It's time to recognise the workforce building the financial wellbeing of Australians

Today I’ve released a report on Australia’s financial capability sector, focusing on money coaches, financial educators and financial content creators. You can read the report here.

Over the past few years, I’ve been watching this space grow, not as a formal profession, but as a response to a very real need.

People are making complex financial decisions every day. Many are doing so without access to financial advice, without engaging with formal systems, and without clear, practical education.

And in that gap, a workforce has emerged.

There is now a growing, skilled and committed group of people helping others understand and navigate money in real-world contexts. They are:

  • running workshops

  • creating educational content

  • supporting decision-making

  • translating complex systems into something people can actually use

This work sits between:

  • financial advice

  • financial counselling

  • and going it alone

But despite its impact, this workforce is still largely invisible. Right now, the sector lacks:

  • clear definitions

  • consistent standards

  • structured pathways

  • workforce recognition

  • acknowledgement in policy and data

This isn’t just a classification issue. It has real consequences for:

  • quality and consistency

  • professional identity

  • funding and support

  • policy design

  • and ultimately, outcomes for the people this work is meant to serve

One of the reasons this gap persists is how we frame the problem. When inequitable financial outcomes are described as a “literacy problem”, the implied solution is education aimed at fixing individuals. But that framing is incomplete. It overlooks:

  • structural barriers

  • system design

  • access to support

  • and the role of intermediaries who already help people navigate these systems

If we define the problem too narrowly, we design solutions that don’t match reality.

This report maps an emerging but under-defined sector and provides insight into:

  • who is doing this work

  • how they are operating

  • the challenges they face

  • and where the gaps currently sit

Download the report here.

It draws on survey data and industry conversations to build a clearer picture of what is already happening, and what is still missing.

If we are serious about improving financial outcomes, we need to move beyond awareness and into structure. That means:

  • recognising this workforce as a legitimate part of the financial capability ecosystem

  • developing clearer definitions and boundaries

  • creating pathways and standards that support quality and trust

  • including this work in policy thinking, data collection and funding models

This is not about replacing existing professions. It is about acknowledging the role this work already plays, and strengthening it.

Financial capability doesn’t develop in a vacuum. It is shaped by:

  • systems

  • policy settings

  • access to support

  • and the environments people are learning and making decisions within

If we want better outcomes, we need to design for how people actually engage with money, not how we assume they should.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the survey and to the many conversations that shaped this work. This is an emerging space. There is more to define, test and build.

If you are working in policy, financial services, education or community capability, I’d be interested in how this aligns with what you’re seeing, and what you think comes next.

Jenny Rolfe