Designed in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the course aims to empower individuals with the financial knowledge needed to navigate complex personal finance tools and improve their overall financial well-being.
According to the latest S&P Global FinLit Survey, only 33% of adults – 35% of men and 30% of women – worldwide are financially literate.
This means that around 3.5 billion adults, most of them in developing economies, lack an understanding of basic financial concepts.
Mastercard’s financial literacy program removes geographical barriers to financial education and promotes greater access to financial services in line with the company’s goal of connecting one billion individuals worldwide to the digital economy by 2025.
The engaging course features interactive lessons, quizzes and real-world examples across four key areas: electronic payments, budgeting, credit scores and financial security. Available worldwide, the new proposition underscores the importance of education in advancing Mastercard’s mission to power economies and empower people on a global scale.
“At Mastercard, we are dedicated to democratizing financial literacy and ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need to achieve their financial goals. Our new free online course removes the confusing jargon and cracks the code on everyday finances.
This way, it equips individuals, particularly those in underserved communities and young adults, with the knowledge and tools needed to manage their personal finance with confidence, achieve their financial goals and avoid common financial pitfalls,” said Driss Belemlih, Executive Vice President of Customer Delivery, EEMEA at Mastercard.
Additionally, Mastercard’s customers can leverage the free access to the course to reach the unbanked, youth and gig worker segments in their regions, helping integrate them into the digital economy and establish brand affinity early on.
A report published in The World Bank Economic Review shows that individuals who participate in financial education programs are likely to see a significant improvement in their financial knowledge and adopt more positive financial behaviors.
Mastercard Academy offers access to on-demand and instructor-led training from over 200 experts across Mastercard’s global network.
Their comprehensive online learning platform equips the company’s customers and partners – and now also the public – with professional insights, skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the world of payments.
The ‘Master Your Card: Finance Demystified’ course is accessible here.
Steven Umidha is a data and financial journalist with over 15 years of work experience in journalism and communication.
He specialises in finance and economics reporting as well as on the causes, impacts, and solutions of global warming, conservation, pollution and sustainability, often blending scientific literacy with journalist ethics, while involving policy analysis and multimedia storytelling across various platforms in highlighting issues from biodiversity loss to ecological justice.
He is the founder of Financial Fortune Media, and a Co-founder of One Planet Agency (OPA). He has previously worked with the Standard Media Group, Mediamax Networks LTD, bird story agency, Business Journal Africa, and Financial Post among other outlets.
He can be reached on: Email: info@financialfortunemedia.com
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