Financial education for everyone: Free event in Mannheim!

Financial education for everyone: Free event in Mannheim!

On April 1, 2025, a special event on financial education will take place in Mannheim, led by the renowned business educator Prof. Dr. Carmela Aprea from the University of Mannheim is led. Under the title “Thirst for Knowledge”, the event aims to raise public awareness of financial security at an early stage. Aprea emphasizes the importance of information and financial vocabulary to make financial topics easier for people to access. The keynote speech will last about 10 minutes, followed by an open discussion in which visitors can ask questions. The event will take place in the Odeon Bar (G7, 10) at 7 p.m. and entry is free; prior registration is not necessary.

This is a move that is in line with the initiative of Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, who want to promote financial literacy in Germany. A recent survey shows that 93 percent of respondents consider the importance of financial education in schools to be important or very important. Nevertheless, financial coach Leonie Rudolf emphasizes that there is a lack of concrete educational offers on financial topics. The lack of systematic programs is seen as one of the biggest hurdles to increasing financial literacy among the population. This is also supported by the criticism of the educational scientist Thomas Höhne, who questions the independence and systematic nature of the offerings.

The role of initiatives and investments

In 2023, around 12.3 million people in Germany invested in stocks, stock funds and ETFs, showing a significant increase in shareholders. This interest has grown significantly, particularly among those under 30, partly encouraged by financial influencers and neobroker apps. This younger audience appears to be particularly receptive to financial education, further underscoring the relevance of events like Aprea's. The Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) have launched the “Financial Education Initiative”. This plans to spend nine million euros annually on advertising, conferences and events for financial education.

The initiative focuses on five key areas selected by the OECD: long-term savings, participation in financial markets, budgeting, digital financial literacy and sustainable financial products. These topics are essential to create equal opportunities and strengthen the financial literacy of the population as a whole. Despite these positive approaches, the challenge remains that education in Germany is a state matter, which means that the state ministries of education often do not pull together when implementing and planning these initiatives.

In summary, it shows that raising awareness of financial education and its implementation in the school landscape are essential. The upcoming events and initiatives could be the key to a more informed and financially secure audience, although their success will ultimately depend on the quality of the educational offerings and the cooperation between the different educational providers. Further information about the event and the topic can be found on the University of Mannheim and that Deutschlandfunk.