Why We're Building Moola and Why Financial Guidance Still Feels Out of Reach

We’re two friends who grew up together in London. We are the daughters of Chinese immigrants and now business partners. After going through Cambridge—where Linda studied engineering and Susan focused on law—we built careers in finance, consulting, law, and startups. Over time, we noticed a common issue among our peers: even our most capable friends felt anxious and confused about managing their money.

Common Financial Questions

We saw recurring questions from our friends:

• How should I manage a freelance income?

• What’s the best way to start investing?

• Does it make sense to save up for a house?

  
  

To help them, Linda created personal finance spreadsheet models. She started guiding friends on how to think about their personal finance decisions. Despite their education, many admitted to feeling insecure around money. We also observed cases of “money dysmorphia,” where individuals were actually in a stronger financial position than they believed. Often, this realization came after mapping out their finances with us.

The Gap in Financial Advice

Many people know that financial advisors exist, but they often find them inaccessible or unaffordable. Some fear being judged for their financial situations. Others recounted experiences where they felt disempowered and confused. This highlighted a massive gap between the need for high-quality, accessible financial guidance and its supply.

Why Financial Literacy Matters

Our experiences resonate with alarming data. Over 74% of millennials report feeling stressed about managing their personal finances [Investopedia]. Moreover, fewer than 30% of college-educated millennials in the UK have received formal financial education [Time].

A quarter of millennials say they would consult a fortune teller about money—a similar proportion to those who would consult a financial advisor [Fortune]. As millennials and older Gen Zs enter a phase where financial decisions compound, few feel equipped to make them.

In the UK and across Europe, investing is seldom discussed openly. Conversely, we grew up in Chinese households where financial planning is normalized early. This cultural perspective instilled in us the belief that financial clarity and long-term thinking should be accessible to everyone.

A Shift in Narrative

The narrative surrounding millennials often focuses on negatives: rising costs, shrinking home ownership, and delayed retirement. However, what’s missing is a conversation about opportunities. Moola aims to shift the focus toward what we can build together. Our goal is to empower our generation to take ownership of their financial futures, even in challenging environments.

We realized that this issue is not just about knowledge gaps. It’s also about mindset. Many people have the means to act but lack confidence, structure, or encouragement. People need relevant, personalized, and easy-to-act-on guidance. That’s why we built Moola.

Our Approach to Financial Clarity

We help users understand their relationship with money. This includes assessing their confidence, the time horizon for making decisions, and their appetite for risk. From this understanding, we generate a tailored snapshot of their financial situation, complete with prioritized next steps.

Our focus is on clarity and action, not complexity. We want our users to feel empowered and equipped to navigate their financial decisions.

London Born-and-Raised

We’re building Moola for people like us: ambitious young professionals eager to make smarter financial choices. The UK is our home, and it’s where we’re launching Moola. London’s vibrant fintech ecosystem serves as a strong strategic base. It is also home to millions of digitally engaged millennials who feel underserved by traditional financial tools.

Our mission is to unlock financial agency for a generation navigating uncertainty with ambition. We believe that meaningful financial progress comes from small, confident steps taken with the right support.

Starting with Our First Tool

We’ve launched our first tool—a free psychographic assessment—available at app.moola-money.com. Future offerings will include goal-setting, personalized modeling, and deeper guidance.

Moola is just getting started, but our purpose is clear: to help people feel smarter, calmer, and more in control of their money.