Date: 27th May 2005

Irish television presenter, Eddie Hobbs, has launched a new book entitled “Short Hands, Long Pockets,” which aims to help people make the most out of their income. The book, a follow on from his series of RTE - “Show Me the Money,” gives people concrete help on managing finances. “Short Hands, Long Pockets” is additionally supplied with the novel software - Wonga WizardTM, which has been developed by Irish wealth management and financial planning solution provider, 3Q Solutions, to provide a simple and user-friendly way to understand money.

“The Wonga WizardTM can be used in the individual household, laying the foundation for a person to take some action to get their individual finances in order,” notes Eddie Hobbs. “The client can then go to a financial organisation with the goal of maximising their finances and making their money work harder.”

3Q Solutions’s own business model is immersed in the Wonga WizardTM software. Comprised of three main areas – information, advice and collaboration, it allows the user to develop a clear understanding of ongoing monthly outgoings and incomes. The model provides value to the customer, constantly giving them feedback on any information they input into the software and providing context to their spending habits by alerting them to their top ten expenditures.

“The Wonga WizardTM solution we developed is based on giving control to the user but also providing context and understanding as they try and bring their debt under control,“ said Sales and Marketing Director, John O’Gorman, “Without understanding, people cannot action their finances and make a difference to their future”.

The programme has three main screens: “How do I spend” is where you enter all your cash diary information, determining exactly the amount you are spending each month and on what, with Eddie providing some humorous comments on necessary and unnecessary spending. The second screen gives Eddie’s thoughts on what you need to do to take control of your spending. These recommendations will hopefully turn into positive actions helping you to alter your finances and spending. The programme will also highlight any excess cash – providing suggestions on what and where this money can be best used. Finally, the third screen demonstrates how easy it would be to combine (restructure) larger debts, such as loans, mortgages and credit card balances – which can result in significant financial savings.

We are delighted to have sponsored the production of the Wonga WizardTM commented Billy Doyle, CEO of the Credit Union Development Association (CUDA). “The wizard is easy to use and combined with Eddies book will allow a person get a better understanding of their current cash and debt situation.

Press Contact for 3Q Solutions
Karen Whelton,
Tel: +353 1 4100 852
Email: kwhelton@3q-solutions.com

Brian Lynch (Publisher, Currach), Ray Young (CEO, 3Q Solutions) and Billy Doyle (Chief Executive, CUDA) pictured with Eddie Hobbs at the launch of Short Hands, Long Pockets.

Picture by: Finbarr O'Rourke