Verified Botswana facts
Make the before-and-after debt structure visible so a lower immediate payment cannot hide a longer, costlier or more fragile obligation.
Evidence and limits
Current creditor statements and settlement figures establish the old side; the authenticated proposal and schedule establish the new side.
Questions before signing
Extending time, financing charges or reopening cleared limits can increase exposure even when the proposed monthly payment falls.
Decision worksheet
Collect dated records, build both BWP calendars, test adverse household events and record a reasoned accept, decline or pause verdict.
Call every current obligation as a separate witness
List creditor legal name, account type, balance date, regular payment, due date, arrears status, remaining duration, security, guarantee and denomination. Include obligations that will not be consolidated because they still affect the household. Do not estimate from memory or treat a credit limit as the current balance. Verify who controls each statement and keep personal records outside Credizen. If an entry is disputed, mark it unresolved and preserve the complaint or clarification path. A complete witness list prevents the proposed payment from being compared with only part of today's burden.
Request dated settlement evidence instead of using balances
The amount required to close an obligation may differ from a displayed balance because of timing, accrued amounts or contract treatment. Ask the responsible creditor for a settlement figure, validity date, payment destination and closure steps. Do not infer a penalty or discount where none is stated. Record which BWP amount applies on which date and what happens after validity expires. If the provider of the proposed consolidation will pay creditors directly, authenticate that process and confirm how any shortfall or surplus is handled before agreeing.
Build the present-tense household calendar
Place dependable income, essential expenses and every current debt payment on their actual dates. Include irregular but supported obligations and a reserve for disruption. This calendar shows timing pressure that a monthly total may miss. Keep amounts in their stated currency and avoid casual conversion. Note where an account can change rate or payment according to its documents without predicting the change. The result is the household's current baseline, not a judgement about blame or a promise that payments will always continue unchanged.
Construct the proposed calendar from the written schedule
Use the new proposal and repayment schedule to place net proceeds, creditor settlements, upfront charges, regular payments and the final payment. Confirm term, frequency, first date and any conditional amount. A public description cannot fill a personal blank. If fees or insurance are financed, show how they enter the obligation. Keep accounts not being settled on the calendar. Do not remove an old payment until responsible evidence confirms closure. This proposed side remains provisional while a material BWP value or timing point is unknown.
Compare total outflow and time, not just one payment
Calculate supported cash outflow on both calendars and record the date each structure ends. A smaller instalment can result from a longer duration, not a lower total burden. Separate interest, compulsory fees, insurance and settlement-related payments where the documents allow. Do not count an unsupported saving. If the proposed structure releases extra cash, treat that as additional borrowing rather than a discount. A valid comparison uses the same observation date and leaves unresolved fields visible instead of choosing assumptions that favour consolidation.
Examine security, payroll and control changes
Determine whether the new obligation introduces or changes security, salary routing, debit arrangements, guarantees or account conditions. A cost comparison alone cannot show the consequence of placing an asset or another person at risk. Ask who controls payment timing and what happens after a missed payment. Do not state that a condition applies unless the responsible proposal says so. Where a material consequence is unclear, pause the hearing. The household should understand what control it gives up as well as what monthly relief it appears to gain.
Test delayed income and an urgent expense
Move dependable income later and add a realistic essential expense to each calendar. Observe which payments fail, what reserve is consumed and whether the proposed structure actually creates space. Do not assume another loan, limit increase or payment holiday will rescue either case. A stress test is not a forecast; it reveals dependence on perfect timing. If consolidation only works when income never varies or no emergency occurs, record that fragility. The institution's affordability decision cannot replace this private household resilience test.
Plan account closure and prevent debt from returning
Write the action needed to close or restrict each settled facility and the evidence that will confirm completion. Do not assume a zero balance closes an account or prevents future use. Decide how the household will handle reopened capacity before settlement occurs. Preserve final statements and payment receipts privately. If a disputed amount prevents closure, keep it on the calendar until resolved. Consolidation that clears balances but leaves the borrowing pattern unchanged may postpone rather than solve the underlying pressure.
Issue a verdict with reasons and expiry conditions
Choose accept, decline or pause and write the decisive reasons: total BWP outflow, end date, payment timing, security, resilience, closure certainty and unresolved facts. An accept verdict still depends on the final agreement matching the reviewed proposal. Decline applies to this household and evidence set, not every reader. Pause identifies the exact responsible clarification required. Add a review date because settlement figures and proposals expire. The hearing is complete when another household member can retrace the decision without relying on a salesperson's confidence or Credizen's authority. Write the lower-income scenario beside the ordinary month, preserve each BWP input and date, and stop if essential spending or an existing obligation no longer fits.