Well-informed savers can make demands and take informed decisions which helps ensure an efficient savings market.
There are many elements to personal finances – everything from savings, loans, and housing, through everyday finances, taxes, and pensions, to the consequences of being married or cohabiting. Access to new financial services and products is increasing, and as a consequence demands on an individual’s ability to evaluate them are also increasing.
The Swedish Investment Fund Association is keen to improve financial literacy in Sweden. See below for a selection of the Association’s involvement in this field.
Fondkollen – a website and app with smart tools
The Association has developed a website and an app with accurate and simple information about funds and fund saving, aimed directly at the general public. Using the tool "Kolla fonden" (Check you fund), you can compare how a fund has performed compared to all funds in Sweden with the same investment orientation. The calculator can convert fund fees and performance which are often expressed as a percentage, into concret Swedish kronor. In addition, the Associations' Savings economist answers questions and shares his best tips on the site.
Education & Personal Finances
The Association actively participates in the network "Gilla Din Ekonomi" (Like Your Finances), aimed at strengthening the consumer position in the financial market by informing of, and encouraging, personal finance education. The network is coordinated by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.
The Association is also a co-financer of “Ung Privatekonomi” (Young Personal Finances), a school information project that trains more than 20,000 young people at Sweden’s upper secondary schools every year on the subject of personal finance and saving in shares and funds.
The Swedish Consumers’ Banking and Finance Bureau
The Association is one of the principal organisers behind the Swedish Consumers' Banking and Finance Bureau, which provides private individuals with impartial information and guidance at no cost. One of the bureau's main tasks is to identify consumer problems in the financial field and report these to authorities, companies and industry organisations.