CASE STUDY Lack of knowledge and insight can lead individuals down the path of poor financial decisions. Without a clear understanding of their current financial situation, people can make irresponsible or ill-timed purchases, pay bills late or fail to pay creditors at all. These behaviors can result in increased money owed, collections activities and higher levels of debt. In Groningen, the largest city in the northern Netherlands, a government institution, the Groningse Kredietbank (GKB), helps residents gain control over their debts through a variety of services including debt assistance, debt prevention, income management and social lending. Institutions like GKB, though, struggle under heavy administrative burdens, as creditors may regularly communicate only with debtors and no

Join for free to read