Talk Money Week 2025

It’s Talk Money Week (3rd – 7th November, 2025), and we know that starting conversations about finances can feel like tuning into a complicated frequency that often sounds like a lot of static. Here, at the Scottish Police Credit Union (SPCU), we believe that understanding your money shouldn’t be a source of stress, it should be a simple, positive part of your well-being.

This year, we’re ‘starting the conversation’ with our CEO George Nedley and Deputy CEO Lynsey McWhinnie, in our brand new ‘The Budget Beat’ blog to gather their personal insights and real thoughts about money matters that our members are facing and to find out exactly what influences the people that run YOUR credit union.

Q: Talk Money Week is all about starting a conversation. In your own life, what is one piece of money advice you wish you had learned sooner, or one conversation you are glad you had?

George Nedley, CEO:

“I wish at school there was a lesson that taught you about the value of money and particularly how money could get you into bother. Your parents always told you to be careful with money, but you never actually got into the detail of how money markets worked, how they changed the world, it would have been really useful to have that kind of advice. And, I think talking about money is something that we should all be be open to, and when we see discussions on the TV, about how markets are performing, actually understanding how that could affect you personally.

I think the myth that is pervaded through everybody, is that money comes from the tooth fairy and I think it’s a lesson in life we all need to learn that it’s not true, although it’s a magical thing to say to children when they’re young. I think that actually makes the children think that money does grow on trees.”

Lynsey McWhinnie, Deputy CEO:

“Well, I think to start with, the theme for Talk Money Week is good and relevant, but starting the conversation is sometimes the hardest part for most people when it comes to money matters.

For me personally, one thing I wish I’d learned sooner is how to manage my money when I left school.

I think there’s absolutely very little support or financial education out there for young people and through my own experience, when I left school, I got a job straight away and suddenly had all this money that I had absolutely no idea how to manage or budget. I really didn’t know what I was doing with it if I’m honest, and nobody had ever taught me that. I never had any conversations about money with my own parents. It wasn’t something that I knew anything about.

There were never any conversations about it at school as well. I can completely understand why young people can get into trouble early because they leave school, they get a job, get this money that they’ve never had before and they’re getting offers thrown at them for credit cards, for loans and it’s very easy to say yes. You just go down that road, and it spirals out of control.”

Q: For many people talking about money still feels a bit awkward. As the leaders of a financial organisation, how do you personally help break that silence, both within the credit union and with your members?

George Nedley, CEO:

“Absolutely agree that it’s difficult to talk about money. Nobody wants to talk, and it’s very difficult, particularly when you’re in company or friends invite you to events, to turn and say, ‘sorry I can’t afford to go there’ and I think that puts pressure on people to actually borrow or get into debt just to to keep up with the Joneses.

I think it’s important that we have that conversation and everybody’s honest about the fact that money is tight, that money challenges us, and that we don’t always have the money to go and do the things that everybody wants to do.”

Lynsey McWhinnie, Deputy CEO:

“I completely agree with George on this. I think people do find it awkward to talk about money. It’s a hard subject to bring up and people don’t like to talk about money in general, even with family or friends, they find it difficult.

I think for me, within the credit union and with our members, it’s all about encouragement.

We have to always be encouraging people to speak out when they are struggling. People don’t want to talk about their financial worries or difficulties so encouraging them to take that first step in speaking to somebody and not burying your head in the sand is the best thing we can do. I understand that it’s hard subject to talk about.

People can always feel embarrassed or shameful when it comes to money, especially if you’ve got any financial difficulty, but a lot of the time it’s been for a reason that they can’t control. I think encouragement and empowering our members to speak out and get talking about money and starting the conversation is the first step to fixing your financial problems.”

It’s clear that breaking the silence around money benefits us all. We’re here to help keep that discussion going throughout the week, offering practical hints and tips and making sure to start the conversation.