Debtfree Magazine – Editor’s Note December is a lot of fun regardless of if you are on holiday or not. There is just something in the air that speaks of freedom or fun. Look, don’t get me wrong it isn’t … read more

Read Debtfree Magazine If you are taking a short break over the year-end or unfortunately one of the large group of people who are working through the year-end then why not take a few minutes to relax and read the … read more

Debtfree Cover – December 2018 This month’s cover sums it up. We all just want to have a little fun and take a break. The year-end can be a great time to refresh and get our focus back. The start of … read more

Online Course Competition – Clue If you are interested in winning this month’s Corporate Rebels Competition then you may need a clue to help you find the missing words which are required to enter the competition this month. Where To Look … read more

Read Debtfree Magazine Now The latest issue of Debtfree Magazine looks at the topic of how committed you are to being debt free and the debt review process. It considers signs that you may not be as committed as you … read more

Debtfree November 2018 – Editor’s Note   How many times have you told yourself that when summer arrives this year you are not going to make the same winter mistakes you did last time. You tell yourself that this time … read more

Debtfree November Cover Our latest issue is out and will soon be available to read here on the website. This issue we look at the topic of how committed you are to debt review. We discuss how it is important … read more

Clearance Certificates In terms of the National Credit Act, a Debt Counsellor is required to issue a clearance certificate to release a consumer from the constraints of debt review. A couple of years ago, the Act was amended which saw … read more

How One Debt Counsellor Uses Debtfree Magazine to assist Consumers Debtfree Magazine spoke to Debt Counsellor (and past contributor to Debtfree Special Print Edition) Annienne Nel of Consumer Debt Support (CDS) about why she likes Debtfree Magazine and how she … read more

NCR Form 41 & 4th Quarter Report Due Each year Debt Counsellors submit quarterly reports (every 3 months) called Form 42s to the NCR and also submit an annual Compliance Return. The compliance return (Form 41) ask the Debt Counsellor … read more

DCASA W Cape Regional Meeting Date Announced The Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa will be holding a regional meeting at the Parow Golf Course in Cape Town on the 19th of February. The meeting will feature an update on CIF … read more

Research In India & Philippines Shows How People Fall Back Into Debt When everyone has so much debt that they live from paycheck to paycheck being debt free is the new form of being rich these days. Many people dream … read more

The National Minimum Wage As of 1 Jan 2019 the new national minimum wage has been in effect. Here are the basic facts and figures of the Act. The national minimum wage for each hour worked is R20 Minimum Wage … read more

The Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill The proposed Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill (COFI Bill)was published during December 2018 and is now available for download (see below). The Bill relates to the new Twin Peaks regulation model and the Financial Sector … read more

Before You Complain to the NCC don’t forget to… South Africa has a robust legal system in place (Like the Consumer Protection Act) to protect consumers from suppliers who act in bad faith or supply products and services that are … read more

Petrol Price Drop It is always great to start a new year with some good news and this year the second drop in petrol prices in two months is really great news (even if we all know it won’t last). As … read more

Cape Court Ruling Now Requires Auction Reserve Prices Recently the Gauteng High Court ruled that when a home is going to be sold on auction the credit provider must get a reserve price set and cannot sell the property for … read more

DebiCheck Implementation Date in 2019 Updated The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has this month published (in the Government Gazette) a new effective date for DebiCheck (also known as Authenticated Collections). The updated implementation date will now officially be 31 October … read more

New Contact Info? If you have begun your 2019 at a new firm (with new work email address) or a new physical address (due to a move) or perhaps switched from one mobile network to another then you should remember … read more

Trying to Make it to February After the holidays it can be increasingly hard to find the cash you need to make it to your next paycheck. You probably have raided and emptied all your children’s piggy banks, checked behind … read more

Avoid Being Tricked By Fake Loan Scams Each month hundreds of consumers fall for fake loan scams in their desperation to access more credit to try to solve their financial problems. How can you avoid being taken for a ride and losing … read more

Shoprite Help Parents Get Their Kids Back To School Shoprite are breaking the mould and providing basic school uniforms for less than R100. The uniforms, available at selected stores, consists of a shirt, shorts or a skirt, socks and a … read more

Fancy Some Free Stuff? If you don’t mind ageing and celebrate your birthday, then you may be interested to know that you can get a bunch of free stuff in and around Cape Town on the day (or that week). Aquarium … read more

Do You Know Your Insurance Rights? Why must I have insurance when I take a loan, get a credit card, buy a car or house or even if I have an overdraft? The answer is simple: credit providers’ link insurance, … read more

And The Winner Is… Over the last two issues (and in the coming issue) of Debtfree Magazine, we are running competitions with our partners: Corporate Rebels. Each month we are featuring one of their helpful online courses. We want to … read more

Fuel Saving Tips (Part 2) When living on less you need to make sure you are saving on your transport costs. How and when you drive can make a huge difference. We continue looking at the top 10 tips for … read more

Transport Cost Saving Tips It is no joke when we say fuel is expensive. Over the last 5 years, the Rand has consistently lost a Rand a year vs the Dollar and petrol prices are linked to the US Dollar. … read more