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1st November 2025
Over the past few weeks, some of you have raised concerns about how the Facebook group is being managed. We also saw a post about Rebel Finance School in another personal finance group that was tough to read, but taking our ego out of the equation we knew we had to change things…
We want to share the story of what happened, why it happened, and what we’re doing to make things better.
What We Discovered
When we started digging into the feedback, we found:
- People selling products and services in the group. That’s not okay. This community exists to help each other, not to profit from each other.
- Admins removing other members’ affiliate links and posting their own. That breaks trust, and we’ve removed those admins.
- Harsh keyword filters and automated moderation. These were designed to protect against scams, but they ended up removing genuine posts and even kicking out real members. If this was you we apologise.
- Unkind replies to some people’s questions. Some comments were not just unhelpful – they were downright rude. That’s not the culture we want here.
Trust and Transparency
This review has been eye-opening for us. When we started reading your comments and digging deeper, we discovered things that honestly left us feeling shocked and disappointed.
Some people were recommending platforms not because they were best for you, but because they earned them affiliate fees. Others were posting their own products and services in a way that violated the spirit of this group.
Katie and I feel taken advantage of. We’ve poured our heart and soul into building Rebel Finance School to help people, not to create a marketplace for self-promotion. To find out that trust was violated feels awful. It’s not just frustrating, it feels like we’ve been used.
This ends now. We are shutting down all affiliate link games and self-promotion. This group is about learning, sharing, and supporting each other, not profiting from each other.
We will figure out how specifically to implement this change over the next few weeks.
One more important clarification: It is NOT our intention to delete comments or posts because we disagree with the opinion expressed in them.
Unfortunately some admins and mods have removed posts because they disagreed with what was being said. We are clamping down on this.
And a bunch of removals happened because of strict keyword filters, which were designed to block spam and scams. Unfortunately, those filters caught genuine posts and even removed members and that was 100% unintentional.
Why It Happened
Over the last year, the group has tripled in size. We now have 42,630 active members and thousands of posts every month (see stats below). There’s simply no way we can read every post. We added automated filters and strict rules in an effort to keep the group safe, but they created unintended consequences.
We also had problems with some admins and moderators who didn’t share the same ethos as Rebel Finance School. We’ve been working hard to deal with that and reset the culture.
As the group grows, new elements come in, sometimes with different values. That’s why we’re doubling down on what matters most: helping people get on top of their finances.
In October 2025 alone we had 2,491 posts (that’s one every 18 minutes, 24 hours a day!) and 36,390 comments. As I type this, I am still in awe of the engagement and community we have all built together.
There is ZERO hope of Katie and I seeing even half of these posts! That is why we have a team of admins and mods to help us. We couldn’t do this without your help.
About “Do the Course”
You might have seen comments saying “Do the course” when someone asks a question. Some people have taken the do the course comments as an attack, which I know is not the intention! We understand both sides:
- Why people say it: A little knowledge can be dangerous. If someone invests in a global index fund without understanding volatility, they might panic and sell when markets drop and that can hurt them financially.
People are genuinely excited for you to do the course and I think a lot of it is desire to get you to do the course! They know that there are no shortcuts and want you to get a full understanding of the principles before diving in and making changes.
- Why it feels harsh: If you’re new and just want help, being told “do the course” can feel dismissive.
We need a better way. Our goal is to support newbies with answers AND encourage them to get the information they need from the resources that already exist. That way, everyone gets help and learns the principles that keep them safe.
Having coached so many people around the world with their finances, I can see both sides. It is amazing how many people want to skip to the investing stuff when they don’t even know where their money is going and have high interest rate debt!
The purpose of RFS Facebook Group
Rebel Finance School exists to help people sort out their finances and build freedom. We started the Facebook group to go alongside the course as we know people need community, encouragement and the chance to ask about their exact situation.
What we want this space to be about:
- Open, honest and respectful conversations – including about topics that aren’t in the core Rebel Finance School philosophy like gold, choosing individual stocks, trading, or paying an advisor a percentage of your portfolio for advice.
The reason that people get removed from the group is not that they have a view that admins and mods disagree with, it’s when they express that view in a rude, disrespectful or critical way. It’s fine to talk about these topics, but it needs to be done without insulting or being rude to other people.
- No selling, no affiliate links – we haven’t quite figured out how to deal with this one yet. We are open to ideas and will come back to you after we have learnt more.
- A welcoming space for everyone – whether you’re just starting or deep into your journey. This is a space to hang out with other people who are interested in money and break down some of the taboos around personal finance.
What We’re Doing Now
- Reviewing moderation rules for fairness and transparency.
- Removing admins who violated trust. We will reset the ethos and how the group is run and work to improve things.
- Improving keyword filters so genuine conversations aren’t blocked. Or remove the filters for a while to see if it affects the group.
- Creating clearer guidelines for sharing resources without self-promotion.
Our Vision for the Future
We want this group to be:
- Welcoming and supportive for all.
- Focused on learning and implementation, not selling.
- Transparent and fair, with clear rules and open communication.
The original purpose of this group was simple: to bring us together as a community and help each other apply what we learn in the course. That hasn’t changed.
Tell us what you want in the comments below. Help us understand how we can make this group better for you.
👉 Join the conversation here: Rebel Finance School Facebook Group
👉 Share your ideas and feedback in the comments below..
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Hi Alan and Katie – just to say this sounds tough and wanted to show my appreciation for the way you are tackling it. Go both of you! And thanks for doing what you do, and setting such a fab example for compassion and responsibility. Sophy xxx
Sophy, you are amazing. Thank you for reaching out. It has been an interesting week but as always these things are sent to teach us something and help us grow! You are amazing. Thank you. Alan
I’m sure you’re aware of this, but Paula Pant has moved her Afforder community to Mighty Networks (while leaving her Facebook group in place). ChooseFI has launched a custom community site with the hope of eventually leaving Facebook. Would switching to another platform help at all? You’d likely get a smaller, but more motivated, audience and for users, they’d escape the evils of the Facebook algorithm which fails to promote true community.
Randy, we have been watching Brad and Jonathan and wondering how that will work. I am going to catch up and ask Brad and see what he says. I must catch up with Paula too. Will do some research. You are amazing. how is life? What are you up to?
Hi Alan and Katie,
The article is great and really does demonstrate the values that you want us all to share. As it is a community it is on us all to promote the ethos and ethics of the group and I will certainly be doing this from now on. Keep up the great work, there is a better solution out there I am sure, AI enables great things. If I hear of anything I will let you know.
Very sorry to hear of the challenges in managing the group – which perhaps are inevitable as it continues to grow.
If it does come to a point of changing platform, I wonder if you’re aware of StackOverflow? Quality of questions and answers can be voted on by the community, meaning good question-answer pairs are promoted, whilst poorer ones slide down the page. It’s a system seen more and more now across other websites. Thought to put it on your radar – just in case.
Bravo! This shows that you two are living out your values and not afraid to make some hard decisions. I haven’t (as yet) checked out the FB group – still working through the last RF School because we were overseas for most of it – but I intend to do so soon. We might get to catch up next time you visit Ruth in NZ!
I’m very grateful for all that you have done and are trying to achieve! Sad that people abuse your kindness. Is there anyway of ensuring only those who have actually done the course can join the group? That may take out a lot of those “I’m new what do I do?” posts? There are several folk using the guidance as ‘tell me what to do’ and not your ethos of ‘this is the info -make your own decisions’ so trying to short-cut it all.
Hi Alan and Katie. I’m so sorry all this has happened. Unfortunately, as the RFS group grows wider these things will happen. You have, and are, doing a fantastic job, rest assured that it’s a minority use the group for the wrong reasons.
I will admit I’ve asked people to please do the course. This is because I don’t feel knowledgeable enough to “not” advise someone (even though I’ve done the course 3 times 😆). I also feel that doing the course makes you feel part of the community.
Take care both of you, please don’t feel used, the majority of us love and appreciate you. Don’t let the bad apples rot the barrel xxx
This must be so disappointing for you, Alan and Katie. I am sure I speak for others when I say that RFS has been a positive and enlightening experience, and I’m really appreciative to the both of you for all your hard work. We mustn’t let a couple of bad (pine)apples spoil the barrel!
Perhaps encouraging the RFS community to report disrespectful/rude/self-promoting posts and comments might be helpful. 42,630 pairs of eyes are better than just yours and your admins’!
Thank you Alan & Katie for investing more of yourself to keep the group safe and supportive. Having only discovered RFS and completed the course for the first time this year (and just made our first investments in the last 10 days – eek!) it’s been a steep learning curve for my husband and I and the FB group has been a useful forum to hear others’ experiences and read suggestions given, and gain some reassurance, although at times some comments and attitudes in some posts have felt unkind and somewhat superior/dismissive and I know that’s made me post anonymously occasionally being embarrassed to ask what might seem to others a silly or naive question – so I appreciate you reinforcing the positive and supportive ethos of the group and I’m choosing for the most part not to post anonymously as my “newbie” question might be what someone else is wanting to ask but might feel unable too. It is daunting however to realise over 42,000+ people might be reading my “newbie” comments, so your and the admin/moderators efforts to keep on top of the pages content must be huge, so thank you – but is the group now too big – would grouping by country be an option (without creating extra work for you) – not sure if there are enough admin/moderators to make that feasible? It’s helpful to see who the admin and moderators are, and see those who supportively contribute the most. In terms of affiliate links/referral codes might there be a way of donating the equivalent of the “referral bonus” to a financial help charity such as Christians Against Poverty or similar? Perhaps suggesting this as part of the RFS ethos/group membership/condition of posting said link? We certainly want to see the group as a welcoming, supportive and learning environment and hope in time our experiences will contribute to that. Thank you for all you continue to do.
Thanks for all you do.
It’s a mammoth undertaking and I’m sure everyone understands that occasionally things slip through.
Thanks Melanie ,that means a lot. Sending happiness. Alan
Inevitable that there are hiccups when things grow to this size. It’s a huge job to try and manage – amazing that you are taking feedback on board and looking into solutions. Perhaps the referral issue could be largely self-policing, with a bit of upfront work to try and develop that culture in a friendly and positive way? (Like you are with the ‘do the course’ comments). Once there is a clear policy, members can all support in gently responding to, or reporting violations of the new policy? Won’t be perfect but sounds like quite a job for you and mods to enforce. If it is clear in the group rules on sign up, there’s no excuse not to be aware (despite many not paying attention to them regardless). And I don’t know if it’s possible to schedule a monthly bulletpoint reminder of the key rules in the feed? Like a ‘welcome to new members, here’s a rule reminder’…
Hey Nik, some great ideas. And you are right the “self-policing” of the group is so important to do. This is something we need to work on. Love the idea of the monthly reminders or focus. That is really clever. Let me have a think and see what we can do. THANK YOU for writing back to us. It means a lot. Alan
Just wanted to say how much we have appreciated the course and the endless hours the two have you put into this. There will always be a few that choose to violate the rules/ethos of any group, but the majority of comments and replies are super helpful. Keep up the good work guys!
Debbie, thanks for commenting. It means a lot. Sending you happiness. Alan
I really appreciate all you have set up and done for people wishing to take control of their finances. I thank you for your honesty and wish to make RF a positive experience for everyone. It’s hard being a leader and your mission vision and values are indeed worth preserving and fighting for. Well done for all you have achieved with and for all of us. It is much appreciated.
Aodain, thanks for writing. I really appreciate it. I think the mission is worth fighting for and working on. Your message means a lot. Alan
Echoing the thanks to you both for (a) all you do, (b) facing the toughness of the FB situation and (c) being prepared to have “crunchy” conversations with people to resolve it.
Hat tip to you both!!
Thanks Heather, what a lovely message to get this morning. You are awesome. Sometimes you just need to get the crunchy conversations done sooner! Alan
I’m so sorry to hear this. You and Katie have done so much to help us get our finances back on track. Its been fundamental in my own journey. I am not in the group much but pop in now and again, so I wasn’t aware of any of this. Having worked with a number of business coaches in the past, promoting their services in other people’s groups is a real thing. Its unfortunate l, but as the your group grows, it’s going to get even more difficult to monitor every post and comment no matter what safe guards you put in place. That said, I do hope you succeed. No one needs that.
Valerie, thanks for the message and I love that you wrote. I am so glad the course and content helped get the finances on track. That is awesome. And thank you for the comment. I think it is going to get tougher with scale, it will be interesting to see what happens and we just need to stay on top of it! Thank you. Alan
I think it is fine if someone asks for a referral code for a particular platform, for codes to be provided. I don’t think they should be offered unsolicited.
Hey Jane we agree, that was the way we did it for a long time but then a group of people took advantage of that and we had Admin and Mods deleting other people’s codes and putting their own and recommending things and pushing platforms without understanding what the poster needed. That was not cool and needed ending. Alan
You’re both giving a wonderful helpful service to people like myself who had little or no knowledge about the stock market. I’ve watched many YouTube videos over and over. I’m now trying to get my daughters to watch them. I wish i could explain it to them like you do. Although my youngest did say this morning she’s thinking of opening a S&S isa.
Gary, that is amazing news about your youngest. I love it. Just keep going positively and I am sure the message will start to get through to them! I love you are sharing the knowledge to the next generation. That is fabulous! Thank you for commenting and sending you much happiness. Stay in touch! Alan
Hi Alan and Katie
I really admire the way you are dealing with these issues, and find your commitment to this community awe-inspiring. Thank you so much. I’m on week 7 of the course (on catch up) and feel so much more empowered thanks to your clear teaching. The work you put into this course just because you want to help people is amazing. I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know!
Thank you again
Lisa what an awesome message. nice work getting to week 7! so you have just gone through fees and index investing and all sorts. That is so exciting. next is tax advantaged accounts and then getting going. Thanks for writing and it means so much to us to get replies like this. THANK YOU
Alan and Katie – you are amazing! Thanks for all you do – you have made such a difference to so many – including me! You gave a great crew of ninjas and thanks are due to them too. The support and positivity in the group is brilliant and this regular housekeeping will help keep it that way! Peace and pineapples!
Thanks Bev and you are so right. We will keep working on building that space. We won’t always get it right but it important to keep the intention and head towards it! Thank you for commenting. It was lovely to wake up to today!
You are so fab. x
Thanks Amanda, Your comment meant a huge amount!
Hello Alan & Katie
Just wanted to say you all – including the ninjas – do an amazing job.
This group has changed my life for the better!
Thank you xx
I don’t have any tips on how to manage the situation, but I’m so sorry it’s developed! My husband and I did the course a couple of years ago and that plus the tools you have and the ongoing additional content has meant early retirement moved from an ephemeral maybe one day vague idea, to reality with a date within the next 3 years we think. What you do is hugely helpful, I’ve recommended you to so many people, and it’s a rare thing to be so altruistic. Thank you and keep going !
Alan & Katie, as someone who was banned from the group for asking a question of a Mod/Admin about referrals, I see this as a good move and hopefully it will help bring the group back on track.
As you’ve asked for suggestions on referrals and affiliate links here’s my 10p worth:
Have a single pinned post where everyone can add their links. This is the only place where referral or affiliate links will be allowed. If someone asks for a referral or affiliate link on another post or comment, then they can be pointed to this post. If they use a link then they can comment with “thank you” so that people know the links been used. It shared the pineapples around everyone. It works in the group I run which is about the same size as yours (42k members)
I’m still banned from the group and hope one day to be able to contribute
Peter Gammage – aka PG’s Tips
I’m not on FB but I really appreciate the vulnerability, thoughtfulness, and empathy which characterize’s Rebel Fiance School and both Donegans.
Dear Alan & Katie,
Whilst this must have been painful and difficult for you both to deal with, I’m pleased to read that you acknowledge and are dealing with these problems.
I say it because I have recommended the course to friends and family and did not like what I have seen happening of FB as it didn’t feel like the group we had joined and was not reflecting your and now our values.
The course has genuinely changed our life for the better and we have enormous respect for you both. Thank you for all you do.
Hopefully this reset will work.
Sue Xx
Thanks for the email.
First – this is inevitable as things grow. Human nature is difficult to manage especially at scale. I was Halifax Share Dealings Settlements manager for 10 years and found managing a team the hardest thing ever. It’s no reflection of you – it’s just how humans behave. Especially when they see a good thing worth having.
A regular reminder (maybe weekly) of the FB page rules would be appreciated.
Plus a very brief step by step guide. You may already have done this but I’m talking very brief like no bigger than an A5 sheet.
Thanks for all the guidance it’s really appreciated. You’ve helped so many people increase their financial knowledge.
Alison thank you so much for your message and ideas and I love them. Yes managing a team was hard enough when I ran Rebel Business School. But we are learning a lot through this process. Thanks for writing and your message means a lot! Alan
I think this has maybe been needed (a bit of a shake up) but sad it has happened the way it has. One mod was very open about what happened in a post to the group and had continued posting and helping others as he always had – and I feel very sad about his presence being lost, as a valued member. It doesn’t feel like it was his choice as he had continued to give so much, even after losing mod status.
In terms of referrals/aff links, I like the idea above of one post (maybe weekly/monthly so it doesn’t get too massive) for people to add to them. I’m not a fan of owners dominating the referral links for their gain, it begins to feel like you are being used and that has never felt that way with everything you give – I’d hate for that to change.
For one on that pinned post, their link being used could be the boost they need to keep going, it doesn’t feel that an extra £10 would feel the same for you guys at FI (I’m happy to be wrong!) – and with a captive audience, they would add up.
It’s a real shame but I hope both those who raised concerns and those mods and admins are all doing ok. FIRE is a community and I hope they can all come back and share.
Hi Jo,
Thanks for sharing your perspective, we love that you care about the community. But let’s be real: this situation wasn’t about a “shake-up” for fun. It was about protecting people from advice warped by money. Read our latest blog about how inceptives warp financial advice here for more.
The mod you’re defending wasn’t just “helping out.” He was deleting other people’s affiliate links so he could put his own, earning tens of thousands of pounds while pretending to be only focused on helping others. That’s not community spirit, that’s playing Monopoly with real people’s money and hiding the rulebook.
To be fair, he didn’t start out that way. He genuinely added value at the beginning, and none of his early actions alone would have been grounds for removal. But over time, things shifted. The focus moved away from helping the community and toward personal gain and undermining Rebel Finance School, which eroded the trust we had. At that point, keeping him in the community was causing more harm than good.
We’ve poured tens of thousands of pounds into running Rebel Finance School for free. We don’t make money from this, we lose money because we believe in helping people first. So when someone undermines that mission, lies about us (in that post you referred to and the one in his own group that “explained” why he was no longer in the Rebel Finance School group), and uses the group as a personal ATM, we have to act. If we didn’t, the whole thing would turn into a referral free-for-all with advice that wasn’t aligned with people’s best interests, and that’s not what anyone signed up for.
We will figure out what to do about affiliate and referral links in the Facebook group but after being stung by the actions of these few and then attacked by them for cutting off their income stream we are feeling a very raw about it all. Comments like yours add to that feeling, even though we know they come from a good place.
FIRE is about freedom, not freeloading. We’ll keep fighting for a community that’s honest, helpful, and focused on what’s best for YOU, not someone’s side hustle.
Alan & Katie
(P.S. If you ever catch us deleting posts to sneak in our own affiliate links, please stage an intervention. We’ll bring snacks.)
This is commendable.
There were admins in the group messaging to sell their unregulated personal financial coaching services for ££
The affiliate links to certain platforms were getting out of hand and devalued the ethos of the group.
A zero tolerance approach is needed for any admin/moderator who tries to monetise the group membership.
Well done for tackling it before it destroys what you’ve created.
Thanks Paul I appreciate your comment. You are right. I will reply to your second comment tomorrow and update the article on the other one.
I strongly feel that the encouragement to ‘do the course’ comes from a good place (I have never posted this comment, but have no issues with it!). It may seem repetitive, but we have to assume that the person reading it either doesn’t know the course exists or somehow thinks there is a shortcut to gaining an understanding of what is involved in investing. So to the person it’s directed at, I would hope it doesn’t appear aggressive or dismissive as it will have been the first time someone has suggested this. Everyone else in the group who sees this plea on a regular basis can scroll on by, as it is not aimed at them. The ‘do the course’ gang are trying to communicate how helpful the course is, point out that it is completely free with no strings attached and that by-passing this education could result in people making significant decisions that they don’t understand and may not be right for their own personal circumstances. The course is free and high quality and people can access it when it suits them – it is fantastic and this needs to be sung from the rafters!
Wendy you are so right. That is exactly it. I believe it comes from a super positive place but I know that some people have not taken it that way which is tough. Thanks for you for commenting I loved reading your commenting. You are fabulous. Alan
Thank you Alan and Katie for providing the Rebel Finance School and it’s a shame that some people have not followed the rules and spoiled the group. The course we found very interesting, broadly intelligent and nicely generous.
Billy and Eva what a lovely message to get. Thank you so much. It happens some times and we are working to make it better. THANK YOU.
As someone who will be investing once I have finished the course, I would appreciate access to referral codes in the future. Whether this is a pinned resource to choose from or a RFS referral code to help fund the course, something would be good.
Kirsty, that is a great idea. We are currently contacting all the platforms to see if they will do a referral code where 100% of the bonus goes to you the person choosing the platform. We will let you know how we get on!