Internal testing reference

Scoring & signposting logic

Every threshold, exclusion and trigger that drives the score, the breakdown signposting and the priority list. Generated from the live question data, so it stays in step with the check itself.

1. Scoring model

Nine scored questions, 100 points maximum. Profile questions score zero and are used only for tailoring.

Financial Confidence: 30 pts
Emergency Resilience: 22 pts
Saving Habits: 7 pts
Debt Management: 18 pts
Retirement Planning: 23 pts

Theme % = points scored in that theme ÷ theme maximum × 100. Unanswered questions score 0. "Prefer not to say" is scored at a neutral mid-point rather than zero.

Q1 · Overall, how satisfied are you with your financial circumstances?

Financial Confidence · max 15
0 = 01 = 02 = 13 = 24 = 35 = 56 = 77 = 98 = 119 = 1310 = 15Prefer not to say = 6

Q2 · How confident are you at managing your money?

Financial Confidence · max 15
0 = 01 = 02 = 13 = 24 = 35 = 46 = 57 = 78 = 109 = 1310 = 15Prefer not to say = 7

Q3 · What is the biggest unexpected bill you could comfortably pay today?

Emergency Resilience · max 11
£0 = 0£50 = 1£100 = 2£300 = 3£500 = 4£1,000 = 5£2,500 = 7£5,000 = 9£10,000+ = 11Prefer not to say = 5

Q4 · How often do you save money?

Saving Habits · max 7
Every month = 7Most months = 4Some months = 2Rarely / Never = 0Prefer not to say = 3

Q5 · How well are you keeping up with your bills and credit commitments?

Debt Management · max 11
Without difficulty = 11Sometimes a struggle = 7Constant struggle = 4Falling behind on some bills = 2Fallen behind on many bills = 0Not applicable = 11Prefer not to say = 5

Q6 · How often do you need to use borrowing to pay for food or bills because you've run out of money?

Debt Management · max 7
Very often = 0Fairly often = 1Sometimes = 3Not very often = 5Never = 7Prefer not to say = 3

Q7 · If you lost your main income tomorrow, how long could you manage without borrowing?

Emergency Resilience · max 11
Less than a week = 01 week – 1 month = 21 – 3 months = 53 – 6 months = 8More than 6 months = 11Prefer not to say = 5

Q8 · I understand enough to make good decisions about retirement planning.

Retirement Planning · max 13
Strongly disagree = 0Disagree = 2Neither agree nor disagree = 6Agree = 9Strongly agree = 13Prefer not to say = 6

Q9 · How much of a retirement financial plan do you currently have?

Retirement Planning · max 10
Clear plan = 10Rough plan = 6Not much of a plan = 3No plan = 0Prefer not to say = 5

2. Bands & RAG thresholds

The same thresholds are used for the overall band and for each theme bar / radar colour.

Total ≥ 65 / 100 (or theme ≥ 65%)
Green — "High Financial Wellbeing".
Total 41–64 (or theme 41–64%)
Amber — "Medium Financial Wellbeing".
Total ≤ 40 (or theme ≤ 40%)
Red — "Low Financial Wellbeing".
Total < 25 — "low score" mode
All product signposting is suppressed. The breakdown is replaced with advice-only content: free debt advice, emergency fund, small-steps saving and money confidence support.
Debt theme < 41%
Debt is treated as red: adds StepChange to the debt breakdown and fires the "Tackle your debts first" priority.
Confidence theme < 65%
Adds MoneyHelper free money guidance to the Financial Confidence breakdown.
Resilience theme < 65%
Fires the "Build a safety net you can reach quickly" priority.

Breakdown ordering

Themes are listed weakest-first (ascending theme %), so red areas always appear above amber and green.

3. Cohort comparison

Benchmarks come from the Average Scores Pivot dataset.

Cohort key
age | role | Met vs Non-Met, taken from Q14 (age), Q10 (role) and Q15 (constabulary). Falls back to age|role|ALL → age|ALL|ALL → ALL|role|ALL → all members.
Age mapping
35-39 and 40-44 both map to the combined 35-44 benchmark. Unknown ages use ALL.
Role mapping
PCSO is benchmarked as Police Staff. Roles outside the dataset use ALL.
"You're in good shape"
Shown only when every scored theme is at least 90% of the cohort average for that theme.

4. Question branching

Questions that only appear for some respondents.

Q19 · Significant debts
Only asked when Q6 (borrowing to get by) is "Sometimes", "Fairly often" or "Very often".
Q13 · Protection products in place
Only asked for ages 18-24, 25-34 and 35-39.
Q16 · Pension opt-out wording
Title switches to "Police Staff Pension" when the role is Police Staff.
Q18 · Financial goals
Multi-select, maximum three choices. Drives the goal-led priorities below.
Profile questions (10)
Q14 How old are you? · Q10 Which best describes your role in the Police family? · Q15 Which Constabulary are you in? · Q20 What is your length of service? · Q19 Do you have any significant debts (NOT including car loans, student debt or a mortgage)? · Q16 Have you considered opting out of the Police Pension? · Q11 What is your current housing situation? · Q17 How much money do you regularly have left at the end of the month? · Q13 Could you or your family manage financially if you died or became seriously ill?  · Q18 What are your main financial goals?

5. Breakdown signposting — exclusions

Applied to the default resource set for each theme (skipped entirely in low-score mode).

Age 45+
Income Protection is removed everywhere.
Age 40+
Lifetime ISA is removed everywhere. Critical Illness Cover is removed everywhere except for new recruits under 45, where it is kept in Financial Confidence.
Age 65+
Life Insurance is removed everywhere.
Already has protection products in place (Q13 = Yes)
Critical Illness Cover is removed.
Under 40
"Lifetime ISA to boost retirement" is added to Retirement Planning.
New Recruit (Q10 = New Recruit)
New recruit seminars + the new joiners toolbox are added to Saving, Confidence, Resilience and Retirement. Retirement events and pension myth-busting are hidden for new recruits.
New Recruit under 45
Financial Confidence keeps Critical Illness Cover and adds a note that 12 months' free cover may be available.
£100+ left at month end (Q17)
Saving Habits gains a "having a cushion is great — put it to work" message, and the surplus priority can fire.

Default resources per theme

Saving Habits — Building savings

Regular saving — even a small amount each month — creates a cushion for the future and reduces reliance on credit.

  • Save tax-free with an ISA — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas
  • Lifetime ISA (eligible members) — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas/lifetime-isa
  • Regular Savings Plans — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-regularly

Emergency Resilience — Emergency resilience

An accessible emergency fund of 3–6 months of essential outgoings helps protect you from unexpected costs.

  • Regular Savings Plans — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-regularly
  • Income Protection — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/income-protection
  • Life Insurance — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/life-insurance

Debt Management — Managing bills & borrowing

Reducing reliance on short-term borrowing improves long-term financial resilience.

  • Free debt advice from StepChange — https://www.stepchange.org/
  • Debt and money advice from Citizens Advice — https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/
  • Download your free budget planner — https://resources.metfriendly.org.uk/download-your-free-budget-planner

Retirement Planning — Retirement planning

Understanding your police pension and additional retirement savings options can improve future financial confidence. Join a Police Friendly retirement event to get guidance in person.

  • Planning for retirement events — https://policefriendly.org.uk/events/retirement
  • Pension myth-busting events — https://policefriendly.org.uk/events/pension-myth-busting
  • Police pension information — https://polfed.org/pensions/
  • Invest for the future — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/invest-for-the-future

Financial Confidence — Protecting your family

Protection products help keep your family financially secure if the unexpected happens.

  • Life Insurance — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/life-insurance
  • Critical Illness Cover — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/critical-illness-cover
  • Income Protection — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/income-protection

Low-score mode (total < 25) replaces the above with

  • Debt — StepChange, Citizens Advice, budget planner
  • Resilience — MoneyHelper emergency savings, budgeting, Police Care UK, police charities
  • Saving — savings calculator, budget planner, save regularly (available even at a zero score)
  • Confidence — MoneyHelper, Oscar Kilo

6. Priority list triggers

Evaluated in this order; every match is shown — there is no cap. Urgent pension/debt items always outrank goal-led items, and a goal is skipped if it already fired as an urgent priority.

1. Q16 = "Yes and I stopped paying"
Consider opting back into your pension (urgent) → Police Federation deferred pensions / opting-out guidance + life insurance to replace the death-in-service benefit already lost.
1b. Q16 = "Yes but I am still paying"
Get the facts before leaving your pension (urgent) → Pension myth-busting sessions + Police Federation pension guidance + life insurance as potential death-benefit replacement.
2. Q19 = Yes (significant debts) OR debt theme < 41%
Tackle your debts first (urgent) → StepChange, Citizens Advice debt-and-money, free budget planner.
3. Q13 = No or Not sure
Review your financial protection ("Do now") → Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection and making a will. Mentions mortgage protection if Q11 = "Own with mortgage".
3b. Resilience < 65%
Build a safety net you can access quickly ("Do now" if no pension/debt/protection priority fired) → emergency savings guidance, savings calculator, instant access savings. Then build longer-term savings habits → Save regularly, Invest for the future (hidden if any savings/investing goal is selected: first home, big life event, mid-term or long-term investing).
3c. Q19 = "Not sure" (and visible)
Check your debt and credit position ("Do next") → Free credit score checkers from Experian and ClearScore. Checking your own score is a soft search that lenders cannot see and will not lower your credit score.
4. Retirement theme < 41% AND "Plan for retirement" not selected as a goal
Review your retirement planning ("Do next") → Plan for retirement hub + Police Pension Information + Find your pension administrator + Lifetime ISA if under 40.
5. Goal-led priorities — one per selected goal, in question order
Pay off debts (skipped if the debt priority already fired) · Build an emergency fund (only when Resilience is already 65%+) · Save for my first home · Save for the next big life event · Save for a child or children (worded as “child's or grandchild's future” when aged 40+) · Plan for retirement (skipped if a pension priority already fired) → Plan for retirement hub + Police Pension Information + Find your pension administrator + Lifetime ISA if under 40 · Mid-term investing 5–10 years (not low score) · Long-term investing 10 years+ (not low score).
Retirement boost: if "Plan for retirement" is selected and the Retirement theme is red/amber (< 65%), it jumps to the front of the goal-led block — unless "Save for my first home" is also selected, in which case first home stays first.
6. £100+ monthly surplus AND Resilience > 64%
Put your monthly surplus to work → Save tax-free with an ISA. Hidden if mid-term or long-term investing goals are selected.
Cap
None — every triggered priority is shown.

7. Priority wording & links

The exact title, body copy and links shown for every possible priority.

Consider opting back into your pension

Urgent

Q16 = "Yes and I stopped paying"

You've stopped paying into the police pension. It's one of the most valuable parts of your package — your employer contributes far more than you do, and time out can be hard to make up. It's worth reviewing whether opting back in is affordable. Remember, by opting out you have already lost your active death-in-service lump sum benefit. (underlined) Life insurance could help replace that protection for your family.

  • Understand your pension options — https://polfed.org/pensions/deferred-pensions-and-opting-out/
  • Life insurance — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/life-insurance

Get the facts before leaving your pension

Urgent

Q16 = "Yes but I am still paying"

You're thinking about opting out but still paying in. Before making a decision, check the myths against the facts and consider cheaper ways to free up monthly cash. Remember you will lose your active death-in-service lump sum benefit if you opt out. (underlined) Life insurance could help replace that protection for your family.

  • Pension myth-busting sessions — https://policefriendly.org.uk/events/pension-myth-busting
  • Police Federation pension guidance — https://polfed.org/pensions/deferred-pensions-and-opting-out/
  • Life insurance — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/life-insurance

Tackle your debts first

Urgent

Q19 = Yes (significant debts) OR debt theme < 41%

Expensive debt quietly undoes progress everywhere else. Get free, impartial advice, list what you owe and the interest rates, and focus spare money on the most expensive balance first. A budget planner can help you see where your money goes and find spare cash to pay debts down faster.

  • Free debt advice from StepChange — https://www.stepchange.org/
  • Debt and money advice from Citizens Advice — https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/
  • Download your free budget planner — https://resources.metfriendly.org.uk/download-your-free-budget-planner

Review your financial protection

Urgent

Q13 = No or Not sure

Protection products help keep your household financially secure if the unexpected happens. If the user owns with a mortgage (Q11), adds: "Because you have a mortgage, it's worth checking that it would be fully repaid if you died or were unable to work." Then: Consider whether you have enough life cover to protect your family, and whether critical illness cover or income protection would replace your income if you couldn't work due to illness.

  • Life Insurance — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/life-insurance
  • Critical Illness Cover — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/critical-illness-cover
  • Income Protection — https://policefriendly.org.uk/insurance/income-protection
  • Making a will — https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/wills/

Build a safety net you can access quickly

Resilience < 65% ("Do now" only if no pension/debt/protection priority fired)

Aim for three months' essential spending in easy-access savings. Even £500 set aside stops an unexpected bill turning into borrowing.

  • How much emergency savings you need — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/emergency-savings-how-much-is-enough
  • Savings calculator — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/how-to-save/savings-calculator
  • Instant access savings — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/instant-access-savings-accounts

Build longer-term savings habits

Resilience < 65% AND no first-home / life-event / mid-term / long-term investing goal selected

Once you have a small emergency cushion, putting money away regularly helps it grow. A longer-term savings plan keeps you moving towards bigger goals.

  • Save regularly — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-regularly
  • Invest for the future — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/invest-for-the-future

Check your debt and credit position

Q19 = "Not sure" AND debt theme not red (and Q19 visible)

You're not sure whether you have significant debts. Checking your credit report is a quick way to see what accounts and balances are in your name. It's free, and checking your own score counts as a soft search — lenders cannot see it and it will not lower your credit score.

  • Free credit score from Experian — https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/credit-score.html
  • Free credit score from ClearScore — https://www.clearscore.com/

Review your retirement planning

Retirement theme < 41% AND "Plan for retirement" not selected as a goal

Your retirement planning score is low. Check your pension forecast, work out the income you'd like, and top up if there's a gap.

  • Plan for retirement — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/plan-for-retirement
  • Police Pension Information — https://polfed.org/pensions/
  • Find your pension administrator — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-pension-administrator-contacts-england-and-wales/police-pension-administrator-contacts-england-and-wales
  • Lifetime ISA to boost retirement (under 40 only) — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas/lifetime-isa

Clear what you owe faster

Goal: "Pay off debts" (skipped if the debt priority already fired)

You've told us paying off debt is a goal. List every balance and its interest rate, overpay the most expensive first, and use a budget planner to free up extra each month.

  • How to prioritise your debts — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/credit-and-purchases/how-to-prioritise-your-debts
  • Download your free budget planner — https://resources.metfriendly.org.uk/download-your-free-budget-planner

Top up your emergency fund

Goal: "Build an emergency fund" AND Resilience ≥ 65%

You're already in decent shape here. Aim for three months' essential spending in easy-access savings, then keep the regular payment running.

  • How much emergency savings you need — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/emergency-savings-how-much-is-enough
  • Savings calculator — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/how-to-save/savings-calculator
  • Instant access savings — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/instant-access-savings-accounts
  • Save regularly — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-regularly

Get your first home deposit on track

Goal: "Save for my first home"

Choose a home for your deposit that rewards you for saving, and set a monthly target so you can see the date you'll get there.

  • Lifetime ISA for first-time buyers (under 40) — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas/lifetime-isa
  • Savings and ISAs (40+) — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas

Save for the next big life event

Goal: "Save for a big purchase or life event"

Name the goal, the amount and the date, then divide it into a monthly figure. A separate pot stops it being spent by accident.

  • Save regularly — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-regularly
  • Savings calculator — https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/how-to-save/savings-calculator
  • Invest for the future — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/invest-for-the-future

Start saving for your child's future

Goal: "Save for a child or children" (aged 40+ the title becomes "Start saving for your child's or grandchild's future")

Children's savings products such as a Junior ISA or Children's Savings Plan can help you build a nest egg for their future.

  • Children's savings products — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/save-for-a-child

Turn your retirement plan into numbers

Goal: "Plan for retirement" (skipped if a pension priority already fired). If Retirement theme < 65% this jumps to the front of the goal-led block, unless "Save for my first home" is also selected.

You've told us retirement is a goal. Check your pension forecast, work out the income you'd like, and top up if there's a gap.

  • Plan for retirement — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/plan-for-retirement
  • Police Pension Information — https://polfed.org/pensions/
  • Find your pension administrator — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-pension-administrator-contacts-england-and-wales/police-pension-administrator-contacts-england-and-wales
  • Lifetime ISA to boost retirement (under 40 only) — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas/lifetime-isa

Make your 5-10 year money work harder

Goal: "Mid term investing (5-10 years)" AND total score ≥ 25

For money you won't need for at least five years, investing gives it a better chance to grow ahead of inflation — once your debts and safety net are handled.

  • Invest for the future — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/invest-for-the-future
  • Fixed term saving plans — https://policefriendly.org.uk/saving-plans

Build long-term wealth

Goal: "Long term investing (10 years +)" AND total score ≥ 25

For money you can leave untouched for ten years or more, consider investing in Stocks and Shares or a more stable multi-asset fund which spreads your money across different investments to reduce risk while still aiming for long-term growth.

  • Invest for the future — https://policefriendly.org.uk/goal-hub/invest-for-the-future

Put your monthly surplus to work

£100+ monthly surplus (Q17) AND Resilience > 64% AND no mid/long-term investing goal selected

Having money left at the end of the month is a real strength. Setting up a regular payment into savings or investments the day after payday makes it automatic.

  • Save tax-free with an ISA — https://policefriendly.org.uk/isas