Judge roasts ASIC bank crackdown The fact that the consumer spends $100 per month on caviar throws no light on whether a given loan will put the consumer into circumstances of substantial hardship. Nor for that matter does knowing that the consumer spends $500 per week on basic food items.” Justice Perram said. Do you agree?
Yes absolutely. I figured ASIC are completely useless and this confirms it once again Perhaps this judgement will free them up to investigate the many serial con artists who use their companies to rip people off and destroy lives, or will those issues just continue to be 'civil matters?'
I thought it was a bit rich for the judge to comment that the mortgagor could just tighten up on their discretionary spending but gave stupid examples. If many have scraped into a loan at max LVR, it may be a toss up between Netflix or free to air or Telstra vs low cost carrier and own phone.
Generally it is a change in circumstance that pushes consumers into hardship, think job loss, health issues impacting ability to work, etc and not having a back up plan for these contingencies, ie no buffers or income/trauma insurance. The detailed focus on consumer spending pushed by ASIC is ridiculous and I whole heartedly agree with the judge on that basis.
There's a difference between discretionary spending and on-going bills we need to pay. Water, rates, food, insurance etc are bills and some bills will always need to be paid. Then there's discretionary spending such as more expensive meat or alcohol or gym or holidays etc... can be adjusted by us, by humans, surely we have been given a brain to use in such matters. Hence I agree with the judge I don't wish for a nanny state/world for someone else to tell me how I am to spend on discretionary items, and hence use that assumption against my future loans. I can buy less expensive, start walking instead of paying for gym membership, etc... Surely we can have faith in our thinking that some of us would make the right choice?
I agree with the Judge. My youngest brother used to live be with me. He is 15 years younger. He used to buy all branded stuff, dined out and couldn’t even pay his phone bill. 20 years on, he is now a father of three, and just bought a commercial lot. (Living with parents so no need to buy house, yet) So yeah, a mortgagee can meet his/her mortgage payment if he’s/he puts their minds to it. “It’s not what you earn, it’s what you save”!