Financial education Multicultural research conducted in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia Bucharest, 14 th of November 2013 KRUK Group

„Financial Education” study  Multicultural research on financial education has been conducted on representative samples of Polish, Czech, Slovak and Romanian adults  Timing: August - November 2013  Methodology:  Poland: CATI N=1000 (TNS)  The Czech Republic: Omnibus N=1016 (Stem/MARK)  Slovakia: Omnibus N=1014 (Focus)  Romania: CATI N=800 (TNS CSOP)

Do you think you received in your youth enough education about proper home finance management? Central European inhabitants feel they lack sufficient knowledge about finance. They believe they haven’t received the required financial knowledge. This situation applies to all countries surveyed and Slovaks expressed the relatively strongest feeling of that sort. Two out of three Slovaks believe that, when they were young, they have not received adequate knowledge in matters of household budget management.

Does early-started financial education help in one’s everyday life? Almost everyone in Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia underlines that early financial education is helpful in everyday life.

What do people know about finances? – Prompted, multiple answer According to the general opinion, practical knowledge of finance is scarce. It can be said that only one-third of residents surveyed in the Central European countries have practical skills in the field of finance. We are talking about ordinary tasks encountered in everyday life, such as choosing the best credit offers, understanding the loan contract provisions or procedures in the event of difficulties with the repayment of bills.

Who needs financial education to move easily around the financial world and wisely manage their home budget now and in the future? According to the respondents in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the responsibility for preparing for entry into the world of everyday finance should lie to the largest extent with the family and the school. Slovaks declare they rely most on their parents. 60% of Slovaks believe that their financial education should be received from parents. This factor is the smallest among Poles, of which only 34% would rely on family. Most of them indicated the school. The vast majority of people in Central European countries believe that their financial education should be part of the educational system. 16% of Romanians even think that this stage of education should be included at the pre-school stage. There is a difference in opinions between Romanians’ and Slovaks’ responses, and Poles’ and Czechs’ responses. Poles and Czechs share the opinion that the most important role in financial education should be played by the school (Poland 56%, Czech Republic 55%). The Slovaks and Romanians move the educational role to a greater extent towards higher education (Romania 63%, Slovakia 65%). According to the survey, banks and other financial institutions, including companies servicing debt, should feel responsible to educate the public on financial issues.

What rules do you apply / would apply in the financial education of your children? – multiple answer The study showed cultural differences in children’s education. The Czechs and Slovaks emphasize to the greatest extent the practice in financial education. 97% of people in the Czech Republic and 93% of Slovaks say they include the child in the household budgeting. Giving your child pocket money to dispose of is the most preferred form of education among Poles (64%). Romanians opt for a different solution, which is not giving children money, but rather deposit the savings to secure their future (30%).

Where does lack of financial knowledge lead to? – Prompted, multiple answer Residents of Central European countries are aware that the lack of financial knowledge can lead to several consequences. Among them the most frequently indicated was "falling into debts". Three quarters of all the inhabitants of the countries surveyed indicate that risk. In addition, there is a consensus among the respondents about the risk of unreasonable and excessive spending. Many respondents believe it is a frequent risk. Differences occur between countries, when we look at the risk of demonstrating consumer awareness. Residents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, much more than Poles and Romanians, are likely to make purchases on unfavorable terms, or would show the inability to advertise goods. A similar difference between countries is visible in terms of savings. 40% of Slovaks and 42% of Czechs believe that the lack of financial knowledge leads to lack of savings, while in Romania and Poland the risk is higher and could affect two-thirds of the population.

Thank you! Iwona Słomska, Member of the Board, KRUK S.A. Marketing, PR and Human Resources ul. Legnicka 56, Wrocław Grupa Kapitałowa KRUK