The reality is that debt is a way of life that has to be managed well. If it’s managed well, it works better for you – rather than better for the banks.

When we talk about debt, we predominately talk about setting up efficient ways to manage your mortgage, such as offset accounts which can knock years off your loan in terms of interest repayments.

It is not uncommon to find that the only savings some people are making is the principal component of their home loan repayments.

Banks will give most people a loan and they also have some great tools to help you bring your mortgage down sooner, but people aren’t taught how to utilise them.

We teach our clients, for example, to use credit cards properly for purchasing so that they can live on the bank’s money interest-free while their money is working for them in their mortgage.

Some of our tips and techniques might seem small, but we see people every day who are amazed how the savings add up and make a big difference to their cash flow. We can all do with a little less stress when it comes to our finances.

Another common period in life when personal debt can be stressful is when couples start a family. When a two-income family, becomes a one-income family it can be very difficult to save as much, or save anything at all.

It’s times like this that need planning. It’s quite okay to spin your wheels for a few years, but restructuring loans during this period can really help.

Debt isn’t just about mortgages though. We help a lot of people weigh up the best way to borrow for a variety of reasons.

Even if you don’t need to borrow for a major purchase, sometimes it is a smarter option that leads to other financial benefits.