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Starting from aspirations and reflections — how can everyone be equipped with fundamental personal finance knowledge and financial education to achieve financial security, and moreover, create regenerative and humanistic financial approaches — the Money IQ - Money EQ program was created to realize these aspirations of Vcil Community.
- General principles of personal financial planning
- Building a financial roadmap
- Personal financial statements
- What is money, what is the nature of money?
- Entrepreneurial mindset
- Financial risk management
- Using financial instruments (banking, securities, insurance) for personal goals
- Debt management
- Investment portfolio structuring
- How the current economic and financial system causes social and environmental problems
- Reimagining work: Understanding Deadlihood & Alivelihood (Right Livelihood)
- Alternative financial stories: ethical banking, impact investing, community banking, socially responsible investing…
- Assessing your own relationship with money — how to upgrade to a healthy relationship
- Abundance mindset vs. scarcity mindset
- Happy money and sad money
- Money as life energy
Most of us were taught that we must study properly to get a decent job, meaning one that helps us earn "lots" of money. Behind the effort to get into good schools or strive at work is the pursuit of a "better" life; where better means comfortable and less worried about money, less concerned about making ends meet, by "earning more money" to achieve financial abundance and freedom of choice.
However, the education we receive in school is mostly academic and professional knowledge; very few educational environments equip us with complete lessons and experiences in personal finance. Most of our money mindset is self-taught through experience and learned from parents and our surroundings, consciously or unconsciously.
So everyone rushes out to "make money," only to fall into a "rat race" — an endless, circular loop of earning, chasing, and spending money. No matter how many raises we get, there's always a feeling of not having enough, let alone for longer-term financial plans like buying a house or traveling freely around the world.
These consequences stem from lacking a rigorous personal financial plan and appropriate financial choices. The root cause is a lack of proper personal finance knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Personal financial literacy helps one better control spending, stay on track toward long-term financial goals, and proactively handle unexpected financial risks in life. This understanding sets the foundation for smart financial decisions — knowing when to borrow, buy a house, or invest in financial products suited to your circumstances. This gives us a sense of "peace of mind" and greater freedom when it comes to "money."
Money isn't just in your wallet or a number in your bank account. It lives in our subconscious, in worries about the future, in family arguments, in dreams of freedom, and in the fear of scarcity. Many of us grew up witnessing our parents arguing about money; or relatives having conflicts over money and assets. Somewhere we've also witnessed ourselves or someone we know suffering from having very few choices in life due to lack of financial capability. These experiences shape our views, consciousness, emotions, relationships, and even traumas regarding money. In most cases, these experiences create an unhealthy relationship with money — whether it's anxiety constantly wanting to hoard and get more money at all costs, or aversion, believing money is sinful. It can also be indifference toward money or uncontrolled extravagant spending. We believe that healing money traumas, establishing a healthy relationship, and developing emotional intelligence about money is essential to ensure we have a truly happy financial life for ourselves, those around us, and future generations.
At a higher level, we need to be aware of the monetary and financial system that exists and operates in society; especially how this system impacts our relationship with money, with nature, with others, and even with ourselves.
We live in a neoliberal capitalist economic system focused solely on profit. Combined with the deep-seated belief in scarcity, this drives competition, prioritizes profit, does everything for money, regardless of ethical values, natural sustainability, and humanity's future. Particularly, this system creates a flawed measurement of the value of what matters: relationships, time, nature, forests, rivers, labor… through what is called the "market" and money.
The banking system is also part of the modern economy, so its priority is also profit, regardless of unsustainable and adverse impacts on the environment and local communities; especially when banks support fossil fuel industries, deforestation, and mineral extraction. Additionally, inequality in the financial system widens the gap between rich and poor. While resource-rich clients receive maximum benefits and support, small individuals and businesses find it very difficult to access necessary capital from banks.
Similarly with the stock market, one of the economy's capital channels, it also creates opportunities for speculation, short-term profit chasing, contributing to inequality, and unsustainable impacts on the environment and society (many listed companies may be involved in polluting industries or labor exploitation). Not to mention that stock market success does not necessarily reflect the sustainability and real efficiency of the economy.
Therefore, we also need to rethink how we use our money. Typically, we don't know much about alternatives beyond traditional financial markets like banks and stock markets. So we will also introduce alternative approaches to banking and investing, such as ethical banking, community banking, green investing, impact investing, slow investing, socially responsible investing… These are alternatives oriented toward regeneration, benefit, and sustainability for society, people, and nature.
By having alternative choices in approaching money, we can co-create a miniature economy that is kinder, more generous, more cooperative, and more regenerative; and especially, can support regenerating real wealth in communities: meaningful relationships, businesses and individuals contributing to society, regenerating real assets like land, rivers, and forests. This will be the foundation for a sustainable and happy world to be born, serving both people and this planet.
Starting from these aspirations and reflections — how can everyone be equipped with fundamental personal finance knowledge and financial education to achieve financial security, and moreover, create regenerative and humanistic financial approaches — the Money IQ - Money EQ program was created to realize these aspirations of Vcil Community.