Klingander, B. (2000). Swedish consumers’ experiences of financial counseling. Financial
Counseling and Planning, 11(2), 65-76.
Swedish Consumers’ Experiences Of Financial Counseling
Birgitta Klingander1
This article reports on Swedish consumers’ experiences of financial counseling, based on a field
study of 173 households and a follow-up survey of 93 persons. Forty-eight percent said they were
helped in contacting the parties concerned and 34% stated they made such contacts after counseling.
The advice given focused on budget planning. However, after counseling, 30% said they had made
plans. The consumers wanted solutions to their debt problems. Only 14% said they had been given
help with debt reconstruction. The effects of the counseling seem to have faded with time.
Key words: Debt problems, Household budget, Financial counseling, Financial management,
Sweden
1. Birgitta Klingander; Department of Home Economics, Göteborg University; Box 12 204; SE- 402 42 Göteborg, Sweden; Phone: +46 31 773 4218;
Fax: +46 31 773 4209; E-mail: Birgitta.Klingander@ped.gu.se