Financial Exclusion: The Dark Side of an Affluent Nation

Australia is frequently highly rated for its affluence, but there's a massive imbalance when it comes to financial equity. One in seven Australian adults are completely or severely excluded from accessing basic financial services, such as a bank account, insurance or a line of credit. The first Financial Exclusion Indicator has been developed by National Australia Bank and the Centre for Social Impact at the University of New South Wales'. It exposes the reality for more than 2.6 million residents of "the lucky country", many of whom are already classified among society's most vulnerable. Is awareness the first step in helping Australia's poor avoid what's often an inexorable downward spiral?