Abstract

Service providers need to understand financial capability from the perspective of the older client, in order to tailor services best suited for this age group. This paper explores how older people perceive one dimension of their financial capability, namely their ability to stay financially informed. Interviews (n=28) with older people showed older people to be accessing less traditional sources of financial information: they are either self-reliant for information, researching on the internet or using the media, or they tap into existing sources of social capital found within their social networks. Trusted public and voluntary sector service providers are preferred information resources over and above professionals in financial services. These findings suggest financial services need to build their trustworthiness in the eyes of their older clients and or form partnerships with other trusted voluntary or public sector services.