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PRO INSTALLER DECEMBER 2016
PRO BUSINESS
@proinstaller1
DANGERS OF
UNREGULATED
DEBT ADVICE
The insolvency trade body R3 has warned
individuals struggling with debt only to
take guidance from licensed and regulated
advisers. Turning to unscrupulous
and unlicensed debt advisers could
actually make their situation worse.
He aims to outperform the
markets and competitors and is
estimating between 4% and 5% in
the group’s sales growth.
The Roto Group’s long-term
company strategy is based on
two pillars - global alignment and
transforming the business from
a component manufacturer to
a provider of window and door
technology system solutions.
The logic behind global alignment is that the better the window and door components align,
the lower the risk that individual
parts will not have the necessary
compatibility. This reduces window and door producers’ business
risk.
Among global innovations for the
coming year is the PVCu version
of RotoQ – the timber horizontal
pivot roof window - which will
be introduced in Germany and
Austria. Christoph Hugenberg,
chairman of Roto Roof and Solar
Technology, said: “This completes
the Roto product range. We can
now offer the matching window
for pros for every customer requirement.”
Another new arrival is ‘Patio Alversa,’ a universal parallel sliding
and Tilt&Slide system launched on
15th November. This system will
reduce fabricator manufacturing,
storage and logistics costs to a
minimum via a universal central
locking system, universal handle
and modular sliding system.
The group emphasised its dedication to customers and pointed
to its successful ‘Roto Newcomer
Campaign’ in 2015 and 2016. This
allowed Roto to gain long-term
customers from competitors and
give targeted support for 300 companies a year who were looking to
drive a sales increase.
Katharina Kulus, head of Roto
Roof and Solar Technology PR &
Content Marketing, said: “Even
tradespeople who have been
working with other manufacturers
for years are now switching to
Roto. Anyone who changes their
habits after such a long time to
try new things does so for good
reasons.”
The group said it remained committed to political campaigning on
issues such as burglary protection,
as a rise in apartment break-ins
was now a European problem.
Dr Keill presented the results
of a study on burglary protection
in Germany which represented
61.5 million citizens. According
to the study, 10% of Germans did
not feel safe ‘at all’ and there was
strong support for preventive
burglary protection measures in
building regulations, as well as
statutory window and door security regulations.
In the Netherlands, simple
mechanical burglary protection
– which was mandatory for new
builds – had led to 30% less burglaries.
www.roto-frank.co.uk
In a guidance document
published by R3, it explains
that people struggling under
the weight of debt who take
advice from unlicensed
advisers run the risk of
being charged for services
which do not lead to positive
outcomes and which can
subsequently make it more
difficult to reach workable
repayment arrangements
with creditors.
Andrew Davenport from Sheffield-based Maxim, said: “While it’s
understandable that people facing
mounting debt are desperate to
get help, we are urging them not
to be tempted to listen to unlicensed advisers who claim to offer
a pain free ‘quick fix’. Often problems with personal finances have
built up over a number of years
and dealing with the underlying
issues which have caused them
takes time. Unfortunately, there is
no easy solution – the important
thing is to take the first step of
recognising that there is a problem and seeking reliable, expert
advice from someone with the
right qualifications, like a licensed
insolvency practitioner, before the
situation escalates out of control.
“If you are unable to keep up
with creditor demands, don’t bury
your head in the sand, face up to
the situation, whether this means
coming to an informal agreement with your creditors which
will give you the time to pay
off your debts; arranging a debt
relief solution suitable for your
circumstances; or even entering a
formal insolvency procedure. Most
licensed insolvency practitioners
offer free initial consultations and
as specialists in insolvency issues,
they are able to offer unbiased,
expert advice.”
He added: “Not only are unlicensed advisers practically unaccountable as their activities are
unregulated, but they simply may
not have the knowledge or experience to understand the complexities of an individual’s particular
situation and the full range of
options available to them. By
following their advice, there is a
real risk that an individual may
take the wrong action about how
to resolve their financial problems
and may even break the law by
not undertaking their legal duties
or responsibilities to the people to
whom they owe money.”
Those with personal finance
problems can use the ‘Find a Practitioner’ option on the R3 website (www.r3.org.uk/get-advice/
find- a-practitioner) which gives
full contact details of local insolvency practitioners. R3 members
are fully qualified and regulated
professionals, able to provide
expert and timely information that
can be vital when faced with a
personal financial crisis.
Details of insolvency
practitioners are also available
on the government website at
www.gov.uk/find-an-insolvencypractitioner