Who We Are and Why We Started
We've spent years watching people make investment decisions based on nothing more than glossy brochures and promises. That felt wrong to us, so we decided to do something about it.
Youatox started because financial literacy shouldn't be a luxury reserved for those who already have wealth. Everyone deserves to understand where their money goes and why.
Our Story Begins in 2019
Back in 2019, a group of us were sitting around talking about how frustrating the investment world had become. Too many people we knew were losing money on things they didn't really understand. The financial industry seemed built to confuse rather than clarify.
We'd all worked in finance long enough to see the patterns. People would come to us after making poor decisions, wondering why nobody had explained the basics beforehand. That's when we realized there was a genuine need for education that didn't try to sell you something at the same time.
Starting in County Tipperary gave us perspective. Ireland has a unique relationship with investment and saving, shaped by our history and our position in the European economy. We wanted to address that specifically, not just import generic advice from elsewhere.
By 2021, we'd built our first proper curriculum. And honestly, we learned as much from our early students as they learned from us.
How We Think About Financial Education
No Sales Pitch
We don't sell financial products. Never have, never will. Our job is to teach you how to evaluate them yourself, which means we can actually be honest about their flaws.
Real Examples
Every concept we teach comes with actual case studies from the Irish market. You'll see what worked, what didn't, and most importantly, why things turned out the way they did.
Plain Language
Financial jargon exists partly to exclude people. We break everything down into straightforward terms because understanding shouldn't require a finance degree.
Key Moments That Shaped Us
Founded Youatox with a simple idea: teach people about investments before they make costly mistakes. Started with weekend workshops in Tipperary community centers.
Launched our first structured curriculum after two years of refining our approach. Realized that people learn better when they can relate concepts to their own financial situations.
Expanded beyond in-person sessions to reach people across Ireland. Turned out there was demand everywhere for education that didn't try to sell you something.
Today we work with individuals and businesses across Ireland. Our approach hasn't changed much since 2019, we've just gotten better at explaining things clearly.
The People Behind the Programs
We're not trying to be gurus or thought leaders. Just people who've spent enough time in finance to know what actually matters and what's just noise. Our team brings together experience from banking, investment analysis, and adult education.
Declan Rafferty
Director of Financial Education
Declan spent fifteen years in investment banking before realizing he'd rather help people avoid financial mistakes than profit from them. He has this annoying habit of asking "but why does that matter?" until you get to the actual point.
He started teaching investment basics in 2018 at evening classes and found it more satisfying than anything he'd done in his banking career. These days he designs our curriculum and still teaches regularly because he says it keeps him honest about what actually works.
His background in portfolio management means he knows exactly where the industry's explanations get deliberately vague, and he's made it his mission to clarify those exact points.
Ready to Learn More?
If our approach sounds right for you, we'd be happy to discuss how our programs work. Our autumn 2025 sessions are currently taking registrations, and we offer both individual courses and business training options.
Get in Touch