CECA Celebrates the VI Financial Education Conference
This year the conference focused on entrepreneurship
The event concluded with the presentation of the Financial Education and Social Work Awards from the magazine Actualidad Económica
Today, December 2, the VI Financial Education Conference organized by CECA was held, in line with its commitment to promoting financial education in Spain. As in previous years, the closing coincided with the presentation of the Financial Education and Social Work Awards in collaboration with the magazine Actualidad Económica, in recognition of the work and effort made by organizations in both areas.
The opening ceremony featured Mr. Antonio Romero Mora, Director of the Associative Services and Audit Area of CECA, who shared the panel with Mr. Fernando Tejada de la Fuente, Director of Market Conduct and Complaints at the Bank of Spain, and Ms. Gloria Caballero Núñez, Deputy Director of Studies, Statistics, and Publications at the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), who are the driving forces behind the Financial Education Plan 2013-2017.
Mr. Antonio Romero began the session by stating that “Financial Education is a priority for CECA and our associated entities.” For his part, Mr. Fernando Tejada asserted that “Financial Education helps to change attitudes, generate habits, and provide tools for consumers to approach the financial market more responsibly.” Finally, Ms. Gloria Caballero commented on the significant development that entrepreneurship is increasingly acquiring and “the great importance of financial education for this purpose.” To conclude this opening event, Mr. Antonio Romero expressed “the sincere willingness of CECA entities to continue collaborating with the authorities in promoting Financial Education.”
Next, Ms. Laura Gutiérrez Sánchez, Legal Advisor for Retail Banking at the European Savings Banks Group (ESBG), analyzed some of the financial education initiatives currently being worked on in various European countries such as Austria, Germany, France, and Portugal. In her own words, “there is room for Financial Education and to promote entrepreneurship; however, this is a shared and complementary responsibility to good regulation and supervision.”
Mr. Marco Trombetta, Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Financial Accounting and Management Control at the Instituto de Empresa, presented the Entrepreneurship Study developed in the field of Financial Education alongside Funcas. After analyzing this study, Trombetta concluded that “increasing financial knowledge among individuals only has positive consequences and reduces the risk of indebtedness.”
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and representatives and volunteers from the Cajasol Foundation, Abanca, and Unicaja with their Edufinet project.
An active participation with a long history
Since 2008, with the launch of the First Financial Education Plan (2008-2012), CECA has signed an agreement with its main promoters, the Bank of Spain and the CNMV. This agreement was adhered to by the associated entities, facilitating the creation of a working group that has allowed for the exchange of experiences and best practices and the promotion of action plans in this area.
Recently, a collaboration agreement was signed with the Chamber of Commerce of Spain to promote, among other issues, financial education for entrepreneurs.
The Financial Education Network aims to be a meeting point for financial education professionals and is supported by the website www.rededucacionfinanciera.es. This portal, updated daily, serves as a platform that hosts information on courses, seminars, conferences, teaching materials, and resources, as well as links to active national and international agents.
CECA and its associates actively participate in the Financial Education Day with activities throughout the national territory, as a demonstration of support and commitment to the promoters of the Plan.
Through all these actions, CECA and its associates aim to reaffirm their social commitment to educating citizens about savings and finance.
