Financial Counselling Victoria

What Financial Counselling Victoria does

Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) is the peak body and professional association for financial counsellors in Victoria, Australia, founded in 1978 and incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation (ABN 89 498 543 075). The organisation represents over 400 financial counsellor, student and agency members employed across community service organisations throughout Victoria, providing them with professional development (CPD Library with 366+ training items), professional supervision tracking, regulatory and standards stewardship, and sector representation. FCVic also serves the public indirectly by routing individuals to free financial counselling services through the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007), the Small Business Debt Helpline (1800 413 828), and an online agency map — all financial counselling services are statutorily free, independent, and conflict-free under Corporations Regulations 2001 and National Consumer Credit Protection Regulations 2010 licensing exemptions.

FCVic's core "products" are professional services and information resources rather than technology: a Members Portal, CPD Library, Resource Library (factsheets, toolkits, multilingual content in 12 languages), the monthly Devil's Advocate newsletter, and annual flagship events including the FCVic Conference (300+ attendees) and FCVic Summit (250+ attendees). The technology stack is minimal and third-party (EasyGenerator for e-learning, standard CMS for web), with no proprietary platform, public API, or SDK offerings. Active initiatives include the Digital Transformation Roadmap project (in partnership with Infoxchange and Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW) and the cross-sector Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030.

FCVic's revenue model is dominated by government grants — primarily from the Victorian Government via Consumer Affairs Victoria, including an AUD $15 million three-year funding commitment announced in May 2024. Secondary revenue streams include individual and agency membership subscriptions (AUD $50–$275/year for individuals, AUD $200/year for agencies) and conference/event revenue (registration fees and sponsorship). The organisation has 11–50 internal staff, with no parent company, no subsidiaries, no M&A history, and no disclosed equity funding — consistent with its status as a sector-funded not-for-profit.

Name

Financial Counselling Victoria

Legal name

Financial Counselling Victoria

Website

https://fcvic.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Financial Counselling Victoria is a not-for-profit peak body founded in 1978 that represents 400+ financial counsellors in Victoria, providing professional development, sector advocacy, and standards stewardship while routing the public to free financial counselling services through helpline and referral pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Counselling Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAFAJ

Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Credit & Debt Advisory (Restructuring, Counseling & Settlement)

SECONDARYFSAEAAAH

Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Investment Advisory & Financial Planning

SECONDARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Financial counselling services
• Not-for-profit advocacy
• Professional development training
• Debt advice support
• Community legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: FCVic receives funding primarily from the Victorian Government and Consumer Affairs Victoria to support the financial counselling sector, including delivery of the CPD program and operational activities.
2. Membership Fees: Individual members pay annual fees based on employment hours: Part-time (30 hours or less): $175/year; Full-time (more than 30 hours): $275/year. Student membership: $125/year. Affiliate membership: $50/year. Agency membership: $200/year.
3. Conference and Event Revenue: Revenue generated from conference registrations, with member rates available. Conference partner packages also generate sponsorship revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Financial Counselling Victoria is the peak body and professional association for financial counsellors in Victoria, providing governance, continuous professional development, sector advocacy, and resource support to its 400+ members. It coordinates the delivery of free, independent, non-judgemental financial counselling to individuals and small businesses across Victoria via member agencies operating under ASIC licensing exemptions, and connects clients to specialist helplines such as the National Debt Helpline and Small Business Debt Helpline.

Product overview

Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) operates as a peak body and professional association for financial counsellors in Victoria, offering a portfolio of interconnected services rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include a Members Portal for member access and CPD management, a CPD Library for professional development via an e-learning platform, and a Resource Library providing factsheets and toolkits. FCVic organizes annual flagship events including the FCVic Conference (3-day professional development) and FCVic Summit (cross-sector collaboration forum). Additional offerings include the Devil's Advocate monthly newsletter, Reports & Submissions publications, an Events Calendar, and outreach resources including factsheets, videos, and the Disaster Recovery Toolkit. Integration pathways connect clients to the National Debt Helpline and Small Business Debt Helpline. Current initiatives include a Digital Transformation Roadmap project and the Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030. The organization does not offer a public API or technical product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FCVic Membership Annual professional membership for financial counsellors, students and agencies, providing access to the Members Portal, CPD tracking, supervision support, networking events and sector advocacy.
• CPD Library Continuous Professional Development resource library of 366+ training items, e-learning modules and session recordings across technical, skills and ethics categories, delivered via the EasyGenerator e-learning platform.
• Resource Library Digital repository of factsheets, guides, toolkits and templates for financial counsellors covering consumer law, credit law, family violence, disaster recovery and small business support topics.
• FCVic Annual Conference Annual three-day professional development conference for 300+ financial counsellors, industry representatives, government officials and Ombudsman schemes, featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, networking and a gala awards dinner.
• FCVic Summit Annual cross-sector summit with 250+ attendees exploring challenges facing Victorians, covering topics such as housing crisis, disaster resilience and changing face of hardship.
• Devil's Advocate Newsletter Monthly flagship newsletter covering consumer issues, financial counselling sector news and broader community legal sector updates, distributed to 500+ members and affiliates.
• Reports and Submissions Published policy reports, submissions, annual reports and strategic plans addressing utilities, disaster recovery, insurance, banking, housing and consumer rights.
• Disaster Recovery Toolkit Comprehensive toolkit guiding and supporting financial counsellors working with people and communities recovering from disasters.
• Outreach Resources Special projects factsheets, videos, posters, audio recordings and activity packs for community members and other sector professionals, available in 12 languages.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Financial Counselling AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCA is the national peak body for financial counselling. FCVic works with FCA on development of national standards for the profession and represents the Victorian sector at national level.
• Financial Counsellors' Association of NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCVic partnered with the Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW on the Digital Transformation Roadmap project, consulting with agencies across Victoria and NSW.
• Housing Resilience Action Plan PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-sector collaboration including Finity, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Resilient Building Council, ARC Justice, and Monash University to develop the Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030 addressing home insurance affordability for legacy homes.
• Consumer Action Law CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint submissions and advocacy. Consumer Action Law Centre provides a Worker Advice Line used by financial counsellors for caseworker support on consumer, credit and debt issues.
• Little DreamersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCVic collaborated with Little Dreamers to create resources for young carers, including the Young Carer Connect factsheet and Job Readiness program materials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Financial Counselling Australia: National peak body for financial counselling in Australia. FCVic works with FCA on development of national standards and represents the Victorian sector nationally — a directly comparable peak-body / professional-association model serving the same profession.
• Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW & ACT: State-level peak body and professional association for financial counsellors in NSW & ACT. Direct counterpart to FCVic at state level, partnered on the Digital Transformation Roadmap project. Same professional-association model, same regulatory environment, same funding architecture.
• Small Business Debt Helpline: Australia-wide service providing free financial counselling to small business owners in financial difficulty. Operates as a referral pathway integrated with FCVic's member agencies, sharing the same free, conflict-free delivery model.
• National Debt Helpline: Australia-wide free phone service connecting people in financial difficulty with financial counsellors. FCVic is the Victorian referral node for the Helpline; they share the same free, independent, regulatory-exempt service model and overlapping client base.

Broad incumbents

• Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand: Large community organisation operating financial counselling, no-interest loans, and financial capability programs across Australia and NZ. A broader incumbent with overlapping financial-counselling programs and a national footprint, providing a comparable free, community-based hardship-service model.

Regional players

• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's largest debt-advice charity providing free, confidential debt advice and money guidance. Closest international analogue to the FCVic peak-body + free-advice-service model, though operating in a different regulatory and geographic environment.
• Money Advice Trust: UK charity operating National Debtline and Business Debtline, providing free debt advice and training for money advisers. Functions as a sector support body analogous to FCVic, including training and professional development for advisers.

Emerging players

• Consumer Action Law Centre: Victoria-based community legal centre providing free legal advice, casework, and policy advocacy on consumer issues. Operates the Worker Advice Line used by FCVic's financial counsellors, and partners on joint submissions and advocacy — a comparable advocacy-and-advice model for financially disadvantaged consumers.
• Financial Rights Legal Centre: Australia-wide community legal centre specialising in financial counselling, credit, debt, and consumer credit law. Listed by FCVic as a cross-sector partner on the Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030; offers direct financial-counselling-style advice overlapping with FCVic's member-agency remit.

Others

• Anglicare Victoria: Major Victorian community-services agency that employs FCVic member financial counsellors (e.g., Rental Stress Financial Counsellors). A direct downstream employer of FCVic's professional members and a key delivery channel for the financial-counselling services FCVic supports.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/financialcounsellingvictoria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fcvic
• Xx.com/FCVic_org_au

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Financial Counselling Victoria