‘Financial education to leave nobody behind’ is the name given to a series of sessions being offered to elderly people and those close to them, the goal being to explain their rights when dealing with financial entities and banking services, provide details on how to avoid exclusion from financial services and give advice on safety and prevention.
In addition to the information provided all year round by Municipal Office for Consumer Affairs (OMIC), these specific sessions on financial matters were considered particularly important as a way of education and prevention. They are being offered in all city districts and also at two specialised bodies: the AICEC-ADICAE and ASUFIN.
A key factor in this information reaching elderly people is participation, and in some cases people who are close to them and trusted by them. Because of this, the sessions are also open to anybody wishing to accompany senior citizens.
An initiative by the Councillor’s Offices for Commerce and Consumption and Elderly People, these hour-long sessions are free and held face-to-face, covering:
- Consumer relations and consumer rights: in particular financial matters and banking products, as well as support services from banks and financial entities.
- Banking products and financial services: this includes basic accounts, cards and commissions, personal loans, mortgages and guarantees (particularly cancellations), overborrowing, remortgaging, life annuities, health and life insurance, plus the second chance act and pension plans.
- Online banking
- Preventive recommendations: such as home visits, mobile messages and scams
- Where to direct queries and complaints
Anybody interested in attending an information session can register here, or by phone on 934 023 274 (Monday to Friday, from 9.30 am to 2 pm).
Besides these specific sessions on financial education, the OMIC continues to offer information sessions at different facilities throughout the year. Sessions are offered by the OMIC itself and by different consumer associations. They are aimed at a variety of people and cover various topics which may be generic or aimed at specific groups or cover specific topics.