Editor’s Note

For several weeks now, I have been too cold!

Living in SA, we all know that we are going to experience some weather extremes. It’s part of SA’s charm. No uniform year round blandness for us. We are all guaranteed some hot, some cold, some rain, some wind – we get a bit of everything.

But when a bit becomes a bit too extreme… well, it gets a bit much.

Recently, I have been huddled over the heater, wearing multiple layers and sitting with a blanket on my lap like a 90-year old and moaning about the “good old days” when this mysterious thing called “summer” existed. What a distant memory.

Most of us can cope with discomfort for a while. Each of us has different tolerance levels but we can all handle a bit of hardship. It’s also part of being South African, we are tough.

But…sometimes it can get a bit too much.

It’s when life exerts more and more pressure on us without let up, that we start taking strain. The entire debt collections process, as designed by credit providers, is often based on this very simple principle. It is civilised relentless collections torture designed to make us cave and pay.

So, many people are close to breaking point by the time they start debt review.

How wonderful that they can put that stress behind them with a reasonable plan in place. Finally, it is a ray of sun during a cold winters’ day. A warm fire on a cold winters’ night.

That’s why it is strange to those who regularly deal with the process (credit providers and Debt Counsellors) when consumers, who have finally found a touch of peace, drop out of the process.

We often wonder why someone might make such a tragically terrible decision, and cause themselves even more pain and problems?

This is something we take a look at this issue.

We delve into the seasons of danger and the sources of danger… and how to avoid them. Too many people have made mistakes, we hope you never do. We hope that the articles help you dodge the bad decision that hundreds of thousands of others have made.

We also hope the news articles inform you, the tips and advice articles help you and the updates on what’s going on equips you for success despite challenges.

If, like me, you are a bit fed up with feeling miserable, then huddle round. Enjoy a bit of a respite from the world around you for a few minutes as you go through the mag. Get “warm” as it were, get motivated, get informed and get debt free.