Hey there!
I’m Benjamin, a freelance personal finance writer from Australia.
I’ve not always had the best relationship with money. Several stints at university and easy access to credit in my 20s saw me in a financial predicament that started innocently enough but then snowballed into something major.
Then, around five years ago, I was gifted a copy of The Barefoot Investor for Christmas. While I’d always tracked my spending with colourful spreadsheets, the book’s simple and practical advice encouraged me to think about my long-term financial future. To think hard about less sexy topics like superannuation, insurance, and (gasp) debt repayment.
Similar however, the ability to manage our finances is not a skill found on many school curriculums. This means we are thrust into adulthood with little to no financial aptitude, or worse still, with bad money habits we inherited from our parents.
Some 33% (find ref) of Australians are financially illiterate in what is now a challenging economic environment. Some people want to improve their financial literacy but are overwhelmed by psychological or circumstantial factors, while for others, awareness of where their money is actually going is an important first step.
In any case, my interests lie at the intersection between financial literacy and life satisfaction. I’m also passionate about psychology as it relates to finance and how our mind sometimes works against us when it comes to money.
Who do I work with?
I work with banks, credit unions, and various other institutions that consider financial education important.
What else do I do?
When I’m not tapping away on my keyboard, you can often find me hiking in the wilderness or chasing storms with a camera in tow. I’m also an avid reader and appreciate the meditative effect of a well-worn playlist and epic road trip.