In short

I am a divorced father from Hungary and the proud dad of a little boy. I have worked in software development for 17 years, and I never wanted to ask anyone for help with unexpected costs. Asking frightens me more than a bank loan does. So for years, every time life brought a cost I could not cover, I took out a loan: after a car accident, for years of household and medical costs, after our separation, and after a layoff in 2025. Each loan got me through that moment and made every month after it harder.

Now that road has ended. One loan after another has left me in a debt trap, and I no longer see a way out other than asking for help now, after the fact. If donations close part of the debt, refinancing the rest with a bank could become possible. My last job finished in October 2026, mainly because of my difficulties with spoken English. There are jobs I can do in Hungarian, and I will take one, because I need to work and a bank will want to see a permanent contract. But they do not pay enough to get me out of this on my own, and I cannot take out another loan.

What I am asking for now

About €15,800, in three steps.

Step 1, about €3,900, would pay off an older loan in full, which leaves more in my account at the end of each month. A bank looks at that too. I will do this as soon as enough has come in.

Step 2, about €5,950, would pay off the first half of my April 2026 loan. I am told a bank looks at how much I owe in total, not at how many loans I have, so this helps too.

Step 3, about €5,950, would pay off the rest of that loan. That is the loan that stands in the way of refinancing what remains.

Together they would cut my monthly repayments by about HUF 116,000, from about HUF 327,000 to about HUF 212,000. After each step, I will post the bank's confirmation here. If less comes in than a step needs, it still goes towards that loan as a part-payment.

If more than €15,800 comes in, it stays here on 4fund until the refinancing is done or it is clear that it will not happen, and then goes towards the loans that remain. No donation goes towards the car loan.

The plan

I have tried many times this year to refinance on better terms, and I have not managed it. Credit advisers have explained what it would take: close my April 2026 loan, which banks are unwilling to refinance, have a permanent job contract, and show a bank three months of stable finances, which is what most banks look at. A bank could then bring what remains together into one loan on better terms, and I would keep repaying that myself. The three months only start once that loan is closed. The adviser suggested a private loan for this, but a private loan of that size is not available to me from the family and friends I asked. That is why I am asking here.

The whole picture

I owe about HUF 16,000,000 (around €44,000) in bank loans. These are the balances in my credit report, as of September 2026, with what each one costs me a month. Paying a loan off in full costs the balance plus two monthly instalments.

- An older loan: about HUF 1,350,000, about HUF 42,000 a month. Paying it off costs about HUF 1,430,000 (around €3,900)

- The April 2026 loan: about HUF 4,200,000, about HUF 74,000 a month. Paying it off costs about HUF 4,350,000 (around €11,900)

- The loan that combined my older loans: about HUF 6,100,000, about HUF 118,000 a month. To be refinanced

- A credit card: about HUF 300,000, with no instalment due at the moment. To be refinanced

- The car loan: about HUF 4,100,000, about HUF 94,000 a month. I needed the car for work, and I am not asking help with this one

Euro amounts in this text use the Hungarian central bank's rate of 3 November 2026.

My son and me

The photos show my son and me together. He is my greatest motivation, my biggest source of joy, and the reason I keep going even when things feel overwhelming.

What worries me most is not having to live with less myself. It is the thought that money might limit the security and opportunities I can give my son. I want to spend time with him without constantly calculating what I can afford, and be there for the moments that matter. Children should not have to carry the weight of their parents' money worries.

Why I cannot get out of it on my own

I have worked in software development for 17 years and have always earned my living through my own work. But what I can earn in the Hungarian market is not enough to clear a debt of this size in a reasonable time. By the end of my last job, my repayments took about 40% of my take-home pay without the car loan, and more than half with it, so I could not save the funds I would need to refinance on better terms.

I write English well, but speaking it fluently has always been hard for me. The job adverts that promise good pay almost all ask for fluent spoken English, so the roles left to me pay less. I keep working on it.

How the debt came about

It started with a car accident in 2016. The car was a total loss, and no insurance covered it. I spent four months in hospital, followed by another six months recovering at home on sick pay. I then took out my first loan to replace the car and dispose of the wreck.

My son's mother and I lived together for about six years. Becoming parents did not come easily for us, and medical tests and treatment were a constant cost throughout those years. I paid what I could from my salary and took out loans, all of them in my name, for the household and for the larger expenses.

We separated in 2024, and our son was born the following year. Thank God, he was born healthy, and he is doing well today. I kept all of the loans and left our household belongings to my son's mother. I do not wish to blame anyone. We have learned to cooperate respectfully as co-parents, and our son's well-being always comes first.

What happened after we separated

In December 2024 I combined most of my older loans into one larger loan. In June 2025, after 17 years with the same company, I lost my job in a layoff. I was out of work for about six months and fell behind on my repayments, and my family helped me catch up. In December 2025 I started a new job, on about 25% less than before. That job came to an end in October 2026, mainly because of my difficulties with spoken English. I am now looking for a new job.

In April 2026 I took out another loan to clear an earlier loan, pay legal costs and pay back-dated child support for my son. In July 2026 I took out a loan for a car I needed for work. I am not asking anyone to help with that one.

To keep everything transparent

The images attached at the end of this document are a redacted English translation of my credit report, with personal identifiers removed. They show all of my outstanding balances, including the car loan. I made the translation myself with AI assistance, so it is not an official document. The original comes from KHR, Hungary's central credit information system, and was issued by BISZ Zrt.

Donations go to a separate bank account used only for this fundraiser. After each payment towards the debt, I will post an update here with a redacted bank confirmation.

A note on the payment page: 4fund asks for a voluntary contribution to its own costs, set to 20% of your donation by default. It is separate from your donation, and you can move the slider down to 0%.

I am not asking anyone to support me for life. I want to work, improve my skills and provide for my son through my own efforts.

Every donation, however small, brings me closer to a fresh start. If you cannot donate, sharing this page helps too.

Thank you for reading, and for any kindness you choose to offer.

With heartfelt gratitude,

A Father from Hungary