Helmond residents gain financial breathing space with new payment tool FinBuddy
Helmond introduces FinBuddy, a free digital tool letting residents align municipal tax payments with their income schedule. This pilot aims to reduce financial stress and prevent debt by offering more control over personal cash flow.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Pilot Name | FinBuddy |
| Municipality | Helmond, Noord-Brabant |
| Duration | 6 months |
| Target Group | Residents with early arrears assistance or reminder letters for taxes |
| Cost | Free for Helmond residents |
| Registration Time | 3 minutes |
| Bank Access | No access to bank accounts |
| Data Sharing | No data shared with third parties |
| Evaluation | Based on reach, experiences, and effects after the trial period |
Municipalities in the Netherlands are responsible for collecting local taxes and implementing policies to support residents' financial well-being. Helmond’s pilot with FinBuddy reflects its role in exploring innovative solutions to prevent debt and improve financial stability for its citizens.
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Read the full translated article below
Municipality launches pilot with FinBuddy
The municipality of Helmond is launching a trial period with FinBuddy: a digital platform that helps residents pay their municipal charges at a time that suits them better. For example, shortly after receiving their income. This creates more clarity and peace of mind, allowing residents to have better control over their money.
Why this pilot?
Many households deal with multiple fixed expenses and different debit dates. This makes it difficult to keep track of cash flow and can lead to stress and arrears. With FinBuddy, residents can better align the debit date of fixed expenses with their income timing. This is a practical, preventive step that can help prevent debt issues.
How does FinBuddy work?
During registration, you indicate when you receive your income. You also specify when you would like the municipal tax to be debited. The municipality of Helmond will then ensure that the payment is automatically debited on that date. FinBuddy does not access your bank account.
Why FinBuddy?
- Free. Using FinBuddy is free for residents of the municipality of Helmond.
- Easy. Within 3 minutes, you can select a date that works better for paying your municipal taxes.
- Secure. FinBuddy does not access your bank account, and your data is not shared with others.
- Clear. You can see more quickly how much money you have left for other expenses.
What does the trial period look like?
- Duration: 6 months
- For whom: residents who qualify with early assistance for arrears or a reminder letter for municipal taxes (using FinBuddy is free)
Trial period and follow-up
After the trial period, reach, experiences, and effects will be evaluated. Based on this, the municipality will decide whether, and under what conditions, further rollout in the city is desirable.
Want to know more?
Visit helmond.nl/finbuddy.