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Borrowing safely: the slides.

A 13-slide deck with speaker notes, for a 60-minute session. Present it from this page, or print it to PDF with one slide per page. The run sheet says when to show each slide.

While presenting: → or Space next, ← back, Home and End, S speaker notes, F full screen, Esc to stop.

Moraph for Good · Fluent

Borrowing safely

A Fluent session from Moraph for Good

A free session kit · moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/borrowing-safely

Moraph for Good · Fluent · Borrowing safely1 / 13

Speaker notes

Welcome people. Say who you are and that you work in or around financial services, but that you’re not here to sell anything or give personal advice.

How this works

Ground rules for today

  • Nobody shares their own figures
  • All the numbers are made up
  • General information, not advice about your situation
  • Nothing to sell, and no names of lenders
  • Any question is a good question

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Speaker notes

Say these slowly. Many people feel judged about borrowing; make it clear this room isn’t the place for that.

The big idea

The price of a loan is everything you pay back, not the monthly payment.

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Speaker notes

Leave this up for a moment. Everything else in the session comes back to it.

Where the cost comes from

Four things add to the cost

  • Interest: a charge for the money, usually a yearly rate
  • Fees: set-up, late payment, early repayment
  • Add-ons sold with the loan, such as insurance
  • Time: the longer you borrow, the more interest you pay

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Speaker notes

Ask the room which of these they would expect to see in the advert, and which only in the paperwork. Fees and add-ons are often in the small print.

Before you sign

Three questions for any lender

  • What is the yearly rate including fees? (Its name varies by country)
  • What is the total I will pay back?
  • What happens if I pay late, or want to pay early?

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Speaker notes

These three questions work for any loan, card or plan. Ask for the answers in writing. The country handout says what the yearly rate is called and what lenders must tell you.

Worked example

A lower payment can cost more

  • Borrow 1,000 over 12 months at 100 a month: pay back 1,200
  • Borrow 1,000 over 24 months at 60 a month: pay back 1,440
  • The second feels easier each month, and costs 240 more
  • Longer can still be the right choice; just know the price

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Speaker notes

Write both totals on the board. Make the point that choosing a longer loan is fine if it fits the budget, as long as people choose it knowing the total.

Activity

Compare three offers

  1. Use the table on your worksheet
  2. For each offer: what you receive, each payment, how many, total paid back
  3. Cost of borrowing = total paid back minus what you received
  4. Which costs least? Which is easiest to fall behind on?

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Speaker notes

Read the three offers from the activity section aloud. Give groups ten minutes, then debrief for five. Calculators or phones help.

High-cost credit

Short-term, high-cost loans

  • Often due in one payment within weeks
  • Repayment may be taken straight from your account
  • Rolling over adds new fees while the debt stays
  • A failed payment can bring bank fees on top

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Speaker notes

Explain rollovers with Offer C: three months of fees and the original amount is still owed. Rules on these loans differ a lot by country; see the handout.

Warning signs

Signs of a predatory lender

  • Pressure to sign today
  • No questions about whether you can afford it
  • Fees you only learn about at the end
  • Wants to keep your ID or bank card
  • Blank spaces in the paperwork

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Speaker notes

A responsible lender asks about your income and spending. One that doesn’t care whether you can repay may be counting on fees.

Loan scams

If they want a fee first, walk away

  • A fee before you receive the loan
  • Approval guaranteed whatever your credit
  • Payment by gift card, crypto or money transfer
  • A lender you can’t find on the official register

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Speaker notes

Advance-fee loan scams take the fee and never pay out. In some countries asking for a fee before a loan is illegal; the handout says how to check a lender is licensed or authorized.

Other options

Before you borrow, ask about

  • Small loans from credit unions or community lenders
  • A payment plan with the company you owe
  • Hardship help from your existing lender
  • Free, not-for-profit debt advice

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Speaker notes

Mention that co-signing or guaranteeing someone else’s loan means promising to pay all of it if they don’t. That surprises a lot of people.

If it has gone wrong

What you can do

  • Talk to the lender early, before a payment is missed
  • Complain in writing and keep a copy
  • Take it to the regulator or ombudsman if not resolved
  • Never pay a company to sort out debt before checking it is free elsewhere

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Speaker notes

Now turn to the country block for where you are teaching: how to check a lender, where complaints go, and where free help is.

Thank you

Questions?

  • Your handout lists official services where you live
  • Ask the three questions before you sign anything
  • Free debt advice exists: you shouldn’t pay for it

This kit, the worksheet and the handouts: moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/borrowing-safely

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Speaker notes

Take questions. Before people leave, ask them to write one next step on the back of the worksheet. Thank the host.