In 2008 Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) launched its financial literacy programme, Saldo Positivo website in
http://saldopositivo.cgd.pt/. Its purpose was to help consumers managing their personal budgets and simplify financial language.
CGD aims to help Portuguese families to make the best financial decisions in their day to day life. More recently, it has created
a similar site focused on the SME business point of view, Saldo Positivo Empresas in http://saldopositivo.cgd.pt/empresas/
The reasons for investing in financial education
CGD was the first Portuguese commercial bank to create a website with the very specific social mission of decreasing the high
levels of national financial illiteracy. It was a great step ahead and CGD is now proud to set the benchmark for financial
education in Portugal. As the largest bank in the country, CGD has a strong commitment with social responsibility and
sustainability, and its financial education programme is a cornerstone of this corporate mission.
Saldo Positivo growing trend
Since 2008, Saldo Positivo has been following a yearly growth trend. In 2014, the website had reached 2,7 million visitors, which
is a 227% progression when compared to 2013. In the first six months of 2015, Saldo Positivo was visited by 2,8 million people
(87,5% of them from Saldo Positivo for families and the other 12,5% came from Saldo Positivo for SMEs). The page views during this
period were more than 12,7 million – which represents a growth rate of 107%, compared to the same period in 2014.
The reasons for the programme’s success
The challenging economic environment of the last few years made debt management and savings fundamentally important to Portuguese
families. This helps to explain the increasing popularity of Saldo Positivo (families and SMEs). This success also demands great
care and accurate editorial management. Saldo Positivo works every day on its content diversity. Along with regular articles about
savings, investment, career, credit and personal budget, the website also presents slideshows, videos, infographics, and financial
calculators.
The programme organisation
Saldo Positivo manages two different and specific areas. Saldo Positivo Particulares is for families and private finances and
Saldo Positivo Empresas, launched in 2012, is focused on small entrepreneurs.
The main purpose of this last approach was to help thousands of small and medium Portuguese companies, as well as freelancers
workers, in their daily management activities.
CGD has identified this need because most small firms do not have the same resources or information as larger companies do. On the
other hand, we know that financial and management information has become more complex and difficult to understand, and it’s
important for small entrepreneurs to stay up to date, plan their business and cope with current demands.
However, CGD’s financial literacy programme goes far beyond this website, there is also a Saldo Positivo Youtube channel - for
videos with tips and financial advice - and a Facebook page with more than 100,000 fans. This programme includes regular articles
on financial education issues for Prevenir Magazine (the health magazine leader in Portugal); it has a partnership with Sapo (one
of the most important portals in Portugal); and its team is occasionally invited for workshops on the topics of savings and debt
management.
Saldo Positivo is indeed a broad, wide and coherent programme for financial literacy - both for management and families - and it
involves a great investment and effort from CGD. An effort that will most certainly reach the community and aid in its wellbeing.
But this long run approach is what makes CGD different and more serious towards overall sustainability.
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