Meet the family
Grandpa Leo raised Tom, Anna and Ben. Clara married Tom; Zoe is her little sister. Mia is Anna's daughter. Max is Ben's roommate. Sam runs the corner shop and knows them all. Nobody talks on camera: our narrator tells you what they said.
Grandpa Leo, 72
The grounded anchor
"I did that in 1985. Once."
- Personality
- Deadpan, warm, unhurried. Has made every money mistake since 1985 and tells you about it with a straight face. Never preachy; one dry line does the job.
- In the stories
- The only character who delivers THE FIX (the lesson card). Usually closes the story with one practical habit, often wrapped in a story about his own old mistake.
- Family
- Widowed father of Tom, Anna and Ben (his late wife Rosa was Mexican-American). Grandfather of Mia. Knew Sam before the kids were born.
- Series
- Leo's Fix
- Never
- Lectures, scolds or moralises
- Names an investment, fund, bank, app or product
- Gives the fix through anyone else: if there is a lesson card, it is his
- Mocks the person who made the mistake
Tom, 45
Big salary, bigger payments
"It's only a little more per month."
- Personality
- Polite, a little tired, wants to do the right thing but hates saying no in front of the neighbours. Strained smile.
- In the stories
- Makes the 'golden handcuffs' mistakes: the car upgrade, the bigger house payment, the subscription he forgot, family loans he can't refuse.
- Family
- Leo's eldest son. Married to Clara. Brother of Anna and Ben. Brother-in-law of Zoe.
- Series
- Ben vs Max (as a cameo), family stories
- Never
- Is shown as stupid; his mistakes come from pressure and pride
- Names a car brand, lender or bank
- Gives the lesson himself
Clara, 45
Keeps up appearances
"What will the neighbours think?"
- Personality
- Polished, organised, quietly anxious. Micro-panics when a bill arrives. Cares a lot about what others think.
- In the stories
- Makes appearance-driven mistakes: the renovation, the party, the 'small' boutique side hustle idea. Sometimes swaps roles with Tom and is the careful one.
- Family
- Tom's wife. Zoe's big sister. Daughter-in-law of Leo.
- Series
- Family stories, Zoe's Deal of the Week (as the sister being pulled in)
- Never
- Reads as Leo's age
- Is mean to Zoe
- Names a store, brand or platform
Anna, 38
Careful with every dollar
"I checked twice. I always check twice."
- Personality
- Resilient, careful, warm and tired. A single mum who does everything right and still gets squeezed.
- In the stories
- Scam stories and everyday squeeze: the fake 'bank' call, gift-card requests, repair bills, grocery inflation. The audience is always on her side.
- Family
- Leo's daughter. Mia's mum. Sister of Tom and Ben.
- Series
- Scam Alert with Anna
- Never
- Is mocked or blamed as a scam victim; the scammer is the villain
- Shows a real bank, app or company name
- Is shown as careless
Mia, 9
Asks what nobody wants to answer
"But… did it pay for itself?"
- Personality
- Curious, honest, innocent. Says out loud what the adults are hiding, usually at the worst moment.
- In the stories
- The child 'reality check': asks the innocent question that exposes the mistake, or delivers the visual punchline.
- Family
- Anna's daughter. Leo's granddaughter. Niece of Tom, Ben and Clara.
- Series
- Appears across series as the honest question
- Never
- Is mocked, scared or put at risk
- Handles money or is the target of a scam
- Says anything a 9-year-old wouldn't
- Delivers THE FIX (that is Leo's)
Ben, 26
Works hard, deserves it, buys it
"It's basically free."
- Personality
- Charming, impulsive, optimistic. 'I work hard, I deserve this.' Always one tap from buying something.
- In the stories
- The most frequent mistake-maker: subscriptions, buy-now-pay-later, payday splurges, trends, 0% traps. Half of Ben vs Max.
- Family
- Leo's youngest son. Max's roommate and best friend. Brother of Tom and Anna.
- Series
- Ben vs Max
- Never
- Is cruel or stupid; he is lovable and learns
- Names a real app, brand, card or lender
- Gives the lesson
Max, 26
Boring habits, surprisingly rich life
"I'll think about it for 48 hours."
- Personality
- Calm, humble, quietly content. Never smug. Shows the better way by doing it, not by talking.
- In the stories
- The good example: auto-save on payday, emergency fund, waits 48 hours before buying. Half of Ben vs Max.
- Family
- Ben's roommate and best friend. Not family, but at every family dinner.
- Series
- Ben vs Max
- Never
- Names investments, funds, stocks, crypto or apps
- Gloats or lectures
- Is shown as joyless; his habits buy him a good life
Sam, 45
Runs the corner shop
"Small question…"
- Personality
- Calm, warm, dry sense of humour. Has watched every customer make every mistake. Asks one question, raises an eyebrow, goes back to stacking shelves.
- In the stories
- The adult 'wait a second' moment: notices the mistake before the character does and asks the question that exposes it. Appears in every other video.
- Family
- Not family by blood; everyone treats him like an uncle. Knew Leo before the kids were born. His corner shop is where half the family's purchases happen.
- Series
- Sam's Small Question
- Never
- Gives financial advice or names a product, bank, app or investment
- Delivers THE FIX (he lights the fuse; Leo gives the fix)
- Shares the lead with Zoe in the same video
- Lectures
Zoe, 24
Always has a can't-miss deal
"Okay but hear me out…"
- Personality
- Fast, loud, lovable, optimistic. Ring light always on, 312 followers and counting. Never cruel, never stupid.
- In the stories
- The loud mistakes: flexing on credit, limited drops, 'easy money' courses, trips for content. Pulls Ben and Clara into schemes; Max and Sam pull them back out. Sometimes wins a small lesson.
- Family
- Clara's little sister. Tom's sister-in-law. Ben's partner in bad ideas.
- Series
- Zoe's Deal of the Week
- Never
- Is the scammer; she is a victim who passes the hype on
- Names a real brand, app, coin, token, platform, course or company
- Shares the lead with Sam in the same video
- Is mocked as stupid
Every character and every amount in our stories is fictional. Nobody in the family ever gives financial advice or names a real product, bank or app.