Where to get help
Free and independent first, then paid. Every one of these is worth knowing about before you need it.
Free and independent
| Service | What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| National Debt Helpline | Free, confidential financial counselling. Not only for crises | 1800 007 007 |
| Financial Information Service | Services Australia. Free, independent information on pensions and payments | servicesaustralia.gov.au |
| Scamwatch | Report a scam; current scam alerts | scamwatch.gov.au |
| ReportCyber | Official police report for cybercrime | cyber.gov.au |
| IDCARE | Identity theft support and recovery plans | 1800 595 160 |
| AFCA | Complaints about how a bank, insurer or fund responded | afca.org.au |
| Equifax / Experian | Credit reports and credit bans | equifax.com.au · experian.com.au |
| myGov / ATO | Your study loan balance, income statements, super accounts | my.gov.au |
| Your state public trustee | Wills and enduring appointments, often low-cost or free for older Australians | State-based |
When to pay for advice
| The question | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Tax — deductions, structures, a return | A registered tax agent or accountant |
| Strategy, products, insurance, super nominations, retirement structure | A licensed financial adviser |
| Credit — borrowing capacity, refinancing, a new loan | A mortgage broker, or your lender |
| Wills, powers of attorney, estate disputes | A solicitor, or your state trustee |
| Debt that has become unmanageable | A financial counsellor — free (1800 007 007) |
A closing word
Nothing in this handbook requires you to be good with money. It requires a household to write down what it owns, what it owes and what the year costs; to give the money a job before it arrives; to spend half an hour on defences that keep working on a bad day; and to say out loud, once a year, where everything is kept.
That is the whole of it. The rest is arithmetic, and the app will do the arithmetic.