One fruit grower’s experience
During the last decade, my partner and I reached a moment which some of you who have been affected by the recent hail storm may be experiencing: we hit a wall, and could not see a way to go around it. We put our house on the market, hoping to free up some cash to clear our debts...
A meeting with our banker added to the level of stress as he said he would consider us to borrow more if, and only if, we would accept to consult a Rural Financial Counsellor (RFC). Overtaking the humiliation at having someone put their nose into our finances was the hardest thing to do.
I will always remember the day the RFC turned up at our home: in a few minutes, she found the words to relax the tense atmosphere, and soon convinced us about her high level of professionalism. We spent a couple of hours assessing our situation and she took time to ensure we understood our financial position.
RFC came back several times to see us, until we developed a financial plan that we were comfortable to take to our banker. In the process, the burden on our shoulders started to feel somewhat lighter, we saw light at the end of the tunnel, and embarked on the new plan.
I learnt that in a difficult financial situation, it is best to do things in the right order:
- Assess and understand your situation
- Consider your options, develop a plan and implement it
- Review your plan and communicate the plan and progress with relevant parties such as banks and major creditors
A RFC can assist with all three steps, the service is free, confidential and impartial.
Remember: transition times can be tough, but managing them gives you the chance to master your destiny. If you would like to know more contact Goulburn Murrary Hume Agcare’s Rural Financial Counselling Service on 1300 834 775 or Chris Howard on Mob: 0427 546 642.
