CLAIMS ARE WELCOME HERE
The Bank of Russia goes on implementing a project called CLAIMS ARE WELCOME HERE with protection of financial consumers and financial literacy of the population still being the priority tasks in the mega-regulator’s activity.
Last year, Bank of Russia 7/24 call centre received over 180,000 appeals from the citizens. One needs to mention that the issues dealing with the activity of credit institutions accounted for the greater part of the total (63%).
Many applicants were given immediate answers as more than 1,000 informative responses to the most frequent questions were developed to speed up the entire process.
Bank of Russia Internet inquiry centre switched to a new format in 2015 by offering its users a detailed selection of topics they are interested in with thorough clarification on the most frequent questions. It turned out that the credit institutions took the lead with 45.19% of all questions, followed by the inquiries on the insurance market (33.84%) with information on the compulsory motor third party liability insurance being the hottest topic. Many questions dealt with consumer lending.
In 2015, the Bank of Russia carried out the activity to increase the financial literacy of the population to help people protect themselves from financial crooks and get their bearings as regards the current financial products.
The Bank of Russia used banks, multifunctional centres of state services, associations of employees, STSI territorial units, PFRF sections, driving schools and even post offices to distribute its leaflets and booklets on various financial products including head office materials (OSAGO+, Microfinance Organisation) and those developed in its regional divisions.
Bank of Russia 1,500 employees went ahead with financial literacy lessons in Russian schools. Officers of the territorial departments of the Service for Protection of Financial Services Consumers and Minority Shareholders read 120 lectures for students of higher and secondary educational institutions. The lecturers told in hundreds of organisations how to use money to its best by giving a detailed insight into microfinance loans, pension savings, risk insurance, securities market investments, etc. Each region also hosted tens of training sessions and practical lessons on budget planning and on the ability to properly employ various financial instruments.
A special attention was given to the retired people, as the elders seem to be the least protected individuals today who face serious problems in understanding the banking products. Closer to the New Year’s Eve, on the 25th of December, the Siberian Main Branch of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation organised a lecture for the aged people on how to save and augment their savings, what should be taken into consideration when choosing a bank and a deposit in order to get the top profit. Besides, the audience was informed on the activity of financial pyramids and their basic features, and also on the current schemes to deceive customers. The pensioners were warned against joining tempting projects which offer quick money returns as the risk to lose all their deposits in such cases is far above any eventual profits.
Last year, the Bank of Russia Kursk Regional Division jointly with the Russian Interior Department for the Kursk Region launched a campaign ‘Check Your Wallet’ when all attendees were offered to check their knowledge in a specially designed work place in identifying banknotes bearing the evidence of counterfeit money and identify fake banknotes both independently and using special devices.
In downtown Vladikavkaz, special monitors were installed in the streets where every hour the ads were displayed to prove creditworthiness and authenticity of Bank of Russia banknotes. The ads were prepared by the Division – National Bank of the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania.
Division – National Bank of the Republic of Tatarstan drafted a questionnaire to assess the level of financial literacy of the population which could be filled in online on the portal of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan. As of today, over 10,000 questionnaires have been filled in.
While the conference called Development of Small and Medium Businesses in the Krasnodar Territory was in progress, a consulting centre of the Southern Main Branch of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation was set up where representatives of small and medium businesses could get answers to their questions. In addition, the staffers of the Southern Main Branch launched seminars for the participants of the North Caucasian youth rally Mashuk-2015 which took place in the city of Pyatigorsk.
In 2016, the Bank of Russia is going to proceed with implementing the programme of financial education and complete it with crucial topics based on its previous experience and taking into account the situation in domestic financial markets.
