She's On The Money Financial Confidence for Our First Nations Community with Leah Bennett
Nov 28, 2025
Leah Bennett, a Proud Wiradjuri woman and expert in financial services, leads the First Nations Foundation, focusing on culturally informed financial literacy. In this discussion, she explores how historical context and institutional mistrust impact financial confidence for First Nations communities. Leah shares valuable insights on budgeting, setting boundaries with kinship obligations, and navigating the complexities of superannuation. She emphasizes the importance of tailored financial education and access to culturally safe support for empowering communities.
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Culture-Centred Financial Education
- First Nations Foundation centres culture in financial education and creates content by Mob4Mob to meet community needs.
- Leah Bennett emphasizes walking beside people and avoiding deficit framing to empower financial journeys.
Recent Exclusion Shapes Trust And Knowledge
- First Nations people were legally excluded from the economy until very recently, which reduces intergenerational financial knowledge.
- That historical exclusion and ongoing misconduct by institutions creates deep mistrust and practical disadvantages.
Sharing Economy Can Become Harmful
- First Nations communities practise a sharing economy where money is distributed across kinship obligations rather than accumulated.
- This cultural norm is positive but can become harmful when others take advantage, creating 'humbugging' and financial abuse.
