Totally taboo: Just 42% of Aussie families talk about money in the home
Aussie families are often reluctant to talk about money in the home, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,030 respondents found just 42% of Australians say they grew up in a family where money was discussed openly.
That leaves 58% of households where money topics were avoided.
The research found those with a mortgage (42%) or those with a household income above $150K (44%) were not more likely to discuss finances growing up.
Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert at Finder, said discussing finances still isn't commonplace in Aussie households – but it's one of the most powerful ways to increase your child's financial literacy.
"Some people find it hard to talk about money because they find it uncomfortable, while others have their head in the sand when it comes to finances.
"This silence surrounding money conversations is contributing to a cycle where younger generations inherit poor financial habits, simply because they've never had the chance to discuss them openly.
"Millions of Australians have not talked to their children about their wealth, budgeting or financial habits, and some never will."
Megginson said families were often reluctant to talk about money due to shame, being unsure what is appropriate to share, or beliefs that money isn't 'something you talk about'.
"If families aren't talking about money, they're missing out on opportunities to build financial literacy and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
"You don't know what you don't know, and having open and honest conversations helps encourage new ideas and allows the burden of managing the household budget to be shared."
Interestingly, more women (45%) said money was openly discussed when they were growing up, compared to men (39%).
Megginson said many Aussies can't count on the financial advice they get from their parents so it's always best to do your own research.
"Start by exploring topics like budgeting and saving – then once you have that foundation you can progress to topics like investing and wealth building."
Did you grow up in a family where money was discussed openly?
| Yes | 42% |
| No | 58% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,030 respondents, February 2025 |  |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,030 respondents from February 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
Ask a question