Master your wealth with smart debt management, ensuring debt serves your financial growth, not hinders it. Take control of your financial freedom today!
Good debt is debt used to gain or produce income that is easy to assess or invest in something that creates long-term wealth. The interest expenses you incur on these debts can become tax deductible if you use them to generate your assessable income. This is generally associated with borrowing on investment properties, share portfolios or business loans, which in turn produce you cash flow in the form of either rental, dividend or business income.
Bad debt is related to debt that is not serving any purpose. Consumer debt and debt from lending institutions, such as credit cards or payday lenders, is usually considered bad debt because this type of borrowing simply does not serve a useful purpose. Both can cause a lot of stress.
For many Gold Coast locals, the family home is the most expensive purchase they will ever make. While it makes sense to get insurance for fire or flood damage, gaining insurance for the loan amount is an afterthought for many of us.
However, if you were to be injured or become seriously sick, you may no longer be able to work. Protecting the assets you have worked so hard to gain with an adequate insurance policy will enable you to cover any excess costs while you focus on recovery.
The first step is to get a clear picture of what you owe. Make a list of all your debts, showing:
◦ How much each debt is
◦ The minimum monthly repayment (if any)
Include credit cards, loan repayments, unpaid bills, fines and any other money you owe. Then add up all the debts to see how much you owe. It may be confronting, but remind yourself that you’re taking charge of your money. And that’s a good thing.
The easiest way to do this is to do a budget. List all the money you have coming in each month (income), such as salary or benefits. Then list all the money going out (debts and expenses), for things like food, rent or mortgage, credit cards, electricity, phone and transport. Tally these up, then compare money in and money out.
Work out which debts are your priority debts and try to pay them first. Priority debts include:
◦ Rent or mortgage payments
◦ Council rates and body corporate fees
◦ Electricity, gas and water
◦ Car repayments — if you need your car for work or essential travel
If you have any extra money at the end of each week, put it into a savings account to build up an emergency fund. This should be enough to cover any unexpected expenses or help you through times when your income changes.
The debt snowball method is a debt-reduction strategy where you pay off your smallest debts first, then roll the money you were spending on those debts into paying off the next smallest debts. By tackling your smallest balances first, you gain momentum as each remaining balance gets smaller and smaller.
Step 1: List your debts from smallest to largest regardless of interest rate.
Step 2: Make minimum payments on all your debts except the smallest.
Step 3: Pay as much as possible on your smallest debt.
Step 4: Repeat until each debt is paid in full.
The debt snowball method works because it’s all about changing your behaviour. You don’t have to hold a math degree or have gone to business school to beat debt. What matters more is that you understand the emotional aspect of debt and how to turn over a new leaf.
If you’re considering consolidating your debt, it’s important to consider factors like your personal financial situation and the type of debt consolidation you’re considering. Consolidating debt with a loan could reduce your monthly payments and provide near-term relief, but a lengthier term could mean paying more in total interest.
A good strategy for paying off debt is to focus on the debt with the highest interest rate first. Make the minimum payment possible for every account besides the one that you are trying to eliminate first.
Then work yourself down the list from highest interest rate to lowest. Once you have paid off the highest interest rate debt, then move your funds to pay off the second-highest.
If you are struggling to do this, our experienced, professional team can give you advice, support and more confidence in this process.
You can significantly reduce your total debt by trading in your car for something cheaper. If you can get $20,000 for a trade-in, and you can find a $10,000 car on the lot, then you just came into $10,000 to help you pay off debt. If you can trade in two cars and concede to just having one, you could double or triple this amount.
Plus, it reduces your annual expenditure. You can further apply this idea to boats, bikes, jet skis or other non-essential modes of transport. Now isn’t the time to have toys. You can have toys when you’re debt-free
Contact your bank and see if you can negotiate a lower interest rate on your mortgage. This is as simple as a phone call and can often result in you receiving a better deal with a lower interest rate. Reducing your mortgage interest rate can do two things:
◦ Reduce the amount of interest you pay, which can save you money.
◦ Give you more cash flow to pay off debts with higher interest rates than your mortgage, such as your car loan.
Windfall money is any funds you receive that didn’t come directly from your employment. This includes tax returns, bonuses, inheritances, and birthday money. It’s easy to splurge or treat yourself with this injection of funds. However, you don’t have spare money to waste if you’re in debt, so you should exercise self-control. To improve your financial situation and pay down your debt, try not to blow it on unnecessary items. Instead, use that money for a greater cause, like paying down or off some of your debt.
You will feel better overall once you have reduced the interest you pay, consolidated (some or all) of your loans and start living within your means (i.e., spending less than you earn). Consistency is key when trying to reduce debt as it can be a long process depending on how far in debt you are at this point; however, it will be worth it in the end.
If you have credit card debt, consider transferring it to a 0% balance transfer credit card. Several credit cards provide you with 16-24 months of interest-free on-balance transfers. If you qualify for these cards, this can be a useful strategy for paying less interest and getting ahead on your repayments.
An important step to truly get out of debt is to cancel your original credit card and ensure that you pay off the new 0% balance transfer credit card before its introductory period ends.
It’s important to live within your means. If you have trouble sticking to a budget, use cash. Take out only as much of your funds as you need each week and put the rest of your paycheck towards paying off debt or saving for important goals. Set up automatic payments so that money is paid off your debts and bills as soon as you get paid. This can help remove the temptation to spend what you don’t need.
Bankruptcy is a legal process that can help you to make a fresh start. It releases you from most of your debts and allows you to focus on rebuilding your financial life.
You can apply for voluntary bankruptcy, which is a way of stopping creditors from chasing you for debts. You need to fill in a Bankruptcy Form to do this. If someone owes you money and won’t pay, they might try to make you bankrupt through the courts. This is called sequestration, and it happens if a creditor makes an application to the court.
Bankruptcy typically lasts for three years and one day. Our expert team can provide you with more advice about it and strategies to overcome it.
A debt management plan will help you keep track of all your debts by giving you one easy way to manage repayment. Debt management plans allow you to consolidate all of your payments into one manageable monthly amount. This can save you time and headache, as well as improve your credit score. It’s important to remember that with all debt management plans, you’ll be repaying your debts over time. This process can take years and, unlike bankruptcy, you can retain great flexibility in managing your financial affairs.
Debt management is a structured way to deal with financial hardship by consolidating multiple debts into a single payment plan. A professional will assess your situation and negotiate your bad debt with creditors on your behalf.
If you’re struggling with repayments or experiencing financial difficulty, a tailored plan with tax efficiency could help reduce stress and restore confidence. Key factors such as income, equity, and expenses determine the best path forward.
Yes, but it’s often temporary. Over time, consistently making payments may improve your financial health and score.
Depending on your funds, debts (including mortgage) and repayments, some Gold Coast locals achieve financial freedom in 3–5 years.
Plans typically cover unsecured debts. Your advisor will help determine what’s eligible and ensure tax efficiency where possible.
Give one of our friendly Gold Coast team members a call today.
We’re here to provide you with professional support. If you’re looking for something specific, send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.