Financial hardship

During these times of uncertainty, we understand there could be challenging periods ahead due to COVID-19 and want to reassure you that we are here to help.

It’s important to know if you are facing difficulties with making repayments on your home loan, then you can seek relief on the grounds of financial hardship directly with your lender.

Some potential options include:

• Request a lower interest rate
• Switch to interest only repayments
• Request a repayment holiday for 3-6 months (interest is still incurred but repayments are stopped for a period of time)
• Extend the loan term to reduce the repayments
• Ask for fees and charges to be waived
• Consolidate debts to make repayments more manageable

Not all banks and lenders will have a COVID-19 specific relief package prepared. However, they still have standard policies in place to help those who are facing financial hardship for any reason.

While financial hardship requests need to be made directly to the lender by the client, we can help you prepare for the conversation or suggest alternative solutions based on your individual circumstances.

Importantly, if you are facing financial hardship please act immediately and do not delay. The CEO of the Australian Banking Association, Anna Bligh said, “Banks stand ready to support customers, and if anyone is in need of assistance, they shouldn’t wait but come forward as soon as possible.”

We are ready to assist, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

If you need to get in touch with the right people at your lender for support, please find the best contact details below: