A spend up on your credit card or with a buy now pay later company can feel like a blissfully free shopping experience.

Those cute clothes for the kids, the dinner out with friends and the stylish new toaster can all be bought with easy credit but if you are not careful – they could cost you big time.

When you have a tsunami of debt with multiple creditors it can be difficult to know where to start and which debt you should pay off first.

When the piggy bank is empty and it feels like everyone around you is living the dream – it can feel impossible to say “no” when family and friends invite you to do something you can’t afford.

On September 1, 2020 the Insolvency Practitioners Regulations Act, 2019 came into force in New Zealand.

The law change means any practitioner dealing in New Zealand insolvency cases must comply with the Act and be licensed, which includes debt specialists, and accountants or lawyers working in insolvency.

Joining the Debtfix crew a week before Aotearoa went into lockdown for Covid-19 has not prevented Freda Boyd from throwing a lifebuoy to people who need a hand with sorting out their debt. She is naturally inclined to help others and has always guided people who need someone else to advocate for them.

Right now, it feels a lot like the only holiday on the itinerary in Aotearoa is a mortgage holiday.

When there is a forceful knock at the door and your first reaction is to hide behind the couch – you probably know someone, somewhere wants that money you owe them.

Experience with supporting whānau helps debt navigator, Alisja Skelling relate to the people she works with at Debtfix in many ways.

If you have concerns about money you owe or money others owe your business – you need to be at this breakfast. It's time to talk about debt openly and find solutions.

At last Pretty Penny has met its judicial fate and been sent packing from New Zealand.

Far from ‘helping everyday people’ as their tagline states, Pretty Penny was a thorn in the side of those of us who deal with the fall out of financially desperate Kiwis trapped in debt blow outs.

Bankruptcy is often the solution New Zealanders default to in their mind when they think there is no way out of debt, but we should think about it as a last resort rather than the first port of call.

For many New Zealanders, the Covid-19 crisis has brought the uncertainty of their financial situation into the spotlight. The Commission for Financial Capability (CCFC) survey conducted during the last two weeks of lockdown, showed how many New Zealanders’ finances are close to tipping point.