Wigan residents asked to 'do one thing' to boost their financial situation

The Money and Pensions Service’s Talk Money Week, which runs from November 6 to 10, aims to reduce the stigma around money by encouraging conversations.

Unify Credit Union is asking everyone to “do one thing”, whether that is something major, like creating an in-depth budget or looking closely at a pension, or something minor like talking to a child about pocket money.

People are also being asked to talk to others about what they did and why, in the hope of inspiring them to join in.

There will be activities across England to get more people talking about money and topics like using credit, saving regularly, planning for retirement, dealing with debt and teaching children about financial decisions.

Last year, Talk Money Week was supported by hundreds of organisations, including banks, Government departments, NHS trusts and charities like Citizens’ Advice and Money and Mental Health, with more expected this time.

Angela Fishwick, Unify’s CEO, said: “It’s important to talk about money so we can all get to grips with any challenges we face, identify chances to learn and grow our financial resilience. Lots of people will come to Unify at this time of year to borrow money for Christmas – one small thing you could do is set up one of our Christmas Saver accounts at the same time and start preparing for next Christmas.”

Caroline Siarkiewicz, chief executive of the Money and Pensions Service, said: “Talk Money Week has grown every single year and we want to build on that success, so it’s time to talk specifics. This is why we’re asking and inspiring people to ‘do one thing’ and take another step towards improving their financial wellbeing, telling others about it as they go.

“Whether it’s something small like starting a conversation, or something major like making an informed long-term decision, this is a chance for everyone to get involved and reap the benefits.

“We have the ideas and information you’ll need on our website, along with the tools to help you get started, so I’d urge everyone to think about what works for them. By working together, we can help everyone make the most of their money and pensions.”

For more information, visit www.maps.org.uk/talk-money-week/