Managing anxiety: Financial counsellors hit the jackpot.
Managing anxiety over money? Financial counsellors may help. You don't have to suffer alone.
I recently watched a skilled Financial Counsellor, Marianne Mayer, explain what her job entailed. I was really impressed and appreciated how people, such as herself, can help people who are managing anxiety over serious money troubles.
A financial counsellor is not the same as a financial advisor. Marianne pointed out that financial counselling services are not funded by the finance industry and are thus more independent than some other financial advice you may receive.
She explained also that people started needing help in managing anxiety over their debts and finances when credit became universally available. Debt has been incurred on an ever-increasing scale since. Most people who are managing anxiety over money have debt and rely on credit. Is this you?
One way to reduce the need for managing money worries, Marianne says, "Is for early intervention and crisis control as this can allow the pressure on the debtor to be lifted." Managing anxiety apparently becomes less of an issue as pressure diminishes.
Also, she says, "This lifting of pressure often gives the debtor the opportunity to focus on job seeking and leads to more self-confidence when approaching interviews."
How can a Financial Counsellor improve your managing anxiety over money? Marianne says, a Financial Counsellor can:
- Give you information about rules and laws relating to bills and debts.
- Help you to work out payments with creditors.
- Tell you what government assistance may be available.
- Explain what you can do if you can't pay bills, fines or debts.
- Help you with some consumer problems.
- Help you to organise your budget.
- Give you information about bankruptcy.
- Refer you to other organisations that may be able to help.
When you're managing anxiety over money why do it alone? Talk to someone who can help.
By the way, Marianne stresses it's a free, confidential, independent and non-judgemental service. They don't tell you what to do; they look at available options and support you.
Managing anxiety about money can involve legal aspects. Financial Counsellors are not lawyers but Marianne says they have adequate legal knowledge of bankruptcy legislation, the Residential Tenancy Act, the Consumer Credit Code, the Privacy Act, the Banking Code of Practice, and more.
If you're managing anxiety about money there's a lot to know, so calling in an expert may help relieve the stress. Their website is the Financial Counsellors Resource Project. http://www.fcrp.org.au
Tell us any tips you have in managing anxiety over money, or your experiences of going to financial counsellors. I have never been to one so I am keen to hear how you've been helped.
Rachel Green
Reader Comments (3)
Fran Yeoh
The first step to relieving the symtpoms is to ask for help - either from someone you know personally who has proven themselves competent at handling their own money (but it's quite hard to tell sometimes) or from a professional who doesn't have a vested interest in keeping you sick - ie banks that keep selling debt and credit.
If you are in crisis or close to bankruptcy, a financial counsellor is a good move. If you just want to:
* improve your financial results
* learn the best ways to manage your money, and
* create wealth for generations to come,
a http://www.MoneyHealer.com money healer might be more beneficial.
Regardless of which path you take, take action sooner rather than later!
Theresa