Over the past year we have been busy working alongside AUT to launch our Healthy Financial Relationships Toolkit, which is bespoke to New Zealand, based on the findings from our joint research project that took place last year.

A focus group participant told us the toolkit changed the way she approached her money conversations.

“Instead of attacking my partner, I have listened to his ideas and not thought ‘here we go again… all talk and no action.’ This time I have a glimmer of hope it could be different.”

The new Healthy Financial Relationships Toolkit is made up of 16 different topics and divided into two sections – preparing for the conversation and talking about money.

“People often don’t talk about money until there’s a problem that can’t be ignored,” our Social Inclusion Manager, Nicola Eccleton shared. “If we can start conversations before the problems arise it becomes much easier to work through them before they escalate. This reduces negative outcomes like relationship conflict, divorce, bankruptcy, and even economic harm.”

The bespoke toolkit gives people, no matter what stage their relationship is at, different entry points to start conversations about money, improve their understanding of their own relationship with money and learn what healthy financial relationships look like.