The goal of this project is to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge related to the financial system and the promotion of financial culture, with the conviction that this will foster greater transparency, security and responsibility in the development of financial relationships between citizens and financial intermediaries and, as a consequence of the above, greater efficiency in financial markets.
Since 2007, a didactic guide has been available on the Internet, which aims to provide a simple, concise and objective introductory view of the fundamental aspects of the financial system and the main products and services offered in it. Likewise, the content of the aforementioned guide was transferred to paper, as a complementary form of dissemination among citizens.
The financial education project developed through the printed guide and the associated Internet webpage (www.edufinet.com) was initially born within Unicaja (at that time, a Spanish savings bank), from its sphere of responsibility as a leading financial institution in Andalusia, although it soon counted on the collaboration, firstly of the International University of Andalusia (UNIA) and then of the University of Malaga (UMA), as public university institutions that carry out teaching, study and research activities in the field of their competences. Subsequently, several universities, and other public and private entities, joined the project.
The main target is to contribute to the advancement of financial education, providing citizens with a tool through which they can acquire the full necessary information, free of commercial connotations, to make their financial decisions. This information is intended to be offered as clearly and simply as possible, and with an approximation adapted according to the specific needs of users of financial services.
In short, it is about bringing financial culture closer to citizens, promoting not only an improvement in the process of making their decisions on the matter, but also a greater understanding of the financial world that fosters transparency and efficiency in this market. Between 2007 and 2022, seven editions in Spanish of the “Financial Guide” have been published. This first edition of the Guide published in English has as objective to continue expanding the target audience of Edufinet’s initiatives. This guide focuses on the presentation of general issues, not limited to the practices followed in a certain jurisdiction.
