In case of debt problems, one in five Poles would seek help... from the creditor

There is an increasing tendency among Poles to take loans or make installment purchases. Nearly every fourth person surveyed (23%) currently has a problem with repaying his liabilities – shows the "Intergenerational debt talks" report prepared by TNS Polska for KRUK Group. As many as 62% of Poles struggling with overdue payments would ask their close ones - parents, siblings, relatives - for help. What is interesting, instead of avoiding contact with the creditor, as many as 19% of the indebted persons would contact the debt management company to talk about their problem.

As the survey carried out by TNS Polska for KRUK Group has shown, women are more likely to contact the creditor for help than men (22 versus 16%). The decision to contact a debt processing company is most likely to be made by persons with income up to 3, and above 5 thousand PLN (20 and 27% of respondents). The most open to this solution are inhabitants of Western and Southern Poland (22 and 20% of respondents, respectively). 

As many as 62% of adult Poles willing to contact the creditor would expect to receive advice on how their debt-related problems could be solved. Nearly every tenth respondent (9%) would appreciate splitting overdue payments into installments.

- It is quite common that cases of unpaid bills, credit installments or other liabilities are commissioned for recovery by debt processing companies. The results of our study show that the pro-amicable approach to ending debt initiated by KRUK Group several years ago has been positively received by the clients. With this type of solution, they obtain the possibility to enter into arrangements with the creditor and avoid court proceedings. I encourage each person with financial problems to enter into open and fair negotiations with the creditor. This will allow to find the right way out of debt - says Agnieszka Salach of KRUK Group.

Where do we seek support in debt?

As many as 62% of Poles having problems with unpaid debts would seek help among their close ones - parents, siblings, relatives.  Nearly every fourth (24%) person would request support from their parents. 15% of the persons surveyed would ask their partner for help, while 13% would talk to their adult children about this problem; nearly every tenth (9%) - to their siblings. Women are statistically more bold and open for honest conversation. As many as 68% of them would seek help among their families, compared to 58% of men. The younger we are, the more willing to request family for support. At ages 18 – 29 it is as many as 74% of respondents, compared to 67% of 30 year olds, 64% of 40 year olds, and only 58% of people aged 50-59. 

*Survey carried out for KRUK Group by TNS Polska, on a representative sample group of 1000 Poles.