Debt counselling is a debt management process that was designed to help you if you are feeling overwhelmed by debt. At Debt Mate, your debt counsellor can arrange lower monthly instalments and reduced interest rates over an extended period of time. Debt counselling will help to ease the burden and provide you with immediate financial relief, leaving you with more money to cover your basic living costs. Debt counselling through Debt Mate will enable you to take full control of your finances, so that you can enjoy a comfortable, debt-free life.

If you are over-indebted and battling to keep up with your monthly payments, you are probably looking for quick and efficient solutions. We understand your dilemma, which is why we will set up an affordable Debt Rescue programme to suit your specific needs. Our debt counselling experts will calculate a monthly instalment that will leave you with much-needed breathing room in your budget. As part of our debt review services, we will arrange reduced interest rates and monthly charges. We know that you are tired of trying to negotiate with your creditors. This is why we will take over the challenging job of dealing with them. We will handle all of your payment negotiations on your behalf.

If you are over indebted, with too much outstanding debt to make ends meet and not enough money to cover basic expenses, you need debt review and debt counselling from Debt Mate. A saving grace when you have stretched your finances too thin, the debt counselling process not only helps you get your debt in order, but also teaches you to be responsible with your cash after the process is done.

From budgeting to talking to your creditors, arranging court dates and sorting your documentation, debt counselling allows you to get a handle on your debt. From renegotiating new terms of repayment, finding the best terms to ensure you can afford to live, this allows you to sort your credit record out while still making ends meet from day to day. Often we get carried away with credit, piling it up before we consider repayment, but when you have taken on more than you can handle your money will quickly disappear.

If you need to pay out more than you bring in, you will find yourself in a tricky situation. Getting caught in the debt spiral, this is a hard place to get out of once you have started the downward spin – this is where Debt Mate comes in to help. If your debt is too much for you to pay while still having enough to survive, you need debt counselling and debt review.

While under debt counselling, your monthly payments will depend not only on your outstanding amounts but also the credit agreements put forward by your debt counselor. While signed with Debt Mate, one of our professional consultants will go through your budget and spend, advising on the best monthly payment amount based on your income and expenses.

After taking your expenses and needs into account, your debt counselor will allocate the remaining money towards paying off your debts. While some creditors may be happy to take on the new agreements, some may not and as such may keep the same rates, but this is all dependent on your unique debt situation.

Depending on which debt solution you choose, different regulations and rules are provided, although the differences are slight. With Debt Mate, we have rules and regulations to ensure that our clients receive the best possible service with complete transparency and understanding.

When applying for a debt solution like debt review, all credit bureaus and providers will be notified of your debt review status – this will also appear on your credit record. This ensures that all credit providers know your situation and do not commit reckless lending without realising. If you have chosen a less formal debt solution like debt management, only your current credit providers will be contacted about your status. This lets them know of the ongoing process and the future implications regarding your credit.

If you already have judgments against you, you can still contact Debt Mate for debt counselling needs, this does not stop you from seeking advice and consultations.

However, when approaching Debt Mate you must, in all cases, disclose all relevant information to your debt counselor beforehand. With a clear understanding of your situation, we can help you clear your debt, but without the info at hand there can be serious and unneeded repercussions from your credit provider. With an efficient system, we can help you get out of debt effectively, but in order to do this we need our client’s patience and cooperation.

If you are married in community of property, both you and your partner have to apply for debt counselling and undergo the process as a couple or single entity. When married in this way, you are legally classified as one single joint estate. Because of this, all assets and debts are considered as joint or shared by both parties. You both remain responsible for the repayment of the debt and you will both remain under the debt review process.

In short, if you are married in community of property both you and your partner need to apply for debt counselling.

If clients miss monthly repayments that fall under their debt review, if they are handling repayment, the credit providers may terminate the client’s debt review agreement. The creditor then has every right to start legal proceedings, which will include judgments and garnishee orders against the client’s outstanding amounts.

If clients are struggling to make their monthly repayment, it is best that they contact their Debt Mate counselor immediately, giving Debt Mate enough time to advise the credit providers of the client’s situation and work out a more affordable debt repayment plan in good time. As always, complete trust and openness is key, your debt counselor can only do as much as you let them. With all the information at hand, we can protect your and your livelihood, without disclosure, you open yourself up to possible disadvantages and repercussions.

When you are under debt counselling or debt review, you are legally protected from being harassed by your credit providers. If your creditors send you any legal documentation, it is recommended that you inform your debt counsellor.When you apply for debt counselling, your debt counsellor will contact all of your credit providers in order to confirm that the amount of debt that you have acquired is correct. They will also contact credit bureaus to let them know that you are under debt counselling and that your credit profile should be flagged. This is not like a blacklisting, this is simply a way of protecting you from creditors. Once you have paid all of your debt it will be removed from your credit profile and you will receive a credit clearance.If your creditors agree to the renegotiated repayment proposal offered by the debt counsellor, a legal consent order will be obtained. However, if one or more of your creditors disagree with the repayment terms, your debt counsellor will contact the magistrate court in order to determine an agreeable repayment term.

While there is no maximum time period that a client can be on debt counselling, at the Debt Mate, our consultants strive to get your debt matters resolved as soon as possible. The duration of time that you spend on debt counselling greatly depends on the amount of debt that you have acquired, the interest rates and the amount of money that you can pay your creditors every month. If you pay a greater amount back every month, your debt will be reduced at a faster pace, and you will become debt free before you even realise it.

While some consumers have reported being on debt counselling for up to 10 years, this is not good practice. A debt counsellor should endeavour to rehabilitate a consumer within 3 to 5 years. Therefore, it is important that your debt counsellor calculates a repayment plan that will reduce your debt to zero, in a reasonable amount of time.