The NGPF podcast's first international guest, Kendall Flutey, is one hard-working entrepreneur—she set aside time on a Saturday (NZ Time) to talk to us! She saw a gap in financial literacy education in primary schools through her brother's eyes, and decided to change things for the better. Fueled by her passion for business, the former accountant signed up for coding bootcamp, and 6 months later she was equipped to bring the vision of her startup to life. Banqer was born in 2015, and it’s been helping students learn how to manage their finances ever since. With 40% market share in New Zealand, Kendall has started to look beyond to Australia and other foreign markets to continue to grow her base of users. Listen to this podcast if you’re ready to be inspired by this go-getter from the Land of the Long White Cloud!

Details:

• 0:00–1:13 Introduction
• 1:14–5:26 The Beginnings of Banqer
• 5:27–7:45 Kendall’s coding bootcamp experience
• 7:46–10:28 Flutey at the frontline of financial education
• 10:29–13:09 Trials and triumphs of incorporating financial literacy in school
• 13:10–15:28 Inner workings of the classroom economy
• 15:29–20:53 Different dynamics, different countries, same credit problems
• 20:54–23:43 New Zealand vs. US: how graduates bear student loans
• 23:44–24:19 A word from NGPF
• 24:20–26:26 Time’s on your side when you’re young when it comes to investing
• 26:27–27:33 Cohorts, an app focused on high school students
• 27:34–31:43 Balancing education and sponsorship is a tightrope to walk across
• 31:44–33:41 Which next countries are on Banquer’s list?
• 33:42–34:20 Best thing bought for under $10 (New Zealand dollars, that is)
• 34:21–34:51 Interest rates crossing international boundaries
• 34:52–35:51 Encouraging elementary students to spread their knowledge back home
• 35:52–36:38 Flutey’s favorite ways to stay up-to-date about financial literacy
• 36:39–42:22 Where Kendall’s passion for financial literacy stemmed from
• 42:23–43:03 Conclusion

A little about Kendall and Banqer

• Kendall Flutey, Founder of Banqer
• Banqer website

Favorite ways to stay up-to-date:

• NGPF’s weekly email
• Jump$tart’s weekly email

QUOTES

• “Our mission is to ensure that every single kid that walks through the school gates is prepared for the financial world when they leave.”
• “For the reality of New Zealand teachers, this [financial literacy] isn’t a standalone subject. They’re squishing it in around lots of other things.”
• “We’re trying to ensure that a credit score and the concept of credit reporting are normalized among young New Zealanders because we really need to change debt behavior.”

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!