More than a third of Maori borrow to fund living costs, often tipping them into a debt spiral.
That's the warning from the Commission for Financial Capability coming out of this year's Sorted Money Week.
Head of community programmes Peter Cordtz says the theme of the week was weathering life's storms, which can be tough on a low income.
But there are ways to build financial resilience.
"Reducing debt is always a high priority but creating a small buffer that means when the car blows up or those unexpected costs come up, you are not running off to payday lenders or loan sharks to fund that stuff, that is a really important part of getting ahead," Mr Cordtz says.
He says Maori are also less likely to have a will, which is importance for whanau resilience.
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