Some of the non-negligible effects of the crisis could in fact be a substantial loss of trust in the financial industry; a reluctance to take fundamental and conscious decisions related to saving for retirement; for some people, discouragement from exploiting even the safest, though not risk-free, investment opportunities, while for others a renewed search for high yields in a world of diminished returns without understanding the higher risks attached; for most, a wariness concerning the use of debt.
Thus, while not a panacea, investing in financial education is an important means to perform our institutional duties: protecting savings, ensuring stability and promoting competition. In Italy, the fact that financial education programmes are just beginning to see the light can offer the opportunity to build sound future initiatives on the basis of international best practices.