Our Approach 

Zero-credit aims to give borrowers a strong consumer voice that can inform personal finance markets. Participatory techniques involve people in making important decisions about the goods and services that they use. They have been very successful in informing behaviour change for public health campaigns for many years.

We think they will improve standards in personal finance, where assessments of over-indebtedness and financial capability tend to be observational and prescriptive. Effective money management depends on access to effective financial products and services, so we trade in research and development to fund our social aims, which include:

• help people to make informed choices about their finances through digital tools and signposts to specialist help
• promote a culture of self-advocacy, irrespective of financial circumstance
• encourage participation in our research, development and decision making
• celebrate best practice and challenge consumer protection issues
• strive to build people’s confidence, skills and experience through voluntary and employment opportunities and training
• encourage borrowers to own a share in our business as Members of our co-operative

• ask professionals and organisations to engage with our co-operative as Subscribers
  
• publish resources that distinguish between best and poor practice from the consumer perspective
  
• contribute to the forums where financial services design, delivery and regulation are discussed
  
• conduct research and development for clients who share our co-operative principles and values