Why Financial Education Should Come First

Most financial products lead with features: open an account, start investing, get a credit card. Education, if it exists at all, sits in a blog section few people read. The message is that you should act first and understand later. We think that is backwards, and you can see the results in people investing in things they do not understand and borrowers who cannot explain how their interest rate works.

Financial IQ puts explanation alongside action. The Learn guides cover tax for the self-employed, for people who run their own limited company and for landlords, plus the deadlines and returns that apply to everyone, all with worked figures. In the app, each payoff strategy on the debt page comes with a short note on who it suits best, so you can choose knowing what each one does.

Nobody has to pass a test before using the product. The aim is confidence. Someone who understands why their plan works is far more likely to adjust it and carry on when motivation dips.