Anita Sørhus is a senior adviser at Kraft Bank. She has 20 years ' experience from banking, and family finances have always been her passion. She has worked at Kraft Bank since its inception in 2018 and is concerned with how the bank can help private individuals and families experiencing financial problems.
Hidden costs in relationships are one of a number of reasons why people contact Kraft Bank for help.
Other regulars are divorce, renovation or illness. In addition, some struggle with the fact that they incur tax debts when they run their own company. They raise unsecured debt and spit into the company in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy.
Then it is good that there are opportunities for those who are looking for help.
-One of the most important things we as a special bank can offer is good advice. We are concerned with the one-to-one conversation, and the story behind the financial problems. In this way, we can create a relationship with our customers, and build trust between both parties. We want our customers to be confident that we only offer a loan if it will improve their situation, says Anita.
Anita goes on to explain how she works with applications:
-When I look at an application, I work according to the guidelines; ability, will and security. Ability, i.e. ability to operate, what is the income of the family. Will is about the story of the customer. How did the customer end up in this situation, and how does he/she envision us solving it? Does the customer have a strong desire to clean up their finances? Finally, I look at security. Although we as a special bank can be quite flexible, we must comply with the lending regulations* (See info at the bottom of the case).
- I also remind my customers that when they have received a loan from us, that is when the work begins. We don't make the debt smaller, but it becomes more manageable. Our aim is always that the customer should eventually be able to move the loan back to an ordinary bank. For that to happen, he/she must follow the plan we set up together, in order to gain good control over the finances.
*The Lending Regulations have certain provisions for how banks in Norway must relate to customers' loan-to-value ratio and service ratio, for example. This means that we as a bank must make sure that you do not get a loan that is higher than 85% of the value of your home, and that you do not borrow more than 5 times your income. These are examples of what the lending regulations determine. Here you can read more about the lending regulations.
This article is part of the category Economic first aid , a collection of articles that deal with topics related to a strained economic situation, such as reminders and collection, payment notices, garnishments and forced sales. Read more about Financial first aid .
