Sylvia Bowden

For over 20 years, Sylvia’s mission in life has been to empower individuals and their families with impartial knowledge on how to be and stay financially well. She has been a Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission Affiliated Facilitator for over eight years. 

She has also been a CAP Money Coach for over 10 years, and in 2023 became a CAP Debt Centre Manager as a volunteer, in partnership with the local church she attends. She is the author of three books, has a Diploma in Counselling, a Certificate in Adult Teaching and Training and a Certificate of Money Management. 

Sylvia’s personal philosophy is adapted from a proverb “if you give a person a fish, you will feed them for just one day, however if you teach them how to fish, you will show them how to feed themselves and their families for a lifetime”.

She believes the Sorted at Work courses together with the Sorted tools give participants money skills and tools they can use for a lifetime.  

Over her years being a financial wellness educator, she has had the privilege of witnessing lives transformed through people gaining skills and knowledge of how to manage their finances. People have reported to her they have paid off debt, bought houses and money chaos has ended or reduced in their lives. As well as this, relationships with family and friends have improved and they sleep better. 

Sylvia’s favourite story is about a participant who did not understand how mortgages worked. She thought she had to just “do what the bank said”.  She couldn’t see how she could pay off her mortgage by the time she retired.  With the knowledge from one of the Sorted at Work courses and using one of the tools, she negotiated to pay off her mortgage in four years instead of the 15 years she had signed up for. It reminds Sylvia of a scripture adapted from the bible, that wise choices will watch over you, and understanding will keep you safe. 

Sylvia is passionate about delivering Sorted at Work courses and with her husband is enjoying retirement debt free. She enjoys cycling and looking after her grandchildren in her spare time.  

Contact details

Phone: 027 631 8524 
Email: sylvia@moneycoaching.co.nz