BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability has announced the five financial education research projects that will receive funding through its grant program, BBVA EduFin Research Grants. A total of €50,000 will be distributed among the winning projects, whose research will take place in Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina.

The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability has published the 2021 EduFin Position Paper, a document that represents the Center’s position on the current state of financial education at a global level. This report highlights the role of financial education and its challenges in contributing to a more sustainable society in the post-COVID recovery phase. According to the study, digitization and financial inclusion will be key. Its publication coincides with Spain’s Financial Education Day, which is celebrated on October 4 with the slogan ‘Your finances, also sustainable.’

BBVA launches the fourth edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, the international call for grants from BBVA's Center for Financial Education and Capability. This initiative seeks to support research on topics related to the challenges of financial education around the world. The deadline for receiving proposals is September 24.

“Financial health impacts more than just our wallets, it is also related to our physical health and social well-being.” This was one of the key takeaways that emerged during the closing day of the EduFin Summit 2021. In this last session, representatives of the financial industry acknowledged that it is necessary to “understand and address customers’ needs, and to even go beyond” and that, for this purpose, “digitization is a lever that will help people strengthen their finances.”

The private and public sectors must work together to improve nationwide financial education and inclusion strategies and plans. This was one of the key takeaways that emerged during the fourth session of EduFin Summit, the financial education summit organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability. The session concluded with an interactive workshop, where attendees shared their experiences regarding obstacles, success stories and disruptive elements that affect the expansion of financial education.

New technologies are changing the way financial services are delivered. That is why financial inclusion must come hand in hand with digital inclusion and “in this journey, solid financial education is essential.” These were some of the conclusions of the experts who participated in the third session of EduFin Summit 2021, the global financial education summit organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability. Participants shared their insights into the challenges of financial vulnerability and solutions to reduce it.

Access to financial services and the digital divide were two of the main issues addressed during the second session of the 2021 EduFin Summit. The experts who participated in this session agreed that the pandemic has accelerated financial digitization in everyday life, and stressed the need to improve the level of financial education in order to access digital products and services that support inclusion and financial health.

EduFin Summit 2021, the conference on financial education organized the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability, will bring together leading international experts in this field of studies. According to experts, financial knowledge should play a more relevant role on people's lives, more so in the post-pandemic era.

In 2020, BBVA allocated €79.1 million (55.6 percent of its total investment in social programs) to initiatives in support of education, knowledge and culture, benefiting 5.6 million people. In addition, over 2.2 million users accessed the content on education, science, culture and economics, which was provided by the bank through the digital platforms for its initiatives and programs. The BBVA Foundation and its activities also benefited 3.5 million people.

EduFin Summit, the annual benchmark event on financial education organized by BBVA's Center for Financial Education and Capability, is back after a year of absence due to the pandemic. This year's online edition will begin on May 12 for five days during a three-week-period. Edufin Summit 2021 will address the state of financial education in the post-COVID era and the value of financial knowledge for contributing to inclusive growth, among other topics.

In an especially hard year for the world of entrepreneurship, BBVA continued supporting entrepreneurs who create a positive social impact. The bank devoted €7.7 million euros (5 percent of the total investment in social programs) to entrepreneurship initiatives, benefitting 2.61 million entrepreneurs in 2020.

BBVA has invested €91.4 million in financial education programs that have benefited 29.2 million people (almost the equivalent of the population of Peru) since 2008, the year in which it launched its Global Financial Education Plan. On the occasion of the European Money Week and Global Money Week celebrations, BBVA also announced that in 2020 it devoted a total of €2.7 million to fund these initiatives that contribute to promoting financial health among communities.

BBVA increased its investment in social programs and initiatives by 25 percent, from €113.8 million in 2019 to €142.2 million in 2020, directly benefiting 12.2 million people. Additionally, the institution has promoted access to various training platforms to more than 15.6 million people. In 2020, BBVA's social initiatives reached a total of 27.8 million people in countries where the Group is present.

Bank cards form part of the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people. The keys to  their success are their comfort and simplicity for carrying out all kinds of operations:  cash withdrawals, purchases, payments ...When it comes time to choose one, it is important to know what types of bank cards there are and their characteristics.

New challenges and opportunities in financial education and inclusion will be the main topic of the third edition of EduFin Talks. The BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability presents the new edition of EduFin Talks, a space to reflect on and discuss the challenges of financial education. This year it will be held fully online.

Learning something new is always positive, especially when it’s about something as important as personal finances. Pay attention to this agenda of virtual events in the last quarter of the year, as it will help with money management and improving financial health.

A higher level of financial education in African American communities in the U.S. translates into higher economic well-being, according to the study “Financial Literacy and Wellness among African Americans” by Paul J. Yakoboski from TIAA Institute, and Annamaria Lusardi and Andrea Hasler from the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC).  However, not everyone has the same access to quality financial literacy in the country.

U.S. banks have a decisive role to play in minimizing their customers’ growing financial uncertainty. The time has come for the banking industry in the United States to become more involved in improving the financial health of its customers. This is one of the main conclusions set forth in the study “Making Outcomes Matter: An immodest Proposal for a New Consumer Financial Regulatory Paradigm” by researchers Todd H. Baker (Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy) and Corey Stone (Financial Health Network).

The COVID-19 crisis is pushing vulnerable groups – those bearing the economic brunt of the crisis - to the limit. Leora Klapper, lead economist of the World Bank's Development Research Group and member of the Advisory Board of the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability, analyzes the key factors to boosting these groups’ economic resilience and promoting their financial inclusion.

BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability’s grant program has selected the financial education research projects that will receive financing this year. One of the novelties of this edition is that seven grants will be given this year, instead of five like in previous years. A total of 40 projects from 23 countries were presented.

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is laying bare existing social and economic gaps across the globe. According to a paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, minority-owned businesses have a poorer financial health, and are struggling more under posed by the global pandemic.

Spain finished first in the final of the international competition, European Money Quiz 2020, an initiative organized by national banking associations in Europe and coordinated by the European Banking Federation (EBF). Mateo González Villar, a student at Mirabal School in Madrid, managed to emerge victorious in a highly competitive contest in which 29 finalists participated from 22 European countries.

Vulnerable population groups are bearing the brunt of the global pandemic and need more economic support measures. These are some of the ideas set forth by Mayada El-Zhoghbi. El-Zhoghbi, Managing Director of the Center for Financial Inclusion  (CFI) and new member of the Advisory Board of the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability, who also advocates for, among other measures, equal access to financial services.

The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability’s grant program for financial education researchers, BBVA EduFin Research Grants, continues to grow each year. Despite the crisis caused by the global pandemic, the call for applicants saw a greater geographic reach, making this year the most international yet. The overall number of applications also increased.

The King and Queen of Spain held two meetings with entrepreneurs. Arancha Martínez, the founder of Itwillbe.org, and Pablo Santaeufemia, the founder of Bridge for Billions also participated in the meetings. Both participated in the 2017 edition of BBVA Momentum, BBVA’s program in support of social entrepreneurship. The meetings addressed the social and economic challenges that lie ahead, and the solutions entrepreneurs are proposing to overcome them.

June 15 marks the end of the submission phase of the third edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, the research grant program promoted by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability to support the efforts of experts and researchers focusing in the field of financial education and inclusion. The program represents a unique opportunity to secure the level of funding and the visibility that many projects need to keep making progress.

BBVA invested 77.6 million euros in knowledge, education and culture activities in 2019, about 68 percent of the Group’s social investments. These initiatives, carried out as part of BBVA’s Community Investment Plan, benefitted 7.2 million people.

The global pandemic is devastating millions of people’s finances worldwide. How can the consequences of the crisis be addressed? Experts consulted by the BBVA Center for Education and Financial Capability point to financial education as a fundamental way to build crisis-proof finances.

As part of BBVA’s Community Investment Plan, BBVA has allocated €9.8 million to entrepreneurship initiatives, benefiting 2.2 million people in 2019. It is therefore fulfilling its commitment to entrepreneurship as the driver of opportunities for people, creating a positive impact on their lives in all countries where BBVA has a presence.

The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability announced its decision to extend the deadline for the submission of applications for its research grants for financial education projects (EduFin Research Grants) through October 8. The call for submissions was announced on July 13, with the original deadline set on Friday, September 24. With this deadline extension, prospective candidates are now given two more weeks to submit their applications.

Maintaining financial health once the lockdown is over will be important for our savings goals and for having a financial cushion that makes it possible to handle any emergency, thus ensuring peace of mind with respect to financial matters. That’s why it’s a good idea to continue some of the habits that have become widespread during the lockdown, habits that have proven effective for saving money.

Reducing inequality, one of the key points in the UN’s SDG agenda (SDG stands for Sustainable Development Goals), has become an even more pressing issue in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, which is deepening existing social divides across the globe. María José Roa, researcher, teacher, member of the INFE/OECD Research Committee and winner of the BBVA EduFin Grants 2019, analyzes the root causes and the impact of these inequalities and the role of financial education to reduce them in Latin America.

The coronavirus crisis has lead to a situation of instability and uncertainty in the markets. For investors, it’s time to keep a cool head and consult reliable, updated sources of information. On the other hand, people who would like to learn to invest while at home these days, have many different kinds of quality educational resources just a click away.

BBVA Momentum, BBVA's program in support of social entrepreneurship, is proud of its participant entrepreneurs who consistently demonstrate their ability to innovate under the most difficult of circumstances. The coronavirus crisis is no exception. A number of the Momentum program's Spanish startup graduates have put the full weight of their ingenuity and resources into providing workable solutions to improve people's lives.

March has traditionally been the month of financial education, with major events like Global Money Week. However, the postponement of this event due to the coronavirus crisis has made online education take the lead in order to keep the spirit of these days dedicated to financial education.

March 18 marks the start of the application period of this year’s edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, a program organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education  and Capabilities. The international call for grants invites candidates to submit their research proposals focusing on a range of topics related to financial education across the world.

The BBVA Momentum 2019 closing event took place on March 3rd at the Impact hub in Madrid. It set the scene for putting a face and name to the most promising entrepreneurs of this season's Momentum program. Their business pitches highlighted the potential of their growth plans, which is already starting to materialize for many of them.

In just a few short days the closing event for BBVA Momentum 2019 will take place. International experts in social entrepreneurship will join the best of the best of this year's pool of entrepreneurs at the celebration. The three most promising social ventures from this year's Turkish Momentum program will travel to Madrid to present their business models.

Over 20 leading international and national experts and the most promising social entrepreneurs of BBVA Momentum 2019 edition will meet in Madrid for the global event bringing the edition to a close. Those attending this event will have a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge and professional network with the best ecosystem for social entrepreneurship.

The 2019 edition of BBVA Momentum in Mexico has accelerated the growth of 100 social enterprises. The three companies that stood out for their potential growth and innovation will go to Madrid on March 3rd to participate in the global event ending this 2019 edition.

The three 2019 BBVA Momentum winning social enterprises in the United States will attend the global event marking the close of this iteration of the program (to be held in Madrid on March 3rd) where they will share the full force of their business models. The three companies will participate in the premier social entrepreneurial event showcasing their initiatives, which seek to foster diversity, education, and access to healthcare in the communities they serve.

BBVA Momentum ends its 2019 program with the celebration of a global event in Madrid. International players in the sector and the three most promising entrepreneurs from each participating country will attend the event. The event will close the most ambitious year for the program, which accelerated the growth of 169 social businesses from Colombia, the United States, Mexico, and Turkey.

What impact does financial literacy have on women’s empowerment? Is it possible to curtail gender violence rates through financial education? These are just some of the issues addressed by one of the wining papers of BBVA Edufin Research Grants, organized by the Center for Education and Financial Capabilities.

BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability is celebrating its third anniversary on February 6th. Since it was first established, this platform, which seeks to promote financial education as a driver to improve people’s financial health, has benefited from the collaboration of 100 different organizations participating in its initiatives. The center also serves as a complete information repository on the subject, and has showcased nearly 250 reports and publications and 140 best practices around the world.

The 7th Survey on the Saving Habits of the Spanish Population; prepared by Instituto BBVA de Pensiones-Mi Jubilación (BBVA Retirement Pensions Institute – My Retirement), focuses on the Spanish baby boomer generation. The survey offers very revealing insights into the perception that people born between 1957 and 1977 (aged 42 to 62) have about their financial standing regarding their retirement. Elisa Chuliá, a member of the Forum of Experts of the BBVA Retirement Institute has taken a deep look a the survey’s results to narrow down the financial traits that define this generation.

BBVA Momentum will hold its 2019 global closing event on March 3, 2020. This year, the BBVA program in support of social entrepreneurship has broken its own record by accelerating the growth of 169 companies from the United States, Turkey, Mexico, and Colombia.

To what extent does having a bank account while still a minor— without parental oversight or control of other guardians — influence one's life? This is one of the principle questions answered by research conducted by Carly Urban of the University of Montana and selected by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability during the first installment of the BBVA EduFin Research Grants.

With the slogan “Time for Action”, the goal of the 2019 Madrid Climate Change Conference is for the countries to present their commitments and finalize the rules needed to implement the Paris Agreement in 2020. On an individual level, this conference is a good time to reflect on our own consumption habits and look at how to manage our personal finances in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner.

The European Commission defines microenterprise as a business that employs fewer than ten people and whose annual turnover does not exceed €2 million. BBVA Momentum, the BBVA program that supports social entrepreneurship, works with companies such as these, which are distinguished by an enthusiasm to grow in order to increase their positive impact.

It is common to think that saving is synonymous with not spending. But nothing could be further from the truth. Saving means spending better to make the most out of your money and, in addition, putting an amount aside to meet financial goals. The first step to achieve this is to draw up a family budget where all expenses are properly classified.