Debtfree DIGI Jan 2016 by Debtfree Magazine

South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debt counselling magazine

January 2016 www.debtfreedigi.co.za

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CONTENTS NEWS

Complaints

Nedbank Interview

Scary Calls & SMS’

PDA’s

SERVICE DIRECTORY

EDITOR’S NOTE For those who got to have a break at the end of the year, going back to work, school and reality in Jan can be somewhat down heartening. All that fun is soon forgotten, especially when the bills arrive or the collections people start to call. However January is also a time to look ahead and if necessary make plans for change. It is a natural psychological fresh start. This is why so many of us plan to lose weight, make more money, start that business, exercise more and get rid of debt. And the holidays followed by back to school stuff can sure run up those debts super fast. It is no wonder then that the industry has experienced a higher than normal amount of applications for debt review so far this month. One large firm who takes on lots of clients even reported having twice the normal number of applications this month. Let’s be honest, with all the negative economic factors and increases in prices (and a weakening Rand, interest rates going up etc) it is going to be a very tough year. Those who managed to scrape by in years past are probably going to have to make some big changes this year if they want to even have a chance of being able to afford a roof over their head and food on the table. Getting financial help through debt review means learning to trust a new person (your Debt Counsellor). In this month’s issue we discuss who and when to trust and when it is time to

complain (and who to complain to). We also look at new online resources which consumers can use to learn more about dealing with debt and the debt review process. Recently the Nedbank Debt Review Centre had a change in leadership and we discuss this fresh start as we interview Denise Hartley about her new role. We also consider how you can build a good team spirit at your firm. Daring to go where angles fear to tread, we address the industry ‘elephant in the room’ as we look at the looming situation developing with regard to Payment Distribution Agencies and application of certain requirements of the NCA & Regulations. That and other news, advice and stories. Nothing makes a better fresh start than getting to grips with your financial situation when it has been out of control. If you have not already done so then maybe now is the time to talk to a Debt Counsellor and take the first steps toward becoming debt free.

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Debt Review TV

tried to sell the property but that fell through. January saw the launch of a new debt review The couple were well into their 60s. Recently information service called Debt Review TV. the bank tried to take legal action against the DRTV is essentially an online ‘TV’ channel all couple and to sell off the property. The couple about debt review and debt counselling. The with the help of some legal experts raised the project is still in it’s infancy but the aim is for defense of Reckless Credit granting by the DRTV to be the easiest place for consumers bank. They were able to do so since the last big to watch online news about debt review ,and loan (they asked for R300 000 and were given to find videos and TV shows all about dealing R500 000) was after the NCA came into effect. with debt or debt review. Already consumers At that time the bank were dealing with both can visit the online youtube.com channel and the couple and their daughter (as surety). watch TV show episodes like: Carte Blanche and Money Matters as well as the SABC’s Since 2007 credit can be declared ‘reckless’ for Rands with Sense all of which have content a number of reasons such as if the consumer about debt review. Also on DRTV are web never understood what they were signing, episodes of Media24’s, Finance24, SABC News could not repay what was demanded or if the and lots of interviews with Debt Counsellors. bank never checked all the facts and figures Watch Videos Now: https://www.youtube. or never provided the right papers to the consumer. The court case in regard to this com/channel/UCHPA46jtA6fgoephpbIzQtQ particular matter took place at the end of 2015 and the verdict recently became available.

Reckless Lending Court Case

A number of years ago (before the National Credit Act kicked in) Mr. & Mrs. De Beer were approaching retirement age and were planning for their future. They settled upon the idea of a small holding with some farming. Mr. De Beer (and later Mrs. De Beer) used their payouts upon retirement to buy a small holding and begin farming. Things did not go exactly according to plan and so they had to turn to the bank for a loan... or two... or three. At one point they even

Some of the main points which came to light were that The couple were older and faced having to settle the loan at the age of 85+-. This would put them well beyond the age were they might realistically be able to earn and pay. The property was their main residence/only home. As such selling off the property would leave them homeless. As in many other cases ABSA had lost all the original documents. The consumers also said they were not properly evaluated by the bank. At one point, the couple

NEWS CONTINUED say they were just called and told to go sign papers after the bank had dealings with their daughter (a business lady whose business was barely ticking over herself). This was for R500 000. Various loans and payments show the farm was in unsuccessful. The judge described it as a bottomless pit into which money was being poured and said no one could think this was a successful business and good investment, including the bank. Four large loans were taken to try keep the farm afloat. In 2003 – R100 000; in 2005 – R200 000; in 2006 – R651 000 in 2008 – R500 000. The bank made the couple’s daughter sign surety for the loan. In their calculations (on the computer) the bank used the income of the couple (R600+ each month)PLUS that of the daughter. This is a problem since a surety is only relevant when the main parties to a loan fail to make payment and not during the evaluation of ability to pay. Even so, the daughter would not have been able to pay the amount each month anyway.

declared to loan ‘reckless’ and has told the bank they cannot have the property or the money back. It was also highlighted that to avoid credit being reckless a creditor not only has to do an assessment but also the result of the assessment (if it shows the consumer cant realistically pay) needs to be used. You can’t do an evaluation and realistically see that a consumer will not be able to pay and then still lend them the money anyway. The case sets a number of important presidents and also serves to encourage those who in the past have been victims of reckless lending. These things take time and effort but it is often worth it to fight against legal action by a bank who is actually dealing with the result of it’s own employees past mistakes. The bank have made it clear that they have learnt from past issues, like this, and have changed their internal policies (a few years back now) so that the income of the surety is no longer taken into consideration when doing affordability assessments. It is encouraging to see that this policy has already wisely been changed - this case was from quite a while back. No doubt this was a strong R1.7 million reminder of exactly why the policy was changed in the first place. Download: ABSA v De Beer & other Case no.26749 2001

During the case expert witnesses for both sides were called and the Judge found that the bank had failed in it’s obligations (both financial and moral). The lack of original paperwork harmed the bank’s case greatly. though as usual they pointed to other typical documents that might have been in use at the time. The fact that the bank took the daughter’s income and lumped African Bank it together with the parents when working out Find New Insurers their ability to repay the loan was also a big African Bank (which is now under curatorship), mistake by the bank. has announced that they have secured a new insurance arm for their banking and credit Due to the bank failing to make sure the granting operations. This follows after a lot consumers could actually pay back the of fun and games involving members of their amount required every month the judge old home grown insurance (Standard General

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NEWS CONTINUED Insurance Company) got greedy and basically put themselves out of business. African Bank’s curator, Mr Tom Winterboer, announced that Guardrisk Life Limited has been appointed to underwrite their insurance (for African Bank and Good Bank). It is a bit convoluted but Afircan Bank’s InsureCo (which will hold all insurance interests as part of the Good Bank Group) will be underwritten by Guardrisk Life as of mid January 2016. Brian Riley, CEO designate of Good Bank, said: “We are extremely pleased with this significant development which provides further impetus to the anticipated finalisation of the restructuring of African Bank in less than three months’ time. The new arrangement with Guardrisk, a leading cell captive insurer, represents a big step forward, and is mutually beneficial for both African Bank and its customers.” African Bank Curator Mr Winterboer plans to launch the new Good Bank during April 2016.

Finchoice and FoneChoice

At the close of the year the National Credit regulator sent out a circular in regard to credit provider Finchoice. They asked all Debt Counsellors to use the following number when communicating with Finchoice: 0861 346 333.

DC Annual Renewal Fees to be 5 x More Expensive From 2016?

The Department of Trade and Industry have published for comment a proposal that Debt Counsellor annual renewal fees be set at R500 (as opposed to the current R100). The proposal is probably based on the idea that the National Credit Regulator (NCR) have plans

to issue annual registration certificates to Debt Counsellors who renew their registration. At present, the NCR only issue such certificates once when Debt Counsellors first apply. They still renew the registration each year. The main change then is the printing and distribution of these certificates. It seems that this may cost 5 times as much as previously. There has been a lot of concern across the industry that the NCR may not have capacity to handle the many thousands of certificates which will need to be produced each year in a timeous fashion. The plan will no doubt require that the NCR hire a large number of staff if they even want to realistically try to accomplish this goal. This will require a lot more salaries be paid. In 2015 the NCR were said to have run into funding / budgeting problems and spent their budget before the year ended. It could be that the DTI & NCR feel that the fees simply need to be reviewed after so many years since the fees were first published. This is something that has been raised over the last few years by Debt Counsellors particularly in regard to the fees that Debt Counsellors can charge for performing a debt review. One of the consequences of the NCR running out of funds was that they announced that they were not going to able to complete a review of the fees Debt Counsellors themselves can charge as they would not be able to pay their consultants in this matter. The DTI have called for comment on the proposed changes. If you feel the increase is too high, too low or otherwise, feel free to comment. You can Download the DTI Notice Here: http://debtfreedigi.co.za/wpcontent/uploads/2016/01/Proposed-DTI-regto-Increase-DC-Renewal-Fees-Jan-2016.pdf You can send your comment (before 12 Feb 2016) to: SKumkani@thedti.gov.za

HOW TO DEAL WITH SCARY SMS’S or PHONE CALLS WHEN IN DEBT REVIEW

The situation may arise where a consumer gets a collection call, supposedly from a credit provider (or a collections agent) and the person on the line claims that they are not receiving funds from the Debt Counsellor. Immediately you will know that the collections person is somewhat unfamiliar with just how the debt review process actually works. Debt Counsellors don’t touch the Money The amendments to the National Credit Act (from March 2015) prohibits a Debt Counsellor from acting as a collection agent or do payments for consumers. In Chapter 5 of the Regulations it says: “ a Debt Counsellor must not collect and distribute monies on behalf of Consumers”. This means that the Debt Counsellor, while responsible for the repayment proposal and negotiations, is not responsible for any consumer’s actual debt repayment. Even so, such a call may cause the consumer to panic. The consumer may start to think that the Debt Counsellor could be doing something funny or not doing their job. Who to Trust? The question is: why would you suddenly trust a complete stranger on the phone, who you have never met when you know your Debt Counsellor, talk to them often, pay them each month, read emails from them and are able to go visit their office any time you want? Why trust a stranger over someone you know? When they demand Proof When a creditor calls a consumer to discuss payments or lack thereof, it is always the consumers’ responsibility to provide the creditor with proof of payment. The proof of payment can be provided by the 3rd party payment agent appointed by the consumer (a PDA) or their own deposit slips (if they are paying directly themselves). Since a Debt Counsellor does not deal with the payments it is not really the Debt Counsellor’s responsibility to provide proof of payment. They do not carry that info on their internal system. If however, a creditor does ask for proof of payment directly from a Debt Counsellor, rather than a consumer, then the Debt Counsellor must obtain it from the consumer (or their PDA) and provide it to the creditor as speedily as possible. Scary SMS’ It is important to know that collections sms’ are usually not typed up one by one with you specifically in mind. It is not like they are specially sent to you by a human. Sorry they just don’t love you enough to do that. They are normally automatically generated on a computer software

system and sent in bulk to thousands of consumers, from a number to which you cannot reply. Those sms’ are not legally binding, they are at best simply reminders or providing you with information. Debt Counsellors can do nothing about them. Consumers can however complain to the credit provider, ombud or NCR if they wish. Scary Phone Calls The same goes for a call center agent claiming that your debt review is somehow “terminated, deleted, cancelled, legal action is forth coming or they have no knowledge of any debt review and various other “interesting” claims they make. Debt review is a legislative process with lots and lots of paperwork. It is a process done via the courts (not over the phone). So be sure to ask your Debt Counsellor to provide you with a copy of your complete court application as all the required documentation is contained therein. Since you have to sign an affidavit along the way that says you have read these papers you should get a copy anyway. Normally this court stuff will happen in the second month of your debt review (maybe 3rd month). If any call center agent claims they don’t know about the debt review, ask for their email address and send these papers to them. A court order is a formal process and must be dealt with in a formal manner. Call center agents, MUST be trained to know and understand the National Credit Act and need to provide a consumer with documentation (as prescribed in the Act) to back up their claim. E.g. if your debt review application is not completed thought the courts a creditor may issue a NOTICE to inform the consumer that they intend to terminate the debt review. If they say this is happening then ask for the papers to show this. If this is true then it would be good to speak to your Debt Counsellor in those circumstances. There are several remedial actions your Debt Counsellor can then take upon receipt of such a notice. True termination of the process is only really possible with the granting of a court judgment. It is also good to know that for it to be valid, an 86(10) termination notice must be served on three parties: the consumer, the Debt Counsellor and the NCR via registered mail. This is prescribed by law and as you can imagine takes a long time. Are you being Lied to? If there is no judgment actually terminating the credit agreement between you and the creditor, then the claim from the call center agent is simply untrue. Please note it is required by law for consumers to be RICA’d and FICA’d and if your contact details are not updated and legal notices are sent to the incorrect address it will be a problem for you. This is your responsibility not the Debt Counsellor’s. If you move be sure to let everyone know. It helps protect you. Hiding does the opposite. Missed a Payment? If your debt restructuring court order has already been granted and you are in arrears with payment, then creditors do not have to serve a notice but can summons you directly. Non or partial payments on court orders are contempt of court and creditors have the right to start legal action. It is oh so very important that consumers do not skip any payments when a court order

is granted. If you have problems meeting your payment obligations as set out in the court order, contact your Debt Counsellor straight away and ask them to assist you before legal action is taken. Don’t just imagine that there will be no negative consequences for missing payments. If you leave it and a lawyer gets involved it means you will end up spending more money that could have better been used to pay off debt. This is not something the Debt Counsellor is responsible for and if legal action is needed it will have to be referred to a lawyer. Who must pay the actual Debts? You may be surprised to learn that some people get confused about this point. Debt Counsellors are what Is called Non Officio applicants on a debt review court order which allows them to facilitate the completion of the debt restructuring process but this does not mean that the Debt Counsellor is in any way responsible for the consumer’s debt repayments. It is the consumer who drives the car, lives in the house, spent the money from their credit card/personal loan. and they are responsible to pay it back. Don’t expect someone else to pay your debts for you and never miss a payment. What to do when a call center agent is phoning you: · If they claim that they do not know about the debt review matter then ask the call center agent to provide you with an email address and then you can send them your debt review court order/ court application. Alternatively send the creditors email address to your Debt Counsellor and ask them to send it on your behalf to the creditor and cc you in the email. • If the call center agent does not have an email address or fax number in order for you to provide them with documentation, ask them to send you the required legal notices. Those legal notices must also include the proof of service (which is a Post Office track and trace number and dates sent and/or the Sherriff’s notice of delivery). Ensure that the Debt Counsellor gets a copy from you to attend to. • If the call center agent claims they are not receiving payments, ask them to provide you - in terms of section 110 of the Act - with a full statement of your account in order for you and/ or your Debt Counsellor to investigate why they are not receiving payments. You can also send them the monthly distribution lists of debt repayments or your own proof of payment. • If they ask you for contact details, inform them that if they claim to be the creditor you are RICA’d and FICA’d and they should have your details on record. Beware of scams! • If you ask the call center agent to phone the Debt Counsellor and he/she refuses, the call center agent might be 100% correct. In terms of the PoPI Act the collection agent may not speak to a 3rd party about you. Your personal information is protected by this Act. The creditor themselves however has a copy of the debt review documentation giving them

permission to speak to the Debt Counsellor about your situation. This is just another way to know who is phoning you. • Do not give any call center agent any personal information, ask them to provide it to you for you to confirm. Once again: Beware of scams! • If you do not want to give a call centre agent permission to record your voice then inform them. They may be confused but will have to (a) turn off the software recoding the call or (b) end the call. What won’t help at all Asking a call center agent to phone your Debt Counsellor when you have not made any payments won’t help. It might get them off the phone but the reality is that the Debt Counsellor cannot help you or them. After all the Debt Counsellor went to a lot of trouble to make a plan they knew you could realistically stick to and told the court that you would be able to do so. Something else to remember is that if you do not pay your creditors it is usually the case that the Debt Counsellor was not paid either. You have stopped paying for their service. A Debt Counsellor is like any other service provider, if they don’t get paid, then they don’t have to provide a service. What to do when a creditor is Harassing you Sometimes collections calls can go too far. If you are being harassed by creditors or by collections agents then you do not have to just accept it. You can take action to make it stop. Here are some of your many options: Complain to the NCR on form 29: http://www.ncr.org.za/sd-complaints Complain to the Council for Debt Collectors: http://cfdc.org.za/procedure-for-complaints/ Complain to the Law Society if the collection agent works for a lawyer: http://www.lssa.org.za/public/complaining-about-an-attorney Complain to the Consumer Commission: http://www.thencc.gov.za/ All complaint processes take some time but if you don’t complain you will never get anyone to change their behavior. If lots of people complain then these firms and naughty collections agents will have to change their processes.

Protect your credit profile Take immediate action if you’re struggling to repay your loans. How you know you might be trouble How do you know if you’re heading for credit trouble? Here are some warning signs. • You depend on inconsistent, unpredictable income such as overtime or an extra part-time job to pay your bills, or you are always looking for extra cash by selling goods to pay your debts • Your expenses exceed your income and you run out of money before the end of the month • You borrow money from family members and friends to get through the month or pay your bills • You are repeatedly at or near the maximum credit limits on your credit or store cards, and other credit • You often struggle to make the minimum payments on any of your credit agreements • You regularly miss payments and keep falling further behind every month • You can’t save or need to take money from your savings to pay bills • You take more credit to pay off other credit and to make ends meet What can you do? Be proactive. These steps can help you when you find yourself in financial trouble and can’t make your loan repayments.

• Contact your credit providers to negotiate and reschedule or consolidate your credit • Stop increasing your debt. Close unnecessary accounts and limit yourself to only 1 or 2 important ones • List all your credit. Prioritise paying off debt that is close to being paid off first, or credit with the highest interest rate, or accounts where legal action is being taken against you • Use our cellphone app to view your transaction history and start tracking your expenses. Keep a record of all money that goes in and out of your accounts. Identify areas where you overspend and reduce those expenses. Cut any spending on luxury items • Once you’ve paid off one account, use the money you save to help pay off another debt • Add income by selling anything you don’t need. If you can, use your hobby to make extra cash • Get a credit health check up. Once a year you can get a free credit report from one of the credit bureaus • Look at your insurance products to see where can switch to a cheaper option. Use the money you save to help pay off your debts

Complaining to the NCR (as per the NCA)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.â&#x20AC;? Jane Wagner When it is time to Complain If you are having serious issues with a credit provider, credit bureau, PDA or Debt Counsellor then you probably have thought about complaining. Complaining is perhaps easier these days than ever before. Social media is a big outlet for complaints as are sites like Hello Peter but in most cases all these companies have internal complaints processes that you can first make use of. This allows for a friendly and cooperative process that works for both parties.

Maybe you have not received your monthly statement from your PDA or creditor. Perhaps you have been verbally abused or are being harassed by a collections agent. Perhaps you have not been able to make contact with the company despite many visits and emails, calls and sms’. What though if you have not got a response to your complaints or maybe the response you received is entirely unsatisfactory. This may mean that it is time to take the matter to the next level. The question is: who can you complain to?

The NCR In SA, all complaints against registrants under the National Credit Act (Debt Counsellors, Creditors, Credit Bureaus and PDAs) fall under the jurisdiction of the National Credit Regulator (NCR). The NCR is a body established with jurisdiction in the Republic of South Africa and subject only to the Constitution and the law. The NCR is required, by law, to investigate all alleged contraventions of the National Credit Act (NCA) by any of the registrants including reckless credit. The NCA says that the NCR have to be impartial, transparent without fear or favour and may not be prejudiced. If you complain to them then the NCR is required to investigate. The NCR can’t just decide not to investigate. The NCR don’t rule on the matter, as if they are a court or anything but they do have a look into the matter and can refer the matter on to an ombud (with jurisdiction), consumer court or an alternative dispute resolution agent or appoint an investigator as quickly as possible. These parties can help pursue the investigation and will hopefully assist you in understanding the situation. After completing an investigation and finding a problem the NCR is then required, by law, to refer the matter to either a consumer court, the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT) or the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Recently the NCR received complaints about several different credit providers charging illegal insurance on consumers accounts. After an investigation, the matters were referred to the NCT for a ruling. The NCR suggested to the NCT that the credit providers be given big fines to punish them and refund the consumers. In some extreme cases the NCR has even asked that the NCT cancel the registration of a credit provider or Debt Counsellor.

What Not To Expect Don’t expect the NCR to solve your problem for you. The NCR is not legally in a position to make a ruling on a matter or actually just close a complaint but are bound in terms of the Act to refer the matter to the relevant authority. What many people don’t know is that if the NCR does not find that a contravention of the Act is relevant (or don’t want to investigate) they must issue the complainant with what is called a Non-Referral letter. The consumer can then use that letter to refer the matter to the National Consumer Tribunal by themselves if they are unhappy with this outcome and are convinced there is a problem.

How To Complain If you have tried and failed to get help from the other party then after communicating with them several times it may now be time to complain to the NCR. Their website is www.ncr.org.za. They have a special page for complaints on their site namely http://www.ncr.org.za/sd-complaints. In terms of section 136 you can use fill in a complaint Form 29 with all the details of the problem in order for them to investigate. The Form 29 that you download is a bit silly as it hardly has any space for the actual complaint. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry about that you can just add a page or pages at the back of the form with as many details as possible so that they can fully understand the issue. This may mean that you have a lot of pages. It is better to add more info than leave anything out. Once completed you can send it to: complaints@ncr.org.za. If possible try send the smallest file size as their server does have limitations and complaints of several Gb will just bounce back.

It Takes Time With the internal turn around goal time set at 90 days (3 months) it is important to be realistic about these matters. Complaints can take many months and in some cases even years to fully resolve with the NCT etc once referred there. Understanding how the NCR handle a complaint matter will help you anticipate their response and a realistic turn around time. It is a rule of thumb that complaints take a while and you may need to be proactive and follow up after a short while just to check that it is receiving attention. You will then have to wait and see where they refer the matter to. Remember to ask for a Non-Referral letter if they say the matter is not going to be investigated further.

Article References: The relevant sections of the National Credit Act are Section 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 19 and Section 136, 139 and 140 to be read with Regulation 50 and 52.

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telephone 079 888 7200 email info@bkfaccountants.co.za www.bkfaccountants.co.za

head of Nedbank Debt Review Center

Debtfree DIGI spoke to the new head of the Nedbank Debt Review Centre Denise Hartley. We asked her about when she got into the industry, how she feels about the future of debt review and her new role at Nedbank. What did you do before working for Nedbank? Before joining Nedbank, I was an admitted attorney practicing in the field of commercial litigation. When did you first begin working for Nedbank (in what capacity)? My blood became green in mid-2007 upon being appointed as Manager Admin Orders. How have you found working on the legal side of debt review matters? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an old Chinese curse that says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;may you live in interesting times.â&#x20AC;? Working on the legal side of debt review has definitely been interesting. The fact that there are still some interpretational issues surrounding the National Credit Act is exacerbated by the fact that each Magistrate has his or her own interpretation and requirements. If you get to court and you have a different Magistrate, just about all your papers need to be re-done. However, what has been wonderful to experience is the sense of camaraderie within the debt review industry between debt counsellors and credit providers. As the industry has matured more and more debt counsellors and credit providers are engaging to find workable solutions for clients who are experiencing financial difficulties. The number of opposed matters has dropped significantly and even where there are matters where no consensus can be reached, my experience has been that this is dealt with in a more mature way rather than being viewed as a personal affront. You have been involved with Debt Review for a while, how are you finding the transition to

your new role? The Debt Counselling industry, probably because it is still quite young, is such a dynamic and challenging environment. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it matters if you stay in the same role or change roles, you learn something new each day, you are exposed to something you have never come across before each day and you are definitely stretched and challenged. I think that all of us who have stuck it out in this industry for a while are definitely the kind of people who operate at their best under a certain amount of pressure. I am definitely enjoying the continued learning and development that my new role affords me. Should we expect any changes from Nedbank DRC in the near future? The Nedbank Debt Counselling department has continually tried to improve our processes, learn from other role players and innovate where possible. My goal is that the industry should continue to see these types of changes happening as we strive to make responsible debt counselling happen for our clients who are experiencing financial difficulty. We will continue to focus on and strengthen our engagements with the various industry stakeholders to ensure that the current trend of finding common ground and working together towards the shared goal of our mutual clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; financial well-being continues. Where do you see the debt review industry going in the future? In my personal opinion, the clients who are currently in debt review are just the tip of the iceberg. It is my view that there are many more over-indebted consumers out there and that, in the current economic climate, it is going to get worse before it gets better. I have faith that as an industry we can continue to work together and find even more common ground in order to effectively reach and assist as many struggling South Africans as we can. What is the biggest challenge facing your department at present? (What can DCs/consumers do to help?) The biggest challenge remains communication. I would encourage all Debt Counsellors, who have not yet done so, to set up a meeting with ourselves to discuss their portfolios and any difficulties or problem matters. We will make whatever arrangements we can in order to facilitate constructive interactions. The most important thing is to keep the channels of communication open. Very often a Debt Counsellor will identify a trend with regards to difficulties being experienced with a particular credit provider. It is always more effective to address the overarching issue than to query each individual matter. Our experience has been that when we explain what we mean by a certain request or response or when the debt counsellor advises how their process works, very often we are able to resolve the root cause of a problem which frees up a lot of back and forth on individual matters. A common understanding of where the other party is coming from is easier to achieve in a conversation than by e-mails passing back and forth. Sometimes we will need to agree to disagree but having the conversation is always a worthwhile endeavour if there is a chance that we can better serve the needs of our clients.

PDAs - Can We Do Without Them?

When the National Credit Act was first introduced the National Credit Regulator soon saw that there was a danger of consumers losing their money to unscrupulous Debt Counsellors (who might run away with money) or of consumers losing assets due to paying into incorrect credit provider accounts (or with incorrect ref numbers). At that time they promoted the use of a select number of Payment Distribution Agencies (PDAs). They instituted service level agreements with the companies that applied and began to monitor and audit these firms regularly. The result was that Debt Counsellors (DCs) conditions of registration (for most DCs) were amended to include a clause that the Debt Counsellor had to make use of a PDA. Naturally there was some push back from the industry. Out of nowhere an additional group of role players came onto the field and they brought with them some costs to both Debt Counsellors and consumers. More than that these entities were not part of the National Credit Act.

While initially there had been talk of credit providers covering the fees for these transactions the costs quickly fell onto consumers instead. Though not prohibitively high they were something that many at that time had not worked into their debt repayment plans. The NCA was silent on a number of points about the industry and the industry at the time was in a fast growth and development phase. The NCR were vocal over time in driving Debt Counsellors to use PDAs. Rather than try regulate payments from hundreds of thousands of consumers and hundreds of Debt Counsellors it made sense that the NCR would prefer to be able to monitor a select group of firms. It is far more manageable. The NCR were in a tough spot, of course, when it came time to enforce the use of PDAs since they were not included in the National Credit Act and unfortunately not 100% free from problems (realistically that would be simply miraculous if it had been). Money did go missing and some problems came and went at some firms in regard to consistency and timing of payments. All these things impact on the amount of interest (often reduced for the debt review process) that credit providers charge. More than that since the NCR were only able to make Debt Counsellors

agree to use PDAs (through the conditions of registration) they were unable to force consumers to do so. As long as the Debt Counsellor only took funds from consumers via a PDA the NCR could not pursue them in any way. Two PDAs came and went along the way and this caused some significant complications for many credit providers and consumers. Some of these matters from time to time still rear their ugly head to this very day. In the end three large recognised PDAs were left standing and they invested heavily in the success of the industry. Funding events, sponsoring charity and getting involved on every level possible in the process. These firms were there for the long run and showed it by industry participation. The convenience of making use of a PDA quickly won over the majority of Debt Counsellors and consumers however. The ability to make one payment to the PDA and have them worry about splitting it up into all the small and shifting payment amounts that were required to various creditors every month was simply too good to ignore. The costs were not extravagant and after some time were even adjusted to be more advantageous to consumers who would be under review for a long time. The PDAs also produced software which Debt Counsellor could use to work out potential debt restructuring proposals (to credit providers and court). These were very helpful. They also provided consumers with a rough tracking system by providing statements to consumers (since most credit providers simply break the law and stop providing to consumers when they enter debt review). This gave consumers a way to track their progress. The PDAs were also on hand to help track down payments when disputes arose between confused credit providers and concerned consumers about their accounts and the balances. Since these matters often had the potential to turn into nasty and expensive court cases they really earned their keep especially for consumers who are not very good record keepers. A small group of Debt Counsellors resisted the use of the PDAs who they feel had been thrust on them and the consumer and had introduced extra costs which consumers could go without. The NCR for the most part seemingly turned a blind eye. In 2013 and 2014 changes to the National Credit Act began to be researched and drafted. These would eventually form the National Credit Amendment Bill (and later Act). The Act was published in the Government Gazette and came into effect in 2015. Part of the amendments had to do with Payment Distribution Agencies. For those who once worried that PDAs were not part of the National Credit Act these concerns were firmly put to rest with a PDA registration and requirements section added to the Act. Also as with credit providers and Debt Counsellors no firm was then allowed to hold itself out to be a

PDA without registering with the NCR and paying the hefty fee to do so. To ensure constitutional rights, consumers were assured of the right to chose whether or not to use these firms - just as a consumer can chose to use any service provider under the Consumer Protection Act. If consumers wish to carry the risk and do all the work they can manage their shifting payments as per the monthly plan laid out by the Debt Counsellor themselves and retain all the proofs etc required. Of some concern to these firms however were further requirements set out by the DTI in regard to how quickly they have to pass the money they receive on to credit providers and how much they can charge in regard to their services. The first concern was that they see many payments queried and disputed by debt review consumers (who should know what the payment is for). If forced to pass these payments on very speedily then the PDAs themselves could sit out of pocket in fees and costs to the tune of millions of Rands very quickly. They feel that they cannot carry these costs and survive. The second concern was that they could be forced to cover the cost of millions of small transactions adding up to a huge amount every month. Basically, they feel the pricing structure is not balanced and will quickly drive them out of business. Though they have been very quiet about the whole matter (in fact very, very quiet since no-one would like to upset anyone eg the NCR or DTI) these firms will soon reach the point where these requirements cannot be ignored. If they cannot run profitably and even run the risk of facing millions of Rands in loss would it make business sense for them to continue on in the industry? The question facing the industry are: can the credit providers handle a sudden transition to payments being made by hundreds of thousands of consumers into their accounts (as opposed to via the 3 PDAs)? Surely they can as they receive such payments outside debt review every day but what about the time period when consumers are making payments with incorrect ref numbers or into accounts whose numbers have changed (yes some big creditors do that sort of thing)? Will hundreds of thousands of consumers be happy to start making payments in varying amounts to a bunch of different accounts each month? Will Debt Counsellors who rely on the software provided be able to transition away from such software or find replacements? Will consumers who are used to getting statements each month be happy to go totally without? Will Debt Counsellors be able to handle the flood of payment queries that will follow such a change. Will consumers be vigilant enough and cooperative enough to assist when that happens. If no PDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign final registration with the NCR how does this effect the NCR Debt Counsellor terms and conditions in regard to accepting funds? The question is can the industry do without PDAs?

Go Team! How to build a well oiled debt review machine

Good efficient teams who work well together will boost your company’s productivity to new heights. This means better results, higher productivity and more profitability. On the other hand teams that struggle to cooperate, who compete unnecessarily and have no cohesion can cost you your business dearly. This is why many firms have turned to team building exercises and events. The term ‘team building’ is often used as strategy for when organizations are looking for a solution to address certain issues, the root of which are likely to stem from poor communication systems or unclear leadership. These problems quickly lead to unproductive teams with no clear vision of how to even be successful.

Reasons why your company may need team building: One of the challenges facing employers these days is to find employees who have the ability to work effectively in a team. This is especially true for Credit Providers operating large call centers and large DC firms who have many staff members. These days it is a problem that many employees place a bit too much emphasis in self-interest- rather than focusing on collaborating with others. Due to the internet many firms now work out of different offices [like our Debtfree DIGI team]. This can present challenges since often such teams are unable to build concrete face to face relationships. With SA being so culturally diverse many firms find that they are hiring team members who have dissimilar languages, cultures, values and approaches to solving the problems. Another reason why you may need to look at team building is that often team members haven’t ever agreed on how they will deliver a product or a service or the steps required to get something done.

Team Building to the Rescue Team building is basically a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relationships among your staff and to help define individual workers roles within teams, and often involves collaborative tasks. It is distinct from training, which is normally designed to improve the efficiency of the process as an individual not as part of a team. Team building can really help with Improving communication, boosting morale, motivation,

it can be an ice breaker to help your team to get to know each other better, learn effective strategies, improve productivity, learn about one’s strengths and weaknesses etc. Formal definitions of team building normally includes the following aspects: • Goal setting: planning together focused on common goals • Interpersonal-relationship management: Building effective working relationships • Role clarification: Reducing team members’ role ambiguity so everyone knows where they fit in. • Problem solving: Finding solutions to team problems

The Effect on Performance Team building has been scientifically proven to positively affect team effectiveness for all size firms and push up productivity. While studies indicate that teams with 10 or more members appear to benefit the most from team building interventions it still benefits smaller teams ( but simply not as drastically since they already tend to work closer together and know each other). Try your Own Team Building Activities

The Big Picture Game Time Required: 30 minutes This problem solving activity requires that the leader choose a well known picture or cartoon that is full of detail. The picture needs to be cut into as many equal squares as there are participants in the activity. Each participant should individually be given a piece of the “puzzle” and instructed to create an exact copy of their piece of the puzzle only five times bigger than its original size. They are posed with the problem of not knowing why or how their own work affects the larger picture. The leader can pass out pencils, markers, paper, and rulers in order to make the process simpler and run more smoothly. When all the participants have completed their enlargements, ask them to assemble their pieces into a giant copy of the original picture on a table. This simple problem solving activity will teach participants how to work in a team and it demonstrates ‘departmental’ working, which is the understanding that each person working on their own part contributes to an overall group result.

Fake Lazy Time Required: 1 hour The group leader should present participants with this fake problem: The hour was going to be spent doing a problem solving activity, but as the group leader - you don’t know any and you

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do one that the participants have already heard or tried previously. The goal- or problem - then, is to have each group of participants come up with a new problem solving activity that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve invented themselves. Groups should be no larger than four or five people and at the end of the hour, each group must come up and present their new problem solving activity. Aside from being a problem solving activity in and of itself, this activity also promotes creativity, communication, trust, and time management, among other things and is good if you really are lazy.

A Day Out Time Required: Full day More of an investment in time (with perhaps a better return) may be a day out of the office at a venue while busy with a fun group activity. This can be especially helpful when introducing new team members and rewarding your team when they perform well. Adrenaline also helps so things like Abseiling or Zip Lining are safe but exciting. Lonely Planet called Cape Canopy Tours Zip Lining (here in SA, in the Cape) their number 2 experience on the entire planet. Imagine: you could send your team members flying over the deep, deep canyons of the Hottentots Holland. Pretty soon everyone on the team will get to know a lot more about each other. That and the screams as people go across the 320m long zip lines over the deep valleys are just plain funny (even if you are the one doing it). Some adrenaline and time away from the office will quickly bond your team closer than ever and allow people to know one another in a different environment. Adding a bit of excitement to whatever outing you arrange will drastically improve the results. A day at the 1652 tea cozy museum will probably not be a good investment in time and energy. So, choose wisely.

If you are finding that recently your team is less effective then they can be, than they should be then maybe you need to arrange for some team building. From Zip Lining to picture drawing and trust falls the options are varied. Find one that works for you and see how it boosts team moral and effectiveness. (For more info on the Cape Canopy Tour in Elgin you can email: info@capecanopytour.co.za or call +27 (0)21 3000 501)

generally do not understand it and credit providers are very cautious around it. The honest truth of the matter is that it really doesn’t have to be this way.

been/is delayed, resulting in some mails reaching destination only after the expiry date. Serving such termination notices to debt counsellors by email is now permitted provided there is consent to such service from the debt counsellor. In an The debt review termination should be viewed as a attempt to enhance communication with your office and mechanism to weed out bad faith consumers from bad luck reduce reinstatement volumes, we request you to please consumers. If effectively and compliantly executed, it is a consent to the service of the termination notices on your powerful procedure which ensures that only truly committed office by email. Such consents may be sent to our terminations consumers remain part of the process. It may also allow department via e mail to drterminations@absa.co.za. must have occurred: Background credit providers to be more accommodating to bad luck (i) An event contemplated in subsection (1) The debt review termination has proven to consumers and also allows debt counsellors to circumvent the (a) (c); notices or be thecomplicated hot potato counselling. Debt rather andin at debt times expense withdrawal process. 3. through Section 88(3) A letter is posted to consumerson who have an account which (ii) the consumeralldefaults any obligation counsellors dread it, consumers generally do The Law shall be terminated in terms of Section 88(3). Despite in terms of a re-arrangement agreed not understand it and credit providers are very The National Credit Act, 34 of 2005, as amended (“Act”), the fact that this is not required, we shall send a notice to all between consumer creditexercising providers, cautious it. The truth the provides in around Section 86(10) for honest an account to beof terminated consumers the notifying them thatand we intend our rights from debt review if a consumer is in default under a credit as per Section 88(3). or ordered by a court or the Tribunal. matter is that it really doesn’t have to be this agreement. way. In instances where a debt review court order has been 4. PDA verification a terminating credit provider may Before granted, Section 88(3) of the Act finds application. This Prior to an account weenforce/exercise shall verify against all provision requires the consumer to have defaulted under the PDA monthly payment schedules that no/shortInpayment any right under the credit agreement. terms The debt review termination should be credit agreement and one of the following events must have has indeed been made on the account. This ensures that any of Section 88(3), there is no obligation for a viewed as a mechanism to weed out bad occurred: unallocated payments have been accounted for and that the termination notice to be sent before a credit faith from badinluck consumers. If (i) consumers An event contemplated subsection (1)(a) through consumer is not prejudiced. (c); or provider may proceed. effectively and compliantly executed, it is a (ii) the consumer defaults on any obligation in terms of 5. 10 day grace period. The Task Team Agreements (“TTA”) in powerful procedure which ensures that only a re-arrangement agreed between the consumer and Once a termination notice has been sent in terms of Section A under 2.4 debt truly committed consumers credit providers, or ordered remain by a courtpart or theofTribunal. Annexure 86(4), we shall provide theregulates consumer 10 daysreview to rectify the default. Should the default be rectified completely, we shall not the process. It may also allow credit providers terminations further. Before a credit provider may enforce/exercise any right under proceed with terminating the account. to be more accommodating to bad luck the credit agreement. In terms of Section 88(3), there is no consumers also allows debt counsellors obligation for aand termination notice to be sent before a credit Absa 6. Application Quality assurance and training provider may proceed. We have implemented quality checks at every stage of the At Absa we have recently implemented to circumvent the rather complicated and at The Task Team Agreements (“TTA”) in Annexure A under 2.4 above process to minimize error. Where gaps are identifies, additional measure to ensure that only times expense withdrawal process. regulates debt review terminations further. our managers conduct immediate training and coaching to accounts eligible for termination areskills. ensure cross pollination of knowledge and Absa Application terminated. The following additional The Law At Absa we have recently implemented additional measure In conclusion measures are in place to ensure accuracy: The National Credit Act, 34 of 2005, as to ensure that only accounts eligible for termination are Clearly the additional steps we have implemented are time and amended (“Act”), provides in measures Section are 86(10) terminated. The following additional in place to labour intensive. We are convinced however that the resultant ensure accuracy: reduction in termination errors will reduce queries and 1. Pre-termination listing for an account to be terminated from debt complaints and help us to focus our attention on consumers To prevent unnecessary terminations and to review if a consumer is in default under a 1. Pre-termination listing who will rehabilitate and leave debt review having had the best actpossible in good faith, we credit agreement. To prevent unnecessary terminations and to act in good service from ourshall team.provide your offices faith, we shall provide your offices with a pre-termination with a pre-termination population. We shall In instances where a debt review court order population. We shall provide you with a list of accounts We request your support in our implementation of the process provide you with a list of accounts identified has been granted, Section 88(3) of the Act identified for termination and afford you 5 business days to and ensure you that we will strive to work together with you – termination and 5 business days finds provision requires theshouldforour provideapplication. feedback as toThis why accounts on the population partners in the debtafford review you process. not be terminated. to provide feedback as to why accounts on consumer to have defaulted under the credit

Debt Review Terminations

agreement and one of the following events

the population should not be terminated.

Absa Bank Ltd Reg No 1986/004794/06 Authorised Financial Services Provider Registered Credit Provider Reg No NCRCP7

generally do not understand it and credit providers are very cautious around it. The honest truth of the matter is that it really doesn’t have to be this way. The debt review termination should be viewed as a mechanism to weed out bad faith consumers from bad luck consumers. If effectively and compliantly executed, it is a powerful procedure which ensures that only truly committed consumers remainvia partemail of the process. It may also allow 2. Service credit providers to be more accommodating to bad luck Due to the instability of our Post Office consumers and also allows debt counsellors to circumvent the delivery hasexpense been/is delayed, ratherservices, complicated and at times withdrawal process.

Once a termination notice has been sent terms88(3) of Section 3. inSection notices 86(4), we shall provide A letter is posted to consumers have the an account which the consumerall10 days towho rectify default. resulting in some mails reaching destination The Law shall be terminated in terms of Section 88(3). Despite Should the default be rectified completely, only after the expiry date. Serving such The National Credit Act, 34 of 2005, as amended (“Act”), the fact that this is not required, we shall send a notice to all we shall not proceed terminating therights termination notices debt counsellors provides in Section 86(10) for anto account to be terminated consumers notifying them thatwith we intend exercising our from debt review if a consumer is in default under a credit as per Section 88(3). account. by email is now permitted provided there agreement. is consent to such service from the debt In instances where a debt review court order has been 4. PDA verification 6.toQuality assurance and training counsellor. In of anthe attempt enhance granted, Section 88(3) Act finds to application. This Prior terminating an account we shall verify against all provision requires the consumer to have defaulted under the PDA monthly payment schedules that no/short payment We have implemented quality checks at every communication with your office and credit agreement and one of the following events must have has indeed been made on the account. This ensures that any stage of the above process to minimize error. reduce reinstatement volumes, we request occurred: unallocated payments have been accounted for and that the Whereisgaps are identifies, our managers please consentinto the service (i)you Anto event contemplated subsection (1)(a) of through consumer not prejudiced. (c); or conduct immediate training and coaching to the termination notices on your office by (ii) the consumer defaults on any obligation in terms of 5. 10 day grace period. ensure cross pollination of knowledge and email. Such consents may be sent to our a re-arrangement agreed between the consumer and Once a termination notice has been sent in terms of Section skills. terminations department e mail credit providers, or ordered by via a court or thetoTribunal. 86(4), we shall provide the consumer 10 days to rectify the default. Should the default be rectified completely, we shall not drterminations@absa.co.za. Before a credit provider may enforce/exercise any right under proceed with terminating the account. In conclusion the credit agreement. In terms of Section 88(3), there is no the additional steps we have 3. Section 88(3) notices obligation for a termination notice to be sent before a credit 6. Clearly Quality assurance and training provider may proceed. We have implemented quality checks every stage of the implemented are time andatlabour intensive. A letter is posted to all consumers who have The Task Team Agreements (“TTA”) in Annexure A under 2.4 above process to minimize error. Where gaps are identifies, We are convinced however that the resultant an account which shall be terminated in regulates debt review terminations further. our managers conduct immediate training and coaching to reduction in termination errors will reduce terms of Section 88(3). Despite the fact that ensure cross pollination of knowledge and skills. Absa this Application queries and complaints and help us to is not required, we shall send a notice to At Absa we have recently implemented additional measure In conclusion focus our attention on consumers who will all consumers notifying them that we intend to ensure that only accounts eligible for termination are Clearly the additional steps we have implemented are time and rehabilitate and debt review had exercising our rights as per Section 88(3). terminated. The following additional measures are in place to labour intensive. We are leave convinced however thathaving the resultant ensure accuracy: reduction in termination errors will reduce queries and the best possible service from our team. complaints and help us to focus our attention on consumers 4. PDA verification 1. Pre-termination listing who will rehabilitate and leave debt review having had the best We request your in our Priorunnecessary to terminating an account shall verify possible To prevent terminations and to actwe in good service from oursupport team. faith, we shall provide your offices with a pre-termination implementation of the process and ensure against all PDA monthly payment schedules population. We shall provide you with a list of accounts We request your support in our implementation of the process you that we will strive to work together with that no/short payment has indeed been identified for termination and afford you 5 business days to and ensure you that we will strive to work together with you – – our partners in the debt review process. made on as the This thatshould any ouryou provide feedback to account. why accounts on ensures the population partners in the debt review process. not beunallocated terminated. payments have been accounted for and that the consumer is not prejudiced.

Absa Bank Ltd Reg No 1986/004794/06 Authorised Financial Services Provider Registered Credit Provider Reg No NCRCP7

IN A NUTSHELL

Make 2016 your WINNING year!

For the first time, Debt Counsellors (DCs) that participate in the DCM Business Partnership Programmeâ&#x201E;˘ will automatically participate in the DCM Annual DC Awards. These Awards will recognise the winning DCs in the small, medium and large DC category. The winning DCs need to achieve top scores across three key goals: Increase Application Rate; Increase Conversion Rate; Reduce Churn Rate. The top prize in each DC category is a trip to a surprise exotic location per DC principal and partner, awarded at the end of 2016.?

Winning is part of human nature and embedded in our survival DNA.

People admire winners because they inspire us to keep striving for something better, bigger than ourselves. Some people think that to WIN they just need to work harder as individuals. This approach doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always succeed in environments where organisations and people depend on each other. Yves Morieux, managing director and an expert in corporate transformation in

Boston Consulting Group’s Paris office, illustrates this well in a Ted Talk video on the power of teamwork. The best athletes, despite all their hard work, don’t always achieve success, unless they have mastered the art of cooperation. The US team in this example has by far the best athletes when measured on individual time scores. However, it’s the Canadian team that win the relay, because they understand the value of teamwork, cooperating to achieve more than the sum of their individual parts. http://www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_how_too_many_rules_ at_work_keep_you_from_getting_things_done#t-71520 Increasing and complex regulation, worsening economic conditions, and numerous role players make the debt review industry a hugely challenging environment. Without cooperation, the industry would not survive. The National Payment Distribution Agency (NPDA) plays a vital role in facilitating cooperation, thus contributing to the sustainability of the industry. The NPDA has the unique role of being an independent agent in the debt review industry, adding value by developing software and systems that ease the flow of information and payments between debt counsellors, attorneys, credit providers and consumers. The purpose of the DCM group, of which the NPDA is a member, is in building sustainable financial wellbeing that enhances the lives of all.

DCM Business Partnership programme™

It is to support this purpose that the DCM Business Partnership Programme™ was developed, to help debt counsellors improve the success of their businesses, and improve the adherence of debt counselling consumers to the process of debt rehabilitation. The DCM Business Partnership Programme™ consists of various elements that assist debt counsellors from the very first encounter with their consumers up until the first payments are received and beyond. In-depth knowledge of how over-indebted consumers think and behave is woven in the design of the programme to help consumers stick with the process and pay regularly.

The DCM Business Partnership Programme™ has three goals: 1. Increase Application Rate -Increase the number of new applications 2. Increase Conversion Rate - Increase the number of first payments 3. Reduce Churn Rate - Reduce the number of non-paying consumers By participating in the DCM Business Partnership Programme™ debt counsellors have access to proven programme initiatives:

1. Improved collection methods - The most successful payment methods are payroll deductions with a 98% success rate, followed by stop orders with a 92% success rate. The NPDA has agreements with various employers and access to over 400 000 employees. Debt Counsellors have the option to collect their installments via a secured payroll deduction for these employers. 2. Consumer Education – Considerable investment has been made in the development of educational material, specially designed in a simple, easy to understand language and format that reassures consumers during the debt counselling process. 3. Status in the process – From the start of the debt review process, consumers receive automated communication at various points during the debt review process to ensure process adherence. 4. Payment reminders – Several monthly payment reminders

WINNING is a guarantee.

The programme has a proven track record of success, increasing the number of first payments amongst new debt counselling applicants by 20%. With no changes to your operational costs, it means that this increase in first payments not only increases your revenue but also goes straight to the bottom line of your business. Participating debt counsellors have seen their revenues increase by approximately 32%. But, increasing the number of new paying consumers and your revenue isn’t the only benefit of the programme. The programme helps to reassure and build trust amongst consumers. Consumers who’ve had a positive experience are more likely to refer friends and family, and they do. Now not only does your business get to WIN but so do you. Your name could be on the list of top DC winners at this year’s DCM Annual DC Awards. Make 2016 your winning year!

IN A NUTSHELL is brought you by The Business Partnership Programme™, designed to support debt counsellors and consumers during the debt review process, in collaboration with the National Payment Distribution Agency (NPDA). For help, contact the NPDA on 0861 628 628. If you have suggestions for topics that you would like covered in future, please email info@dcmgroup.co.za The NPDA was recognised as the industry winner for PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION and Care Premier as the industry winner for DEBT COUNSELLING SOFTWARE at the Debt Review Awards 2015.

W E I V E R T B E WE OFFER D E C I T S U J R E M U S N O C R O F AND FIGHT WE OFFER DEBT REVIEW JUSTICE ER M SU N O C R FO T H G FI D AN

REVIEW WE OFFER DEBT 021 007 1688 E IC T S JU R E W M IE U V S E N R O T C B R E O D F RT EH Fdebtfree@nationaldebtadvisors.co.za EDOFIG W AN E IC T S JU R E M U S N O C R AND FIGHT FO 021 007 1688 debtfree@nationaldebtadvisors.co.za www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za

www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za 021 007 1688

debtfree@nationaldebtadvisors.co.za 021 007 1688 www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za debtfree@nationaldebtadvisors.co.za www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za

Debt Counsellors Associations Announcement Board

KZN Branch Meeting 19 February, Health Haven Westville W Cape Branch Meeting 23February, Parow Golf Club Bloem Branch Meeting 12 February, Tempe Golf Club

#DCRenewalFeesMustFall

Gauteng Branch Meeting - TBA Email dcasa@dcasa.co.za for any further information www.dcasa.co.za

www.newera.org.za

We will soon be announcing regional branch meeting dates on our Facebook page. Please be sure to attend. We wish everyone in the industry and our clients a wondefull 2016

We wish all our members the best for 2016.

www.bdcf.co.za

www.allprodc.org

Winner of the 2015 Debt Review Award: “Customer Support”

Why not switch to Easy? Contact us for Fast, Accurate and Effective payments: Agent: Petro de Beer e-maill: petro@dcpartner.co.za Cell: 083 6139 826 www.dcpartner.co.za

DEBT REVIEW AWARDS 2014

WINNER

DEBT REVIEW AWARDS 2015

WINNER WINNING 3 OUT OF 5 AWARDS

• CLIENT & CUSTOMER SERVICES • SYSTEM & SOFTWARE INTEGRATION FOR • INDUSTRY SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT 1. NPDA - Payment & Distribution

T REVIE

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A AW

RDS WIN

2. Care Premier - Debt Counselling Thank you for your support. Software

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

INCREASE IN PAYING CUSTOMERS

DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH THE

DCM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME™ Adding value through innovation and partnership.

Better Payment Behaviour

To increase your revenue, contact us on 0861 628 628 or businesspartner@dcmgroup.co.za WWW.DCMGROUP.CO.ZA

Immediate Improvement in Collections

Consumer Protection Provided (DCM Protector Card™)

Consumer Support Provided

(24hr Stress Helpline; Bank Account Facilitation; Creditor Support)

Consumers Educated & Nudged

Leaders in creating sustainable financial wellbeing

Service D

click the c

Debt CounsellORS

Support services

TRAINING

FINANCIAL

FINANCIAL PLANNING