Laura Ann Moore is a certified Financial Coach, Financial Wellbeing Speaker and host of the Mind Money Soul podcast. She has over 90,000 followers across all social media platforms and her mission is to help people to become financially confident and achieve financial freedom. She chats to Lynda Clark about how it all started, her work with NHG Homes and her new book
Laura is bubbly to say the least and her enthusiasm and passion is totally infectious.
Laura had always wanted to become an actress and said, “I imagined I would be the new Kate Winslet in Titanic 2 but my family didn’t have much money and in those days it cost £15,000 a year to go to drama school. It’s different now as you can get a student loan but I really didn’t have any choice but to leave school and get a job when I was 18.
“By the time I was 22 I had saved £15,000 which was enough for me to go to drama school for a year and still manage to live. But two of my friends told me they were going travelling to Australia and would I like to go with them. I had a week to decide and I realised I was in a very good position as I had the money, which always opens up the door to freedom and gives you options and I decided to go travelling to Australia and put the idea of being an actress on hold.
“I really loved Australia and during the time I was there I had a crisis deciding what I really wanted to do with my life. I had always been interested in money but with no higher education I wasn’t sure what path to take. When I came home I was very lucky as I got my old job back and moved back in with my parents before moving to London.
“I had spent all my savings when I was in Australia a few years before so I started saving again and managed to save £25,000. So I decided to do a blog talking about money matters but then the pandemic hit and I was furloughed. Somebody at the BBC had read my blog on Instagram and asked me to appear on BBC News London talking about saving tips. I really enjoyed it and realised for the first time that this could be the career for me and it was great fun.
“So I entered the world of being a content creator and decided to get some qualifications as I wanted to be a financial coach as well. I took a financial coaching course with The Money Panel which is an accredited Financial Coach Certification Programme. I was then sponsored by The Verve Foundation and was accepted to take my financial adviser exams and become a qualified IFA as they help women to get into the financial services sector.”
Laura then took a break as she had been approached by a publisher to write a book, which she was very excited about. “It was quite a challenge to write the book, which is called Find Your Wealth: The Mind, Money, Soul Guide to Making your Money Work for You. I have explored how modern society profits from financial insecurities and values and I introduce a simpler approach where money becomes a vehicle towards the life you desire. I show how one shift in your perspective can change everything. While budgeting and investing are very important, they won’t create lasting change. It is available to buy on Amazon and will be officially published in September.”
Laura had made the decision that she also wanted a career that would help people and said, “While my friends were at university and living on noodles and going out, I was wearing heels and going to important meetings with my boss. I want to give everyone emotional and practical tips on how to save. There is the practical side where you have a plan and start saving for what you want – so I start by looking at how much you want to save, how you progress, check you are saving in the right place, suggest ways to boost your savings and ensure you don’t dip into them. Then there is the emotional side where a large part of your identity is linked to money, so are you a saver or a spender? Up until this point you might be a spender but there are ways to shift that way of thinking. It’s basically a money mindset and knowing you can change makes a huge amount of difference.
“It’s never too late to change and everyone’s circumstances are different. You may live at home and have more disposable income or you live in rented accommodation and you don’t have much extra to save after paying bills etc. It’s a radical self-acceptance of who you are and what you want. Money is so emotional and I am passionate about what I do and love helping people achieve their goal. I do a lot of workshops and it’s amazing when you are talking to around 200 people and you suddenly see that lightbulb moment in their faces when they understand. It’s a change to their mindset and how they can change their old habits. There are simple exercises you can do for free or of course people can come to me for a one-to-one. I care deeply about helping people build wealth, but from a perspective of understanding first what wealth actually means to you and how financial wealth is not the only important thing we should focus on.”
I want to give everyone emotional and practical tips on how to save
Laura recently worked with NHG Homes to launch The DOOR Club (Deposit Out Of Reach), an online hub offering practical advice, financial guidance and tools to help aspiring first time buyers take control of their financial wellbeing. A response to new research that exposes the emotional and mental health impact of Britain’s homeownership crisis on 20- to 35-year-olds, this new initiative is designed to support first time buyers at every stage of their journey.
As part of this initiative, Laura also hosted a live workshop event, sharing her expert knowledge on money mindset and valuable advice on saving and budgeting to aspiring homebuyers. The information hub on NHG Homes’ website also features further insights from Laura on how to manage your financial stress and adopt healthy money habits.
The study, commissioned by NHG Homes, revealed that nearly four in 10 20- to 35-year-olds had less than £50 remaining at the end of each month, leaving many with no realistic opportunity to save for a deposit despite careful financial management. More than six in 10 (63%) said financial pressures had negatively affected their mental health, while 61% attributed their situation to the rising cost of living, compared with just 15% who blamed their own spending habits.
Laura commented, “These findings don’t surprise me, but they do concern me deeply. What this research makes clear is that an entire generation is doing everything they’ve been told to do – budgeting, saving, going without – and still feel like they’re running on a treadmill going nowhere. When 63% of young people say financial stress is affecting their mental health, we have to stop treating this as a purely economic conversation. Young people aren’t failing at money, the system is failing them. That’s exactly why the support The Door Club offers matters so much. It’s not just about practical financial advice; it’s about giving people the tools, the confidence and the mindset to know that their situation is not their fault, and that there is a way forward.” Find out more about The Door Club over the page and at nhghomes.com/the-door-club.
With over 90,000 followers across all platforms of social media, Laura is always extremely busy. “It does take up a lot of my time putting up stories but it is so important. After spending eight months writing my book I am up and running and it’s go, go, go!”
Laura flatshares with two actors and she said, “I can now see how hard it is to be an actor so I am even more pleased that I decided to go down a different path. I am having the best life and the more people I can help the more content I am.”
I had spent all my savings when I was in Australia a few years before so I started saving again and managed to save £25,000
MONEY
MATTERS
For further advice on healthy money mindsets and routes to owning your own home: nhghomes.com/the-door-club
First Time Buyer is an exciting bi-monthly glossy which takes a stylish and comprehensive look at all the options available, setting them out in an entertaining and informative way, and helping potential customers navigate their way through what is often a daunting and complex process. We dispel the myths, reinforce the facts and arm the reader with the tools necessary to make their homeownership dreams a reality.
