Three in four young adults are knowledgeable about their finances, but seven in ten are worried about them

Bank of Ireland research reveals students have the F-Word on their minds!

Bank of Ireland launches F-Word Playbook, a financial planner for students in partnership with sustainable design duo Jill & Gill
Students have positive attitude to financial planning – 87% have savings account, 34% plan to open one

15 September 2021: Bank of Ireland research has revealed that financial wellbeing is high on the agenda for young adults (18-30 years old) in Ireland as almost three quarters (75%) of those surveyed claim to be knowledgeable about their finances. However seven in 10 are worried about their finances. The Red C research was carried out as Bank of Ireland launches its new campaign to increase the financial knowledge and wellbeing of its customers and to get young people talking about their finances.

87% of those surveyed already have a savings account and 34% plan to open one in the next two years
Half plan to do some long term travelling in the next two years, with 90% planning to save towards financing their travels
6% have a mortgage and two thirds plan to get one. Half plan to have a mortgage before they are 30 and most of the rest plan to have one by 35
Nearly two-thirds of those aged 18-24 plan to get a pension by the time they are 30

Underlining Bank of Ireland’s commitment to improve the financial wellbeing of all students in Ireland, the F-Word Playbook, a sustainably produced Financial Wellbeing planner, will be available this term to all students. The planner provides tips and advice for students on everything from Financial Wellbeing to how to get tasty food on a tight budget. It also offers practical tips and advice to equip students when making decisions about savings, loans or everyday expenses and sustainability on a budget.

According to Red C’s Sustainability Monitor (April 2021), 55% of 18-34 year olds seek out sustainably sourced or produced products. However, there is growing uncertainty among 18-24 year olds around how to make sustainable choices with 74% saying they would like to live more sustainably, but are not sure how.

Designed by sustainable design duo Jill & Gill, The F-Word Playbook is made from recycled coffee cups, using an end to end sustainable production method and will offer tips on budget and saving. Students will also receive Bank of Ireland’s BioSourced debit card, launched last year and the first of its kind in Ireland, made from 82% bio-sourced renewable materials derived from field corn. Over 100,000 of these cards have been issued in the past 10 months, saving over 4,000kg of CO2 versus traditional cards.

Commenting on the launch of the new student campaign and introduction of the F Word Financial Planner, Rory Carty, Head of Youth Banking, Bank of Ireland said: “Improving the financial wellbeing of all students is a top priority for Bank of Ireland. This year, we are aiming to empower all students in Ireland to take control of their money by giving them some of the tools and advice they need to financially plan. Our research shows that many students are well-informed about their finances and young adults have a keen eye on their financial future. We will continue to encourage and support this in practical ways that are relevant to their lives.

“Reflecting our ongoing commitment to responsible and sustainable business, we are delighted to partner with designers Jill & Gill to design our sustainably produced F Word Planner. This is another way to put sustainability in the hands of our customers so they can go greener in their daily lives. Students who sign up for an account also receive Bank of Ireland’s bio-sourced debit card. We have already issued over 100,000 cards since October last year to student customers and are still the only bank in Ireland providing bio-sourced cards. The F-Word Playbook is available from today to third level customers and we are confident it will be just as popular.”

Jill Deering and Gillian Henderson, Jill & Gill said: “We were excited to partner with Bank of Ireland on this campaign and delighted to work with them in designing and creating ‘The F-Word Playbook’ an inviting and sustainable financial notebook, a place to note take, plan your weeks, doodle and learn from your mistakes. This notebook is friendly, creative, insightful and useful and has been hand-made in collaboration with Badly Made Books in Cork using 75% – 99% recycled materials, printed using inks made from rice production by-products and low tech processes such as risograph printing and all on certified FSC papers.”

Students who open a Bank of Ireland account will have access to:

Account opening in 6 minutes / Redeem an F-Word Planner
Lowest student lending rate on the market
Apple / Google Pay
Freeze / Unfreeze Card
Practical tips and advice that will equip them when making decisions about savings and loans and the everyday getting by as a student.

For further information on Bank of Ireland’s 3rd level current account visit www.bankofireland.com.
For further information on Financial Wellbeing visit https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/financial-wellbeing/

Notes to Editors:
Bank of Ireland Financial Wellbeing for Students:
Financial Wellbeing from an early age and for all students is a top priority for Bank of Ireland.

The Bank of Ireland Money Smarts Programme for second level students has been developed over seven years to become Irelands No 1 Financial Literacy Programme for Schools*. Over 300,000 second level students have taken part in the programme. 100% of teachers who took part in the programme would recommend it to other schools.

The Money Smarts Programme was created to educate, empower and inspire students, teachers and parents around financial literacy and ultimately enable young people to make informed decisions and take charge of their own financial wellbeing. The programme aims to teach them good financial habits through interactive content and real life scenarios and is delivered by fully qualified and dedicated youth coordinators who continuously build and maintain key relationships with teachers and students within communities.