If You've Got Debt Questions

We've Got Answers

We can answer "What does just budget do?" easily: we help people struggling with debt to find the most suitable strategy to be able to enjoy life again.

frequently-asked-questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! This is a time when Australians need solid, sound and reliable advice and assistance in debt relief. Our compassionate and caring support team will continue throughout the entirety of this outbreak. During COVID19 lockdowns our staff were equipped with home office work stations. Each employee has had a work station fitted within their home, so we can work as effectively as normal if further lockdowns occur. Each work station is directly linked to our secure server based in our main office. All your data is safely stored on this secure private server. Currently our staff are back in the office utilising COVID-safe work practises.

The Just Budget team are available to support and help you through the current financial crisis facing many Australians. If you are concerned, or would like to keep up to date with COVID-19 benefits that you may be entitled to, then you can find reliable Federal Government situation updates here.

For financial payment assistance during the crisis, please visit the Federal Government’s dedicated COVID-19 support page.

Data encryption

Just Budget encrypt all data that goes between you and Just Budget using industry-standard TLS (Transport Layer Security), protecting your personal and financial data. Your data is also encrypted at rest when it is stored on our servers, and encrypted when we transfer it between data centres for backup and replication.

Network protection

Just Budget takes a proactive approach to protecting our systems and your data. Multiple layers of security protects access to and within our internal environment, including firewalls, intrusion protection systems and network segregation. Just Budget’s security services are configured, monitored and maintained according to industry best practice. We partner with industry-leading security providers to leverage their expertise and global threat intelligence to protect our systems.

Secure data centres

Just Budget servers are located within enterprise-grade hosting facilities that employ robust physical security controls to prevent physical access to the servers they house. These controls include 24/7/365 monitoring and surveillance and regular ongoing security audits. 

Security monitoring

The Just Budget IT team continuously monitors security systems, event logs, notifications and alerts from all systems to identify and manage threats.

Feel safe in the knowledge that we protect your privacy, sensitive financial information and personal data.

Most Australians have been affected one way or another and while we were lucky to have the Coronavirus Supplement on 2020 and JobKeeper up until the end of March 2021, many employers who would have had to let staff go, were able to keep people employed. How this impacts the Australian economy is yet to be seen. We suspect that there will be job losses and people experiencing financial hardship as a result. 

“Economists at CBA expect 110,000 jobs to be lost as a result of the end of JobKeeper, based on about 900,000 jobs by the end of March still being supported by JobKeeper payments….

“We see transport, arts and recreation and accommodation and food services industries most at risk of job losses at the end of JobKeeper,” CBA said…”These industries are sensitive to international travel and also suffer badly when restrictions and lockdowns are imposed.”*

At Just Budget we know that unemployment and underemployment takes a huge toll on your and your family, financially and emotionally. We are here for you during these times. The Just Budget consultants are fully versed in ways to keep the wolves from the door, get your debt repayments and interest frozen or reduced for a period, to allow you to get back on your feet. The best thing to do is contact us before you fall behind and get ahead of your debt. If you’ve tried to fix things and nothing is working, please get in touch. We are primed and prepared to help those who need assistance navigating the rough waters ahead.

If you are on Centrelink benefits, we have effective and affordable solutions to improve your current situation and give you some financial breathing space.

*Source: news.com.au

More information on JobKeeper dates

When you enquire through Just Budget, either through our online enquiry form or our free Budget Planner, it is a soft enquiry. This means that we do not notify or contact credit reporting agencies or access your credit file. An enquiry with us is “credit report safe”.

Once you apply for hardship assistance a credit provider can only report the payment as overdue or a default if they advise their intention to do so prior to entering the arrangement or if you breach the arrangement.

While we have a range of loan products we can offer, the primary focus of Just Budget is to help you manage your debt in a way that is affordable and will improve your current circumstances. We have a credit license and can offer debt consolidation, personal and business loans, but our key goal is to assist with our debt management program, starting with the Just Budget Planner and our expertise in informal debt arrangements.

We want to only ever use a formal debt agreement if there are absolutely no other options available to you and you want to avoid bankruptcy. A part 9 Debt Agreement is a formal agreement that is highly legislated and is part of the Bankruptcy Act. It has serious repercussions.

Once you’ve signed a debt agreement:

Instead, we encourage Informal Debt Arrangements, where we work with your creditors to come to an agreement, then we manage your payments for you, and you are only required to pay us, not remember and juggle a bunch of creditors. We can help with things like freezing interest, reducing your debt, reducing your balance and debt resolution. Just Budget is on your side and won’t be bullied by debt collectors.

Source: Money Smart

Our goal is to get you back in control of your finances and empower you starting with budget awareness, through our free, no-obligation budget planner.

Knowing how much money comes in and goes out is the first step in take back control. We assist customers with repayments but we will only take over managing the debts that your request us to help you with. You are always in the driver’s seat.

We do recommend that you ask us to manage all your debt to reduce the pressure of managing multiple debts and the risk of forgetting a repayment and having it listed on your credit report.

Once you sign your paperwork, we will contact your creditors within days, and get the ball rolling on negotiations, halting harassing phone calls and letters of demand. The stress will stop almost immediately. 

We have streamlined systems in place to create a report that we can then send to your creditors with all the information they will need to allow us to put a debt management plan in place, and get you back on track.

All it takes is to complete our free budget planner,  our 30 second enquiry form or a simply phone call to 1300 795 775. You can even chat with us online using a chat facility in the bottom right of your screen.

Yes, as soon as they receive our paperwork regarding your debt, they cannot call, email or send letters to you. We are the point of contact, so you don’t have to deal with this any more.

Probably the most distressing part of being in a debt cycle are the harassing phone calls from debt collectors, demanding money you don’t have, asking for lump sum payments you can’t pay and the constant stress when you phone rings with a blocked number, in most cases this is the creditor calling about payment. When you are out of control financially this is a huge source of anxiety.

As everyone is in a different financial position the amount you will be required to pay will depend largely on your financial circumstances and your ability to pay and the amount you owe. Our budget planner forms the basis of this, and your repayments are designed to suit your needs and commitments and we won’t be bullied by aggressive creditors or debt collectors. We will ensure that the amount you pay will be affordable and realistic.

I really need help now, how do I start?

Complete Budget Planner

Our budget planner will help you establish what you can afford to pay your creditors based on your current circumstances.

Digital Paperwork

We will have your documents ready quickly, you fill out the form electronically and send it back to us. It's that easy.

We do the hard work

Just Budget will contact your creditors and negotiate on the balance, interest and repayments on your behalf.

We Manage your payments

Just Budget will manage all the payments to your creditors to ensure payments are on time, every time so you don’t need to worry.