Erik Porter (Wagestream) - The app putting financial wellbeing in people's pockets

Our guest today is Erik Porter, Chief Risk Officer at Wagestream. Wagestream is a technology that gives your employees control over when they get paid, giving them access to pay as they earn it. Not only that, Wagestream includes a number of financial wellbeing tools including spending and saving tracking, as well as access to personal financial coaching, making it a great solution to promote financial health. Erik himself has had a very illustrious career in finance which has taken him around the world. He has been at the forefront of promoting financial wellbeing in the UK through a number of charities. After advising Wagestream since founding, Erik was brought on board full-time to  lead the risk operations of this 'little bit radical' business. He discusses:How a student exchange programme to former East Germany opened his eyes to how different many people's lives were in other parts of the worldThe difficulties he faced on his return with his peersHow a part-time job at Citi Bank led to a lengthy career in financeThe aggressive tactics he witnessed in debt collection at the start of his career in the USABeing the 'only guy in the room' fighting for the customer and the toll it tookHis 'second act' as a trustee of a debt charity, working at Citizen's Advice, and volunteering at food banksWagestream as a tool for financial capabilityTheir role helping low income workers through streaming income, savings habits and financial coachingHis controversial opinion on financial education in schoolsWagestream's 'just in time' education modelHis definition of Financial Wellbeing from Chris BuddWhat is it about money that is so taboo?The need to 'decolonise' financial educationErik on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/portererik/Wagestream: https://wagestream.com/en/Rob on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-warren/Standing on Giants on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standing-on-giants/Want to appear? Email [email protected]: ⁠standingongiants.com⁠