against the unexpected makes a lot of sense. we all need to prepare for that rainy day. it rarely makes sense to take all the credit that you are offered, whether on a credit card or when you apply for a loan. many australians with mortgages find the best way of building buffers is to put any spare money into their offset account. this makes a lot of sense. my fourth and final point is to shop around and don ’ t be shy to ask for a better deal ; whether for your mortgage, your electricity contract or your phone plan. there are very good deals out there if you look. we can all play a role in making our markets more competitive by being smart and informed in our choices. again, i am pleased to be here at the launch of this important strategy. congratulations to those who have worked so hard to put it together. thank you. 2 / 2 bis central bankers'speeches

philip lowe : remarks - launch of asic's national financial capability strategy 2018 remarks by mr philip lowe, governor of the reserve bank of australia, at the breakfast event to launch asic's national financial capability strategy 2018, canberra, 21 august 2018. * * * i am very pleased to be here to participate in the launch of the national financial capability strategy. all of us have to make choices about money every day. do i spend, or save? if i spend, what do i buy and how do i pay for it? if i save, where should i invest ; how much risk should i take? if i borrow, how much should i borrow and how quickly should i pay it back? in many ways these choices have become more complicated over time. we have more options than ever before – which is good – but these options can be bewildering. it is fair to say that many people find it hard to navigate their way through the myriad of possibilities out there. but we all do need to find a way to navigate through these choices. we all need to plan. for our own sake, and that of our families, we need to do this as well as we can. if we go in the wrong direction, it can have a major effect on our families and our welfare, perhaps for years. so it is really important we make well - informed financial decisions. and, we can all do with a bit of help to make sure we are going in the right direction. the strategy that is being launched today can provide that help by providing education, information and support for australians as they manage and make decisions about their money, and plan and save for the future. i would like to congratulate the government and asic for the work they have done in putting this strategy together. at the reserve bank of australia, we are also trying to play our part. as australia ’ s central bank, the rba has a very strong interest in people being in control of their financial lives and making well - informed choices. i say this from the perspective of the individual and the economy as a whole. at the individual level, each of us will be better placed in our lives if we make good financial choices. and at the collective level, the financial choices that the 25 million of us make about how much we spend, save and borrow can have a major bearing on the health of the overall economy. if enough of us make risky or bad choices, the whole