Someone in my corner! The strength of a Moneycare financial counsellor

For Fiona*, help from The Salvation Army Moneycare service came when she was “beyond breaking point.” As part of Moneycare Week, The Salvation Army is shining a light on one of Australia’s best-kept secrets — free, professional financial counsellors who walk with people and help them take control of their money and their future.

After years of working hard and managing her money carefully, Fiona was paying off her own home, enjoying planting her garden and creating a beautiful haven for herself and visiting family.

It was a time of hope after many years of compounding personal loss, including the loss of a child, a marriage breakdown and periods of working multiple jobs to support herself and her children.

A few years earlier, she had received a prestigious community award for her voluntary work helping others. But then, in her 60s, with her children grown and hoping life was finally about to get easier, a series of unexpected setbacks left her desperately needing support herself.

Regional closures and loss

Fiona had moved to a regional town for what seemed the perfect career opportunity — a role with the area’s largest manufacturer that matched her skills and experience. But when the business closed, it left the town reeling from job losses and a domino-effect of falling property values.

“It became like a ghost town,” Fiona says. “Shops closed, people moved away, and there was just this feeling of loss everywhere.”

With no public transport and long drives to and from the job she took after the closure (at significantly lower pay), the cost of fuel and car repairs quickly grew.

Additionally, a relationship that Fiona hoped would bring comfort instead brought trauma.

After leaving the troubled relationship deeply affected and returning to her own home, Fiona’s older car began to fail. In need of a solution, she went to a dealer and was persuaded to buy a more expensive vehicle on an extremely high-interest loan.

Scams and stress compound

“They just seemed so lovely,” she says. “I trusted them.”

On reflection, Fiona says she realised she had been in a fragile state when she made the decision to buy the car and felt taken advantage of. The insurance arranged by the dealer was for a much lower value than she had paid, and there were other discrepancies and issues.

Fiona felt she had been scammed.

“It was when I hit the kangaroo that I realised what had happened,” she says. “They were going to write the car off and I was stumped because they’d insured it for much less than I paid.”

At that point, Fiona says she was “in one hell of a space”, beyond stressed and broken, and had started seeing a counsellor, who suggested she also contact The Salvation Army Moneycare service and meet with Kim, a free financial counsellor.

Salvos support in a dark time

The Salvation Army’s Moneycare offers free, independent and confidential financial counselling to help people take control of their money and their future. Financial counsellors don’t tell people what to do. They listen without judgement, offer clarity and options, and walk alongside people through life’s financial challenges.

“Kim was soon over every detail,” Fiona says. “She requested the paperwork, the call records, everything. She could not have done a more thorough investigation. She would not give up.”

When Fiona had no way to get to work while her car was in for repairs (a long wait in her area), Kim helped her advocate with insurers for a temporary free hire car so she could keep her job. “That kept me going,” Fiona says. “Without that I would have lost everything.”

Kim also helped Fiona contact The Salvation Army Doorways team for a small grocery voucher when money was running out. “It made all the difference,” she says.

Need someone in your corner? Don’t carry the weight of money stress alone. Talk with a Moneycare financial counsellor today — it’s free and confidential. Visit salvationarmy.org.au/moneycare or call 1800 722 363.

During months of stress and uncertainty, Fiona says Kim treated her with dignity. “I was really down,” she says. “She listened. She cared. She made me feel like I mattered.”

At times, Fiona slept in her car between shifts to save fuel. Kim helped her find safer ways to get through that challenging period and stay connected to work, all the while trying to get to the bottom of the car issues.

“She wasn’t going to be fobbed off with fancy words,” Fiona says. “She was polite but tenacious. I’ve never had anyone fight for me like that. She was in my corner.”

A service that changes lives

Fiona says she had known of The Salvation Army but didn’t realise how much support was available. “It’s the whole of The Salvation Army as well,” she says. “The fact that they provide this, I had no idea churches did so much to help people.

“They’ve provided so many services to so many people — young, old, domestic violence, homeless, financial support,” she says. “And it’s not just the financial advice. It’s that someone actually cares enough to help.”

Now on her way back up on her feet, Fiona is still repaying the car but is holding onto her home, which she says has become a sanctuary for her and others.

“I was ready to give up,” she says. “It sounds dramatic, but it probably was life or death. Kim and The Salvation Army really were a lifeline.”

*Name changed for family privacy.

For practical tools and tips to help understand and manage money, explore Moneycare’s free resources or download the You’re the Boss eBook.