The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability has selected the winning projects in its first Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI). The projects stand out because of their innovative nature and offer solutions to the challenges of financial education on a global level.

BBVA Momentum 2018, BBVA’s social entrepreneurship supporting program has concluded the final list with the names of the 76 social companies invited to take part in this year’s edition.

Stop fooling yourself: You’re not a calculator. No matter how calm and poised you think you are when making financial decisions, there is a factor you can’t do anything about: You’re human. However, banks such as BBVA can help you make the best decisions.

BBVA is committed to providing the best solutions for its customers, profitable and sustained growth for its shareholders, and to collaborating in the progress of communities where it operates. The aim is to make reality the Group’s vision, which can be summed up with the idea of working for a better future for people.

Last Sunday, June 17, the BBVA Communication team and their families took part in “1m2 por la naturaleza” initiative, the great collaborative garbage collection in Spanish ecosystems.

Having a good financial health means having both enough money to cover expenses and savings to face unexpected future events.  To know how to analyze it, the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) has identified, in a study published in the Center for Education and Financial Capabilities of BBVA, eight indicators that measure the state of people’s financial health.

Everfi is a leading educational technology company that uses social games, videos, and animation among other tools to provide financial education to everyone, at any age, anywhere in the world.

The start of sweet summertime means that the school year for most kids in the United States is drawing to a close. If you’re a parent, you may be thinking about how to say thanks to a special teacher that has been meaningful in your own child’s life. The good news is that there are myriad ways to recognize teachers for the effort, caring and education they’ve provided throughout the school year.

BBVA is one of 26 international banks that will work jointly on the development of Banking Principles that will align the banking industry’s business model to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The United Nations is driving the initiative. BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman stressed that “these banking principles will define the standards and accountability model for the future of banking.”

In honor of the men and women who give of themselves to serve the public everyday, BBVA Compass has designated May Everyday Heroes month.

The role the financial sector must currently play in the fight against climate change, the challenges posed of sustainable financing and the proposed series of objectives to facilitate green financing were some of the issues discussed by the Sustainable Financing Solutions panel. This debate closed the first edition of BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum, which was held on May 9 and brought together investors, entrepreneurs and public and private sector institutions with the aim of promoting sustainable development and the fight against climate change.

The growing importance of sustainable finance in the global agenda, as one of the key elements to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Paris Agreement on Climate change. This was the content of the debate of the second panel of the BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum, an event that convened in Madrid business leaders, investors and institutional representatives.

BBVA opened its headquarters in Madrid to welcome investors, business leaders, public and private institutions and the media, to an event aimed at promoting sustainable development and the fight against climate change. During the first edition of the ‘BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum,’ Group Executive Chairman Francisco González explained the reason for the meeting: “Banks need to help customers drive sustainable development and transition towards a low-carbon economy. At BBVA, we want to be the catalysts of this change.” Francisco González opened the event alongside Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, Vice-President of the Government of Spain.

Human rights are an essential element of BBVA’s purpose: “to bring the age of opportunity to everyone.” Its Commitment to human rights, approved in 2018, sets the foundations for further progress in that direction, involving all the people who work in BBVA’s ecosystem.

Saving for retirement is a challenge, particularly when it’s far off. However it’s in your interest to plan for it to avoid stress and assure yourself adequate income when the time comes.

On April 2 on the occasion of the World Autism Awareness Day, BBVA light up its emblematic La Vela (Sail) tower at its headquarters in Madrid as part of its contribution to the international awareness campaign ‘Light It Up Blue’ #LIUB, sponsored by  Autism Speaks.

Garanti Bank has taken the opportunity before the United Nations to present its ongoing efforts in the global engagement against gender-based violence. Garanti’s campaign against this societal anathema is coordinated by the Turkish bank’s Talent & Culture Department, with the bank’s “Good Practice” report presented on March 19 of this year before the 62nd Session of United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (62nd CSW) within the scope of the Business against Domestic Violence (BADV) project.

One more year, BBVA will join Earth Hour: A campaign promoted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that has blossomed into a worldwide movement in the fight against climate change.

A ‘teachable moment’ is a unique instant in which the opportunity presents itself to teach something to someone else who has had their attention captured by that something. These valuable learning opportunities in financial education lend themselves to teaching people to take informed decisions.

BBVA allocated 103 million euros in 2017 to social initiatives on a global level. BBVA continued to reinforce the main pillars of action of its Community Investment Plan for the period 2016-2018: financial education, social entrepreneurship and knowledge. The graphic shows the main actions undertaken in these areas:

On 8 March, the European Commission -EC- released its Action Plan -AP- on Financing Sustainable Growth under the Capital Markets Union initiative. The AP significantly relies upon the Final Report of the High-Level Expert Group released on 31 January.

“New York is overrated. What I’m drawn to is Hong Kong, Thailand and the Moroccan desert”. That’s Jessica Hernández’s take on things. Jessica is 28 and lives in Soacha, a modest town in the outskirts of Bogota. She travelled to New York to tell her story to the UN and there she met another fearless girl in the shape of Kristen Visbal’s sculpture, which since March 8 has been locking horns with the bull on Wall Street.

BBVA Compass assembled Albuquerque leaders Thursday to celebrate the bank’s $2.8 million in equity equivalent investments in Homewise and the New Mexico Community Development Loan Fund, two organizations dedicated to creating opportunities for low- to moderate-income families in the city.

BBVA today launched its new BBVA for Everyone app, available for both iOS and Android operating systems, which enables the blind and those with physical or mild mental disabilities to use the bank’s network of over 6,300 automatic teller machines (ATMs). This new tool will guide those with visual disabilities to the ATM of their choice and help them withdraw cash. BBVA is a pioneer in this type of mobile solutions, which complement the services already available for people with disabilities on the web and corporate apps.

BBVA Compass and Opportunity Finance Network are putting out the call to dedicated leaders at community development financial institutions and inviting them to apply to the Opportunity Fellows Program, their joint initiative to boost the CDFI industry’s leadership ranks and spur greater access to capital in under-resourced communities.

Switzerland is currently the world’s largest private banking center, accounting for 25% of the global market. The country has a deep-rooted wealth management tradition, offering the perfect combination of experience, precision and a strong work ethic within a highly unstable geopolitical environment.

A year ago BBVA launched a project that reflects its commitment to financial education: the Center for Financial Education and Capability, whose goal is to foster knowledge in the area of financial education and inclusion.

BBVA’s presence in Switzerland dates back 25 years – a quarter century during which the bank has accompanied its clients, advising them on the management of their wealth and the diversification of their investments. It’s the only bank in the BBVA Group devoted exclusively to private banking, offering a superb value proposition in international asset management.

BBVA was recently chosen by Global Finance as the best private bank in Latin America, a distinction granted by the magazine in its “World’s Best Private Banks 2018” awards.

Diana Mejía, a senior specialist in productive and financial development at CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and member of BBVA EduFin Advisory Council, is an expert in measuring the financial capabilities of people in Latin America. The results obtained  in the last CAF financial education surveys found a gap between the financial products offered and the needs of the population, especially in terms of savings.

This year Davos’ World Economic Forum (WEF) once more brought together world leaders, experts and thinkers to discuss the big economic matters that invite global concern. Over the course of the global event’s tight agenda, there was room for the inclusion and education of woman in financial affairs.

BBVA has been selected to join the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index 2018, which recognizes companies’ achievements in gender equality policies, both regarding their employees and in support of social initiatives, along with their offering of products and services that prioritize this commitment. Garanti Bank, part of the BBVA Group, has also been included in the index.

Many sectors are already exploring the potential applications of Blockchain, a technology that according to experts could have an impact comparable to that of the internet. Beyond the famous cryptocurrencies, there is no longer any doubt that the uses of this technology can improve society, and several social enterprises are demonstrating it through interesting projects.

A bright new year dawned for BBVA Compass in 2017 with the January installation of a new President and CEO and the debut of a new global tagline – Creating Opportunities – that would become the theme for the bank’s activities throughout the year.

Putting up a new calendar and starting a new year means taking stock of past achievements and setting new goals. In the area of Responsible Banking, BBVA is ready to take on new challenges, in order to continue making strides in responsible financing, digital transformation, human rights and other important areas.

Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain presided over the presentation of the 2017 Teacher Action Awards, held at BBVA City in Madrid. The prizes are aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the role of Spanish education centers in promoting social values. The event was organized by the Foundation for Aid Against Drug Addiction (FAD), the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, and BBVA. The Queen was accompanied by BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González; the president of the Foundation for Action Against Drug Addiction, Ignacio Bayón and the Secretary of State for Education, Marcial Marín.

The U.S. Congress got a step closer to improving access to mainstream financial services for the underserved and unbanked with the inclusion of the MOBILE Act (H.R. 1457) as part of an amendment to the banking regulatory relief bill that was reported out of the Senate Banking Committee last week, and the standalone bill reported out (by 60-0 vote) of the House Financial Services Committee this week.

Wim Mijs, CEO of the European Banking Federation and member of  Advisory Board for BBVA’s Center for Education and Financial Capability, has been working to promote financial education for many years now – first in the Netherlands and then throughout Europe. His efforts have been well received by the most important institutions in the finance industry and he’s building an ecosystem that breaks down barriers to foster knowledge.

ShareAction, one of the most important observers of responsible investing, has published a study on the 15 biggest European banks, analyzing how we manage the risks and opportunities related to climate change. This study follows the guide for investors on discussing climate change with their bank that was published a few months ago.

The global remittance market is slated to be at an all-time high in 2017, according to BBVA Research’s Yearbook of Migration and Remittances, and the U.S. has the lionshare of the market.

Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, has been chosen to represent European banks on the Global Steering Committee of the UNEP FI Sustainable Finance Forum from 2018-2020. The candidacy led by Ballabriga was the most voted of a total of eight candidates in the running.

In the business world, we increasingly hear the term “soft skills.” It refers to the social skills that can only be acquired in everyday life, that allow people to successfully integrate into work environments. The demand for soft skills is on the rise, but how can we strengthen them?

The Bilbao headquarters of BBVA was one of the stops on a tour of Spain by future U.S. leaders. BBVA is the only Spanish financial institution involved in the “U.S. Young Leaders” program, which was launched in 2000 by Fundación Consejo España-Estados Unidos and the US-Spain Council.

The Conference on the United Nations Convention on Climate Change is currently taking place in Bonn, from Nov. 6-17. At a side event hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), BBVA was invited to share its approach to green finance.

The TCR principles are the foundation of the roadmap BBVA wants to follow to achieve its goal of becoming the leading bank in transparency, clarity and responsibility. Still, there’s a long road ahead, one that requires work on two essential levels: traditional and digital banking.

Richard H. Thaler was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences by the Royal Swedish Academy, for his “contributions to behavioral economy”

A proposed new law would require Spanish companies to increase the non-financial information in their management reports and expand content on corporate governance in their annual reports. The bill aims to measure, supervise and manage companies’ performance and their impact on society and the environment.

BBVA is collaborating with CSR Europe to translate the “Blueprint for Embedding Human Rights in Key Company Functions” into Spanish. This manual uses practical examples and specific guidelines to help companies incorporate human rights into their business.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González, and the Chairman of the CAF -Latin American Development Bank-, Luis Carranza, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that strengthens their ties in Latin America and formalizes the existing institutional relationship the two organizations have shared for many years.