homeless saves money: charity
  A new report into homelessness says it costs Australian governments more to leave people on the streets than it does to help them ((17.4.12)

• Vulnerable families foot bill for payday loan inaction, The Drum, 12 April. (13.4.12)
  
• Shrink your power bills by $5, …

• Eight cutbacks to save you thousands (7.4.12)