The Business Case for Financial Literacy: A Strategic Imperative for Competitive Companies

On 16 April 2026, we launched our new Business at OECD paper “The Business Case for Financial Literacy: A Strategic Imperative for Competitive Companies” through two events held in Barcelona and Washington D.C. The paper highlights how financial literacy has become a key economic and business priority, as individuals and SMEs face increasingly complex financial environments driven by digitalisation, new financial products, and rising risks such as fraud.

It underlines that financial literacy is not only a social objective, but also a driver of business performance, contributing to more resilient customers, stronger SMEs, lower risks, and improved employee wellbeing. The paper calls on policymakers to better integrate financial literacy into education and public policies, and on businesses to continue scaling practical initiatives

The paper also showcases various company use cases, illustrating how businesses across sectors are already taking action through employee programmes, consumer tools, SME support initiatives, and sector-wide partnerships. A central message is that public–private cooperation is essential to scale impact. The OECD, notably through the work of the International Network on Financial Education, plays a key role in supporting coordinated approaches and sharing best practices.

In Barcelona, during a meeting hosted by CaixaBank, our Executive Director Hanni Rosenbaum presented the paper and highlighted the importance of embedding financial literacy into education systems and broader policy frameworks, alongside strong business engagement. In addition, the same day a side event to the IMF Spring Meeting took place in Washington D.C. Organised with Mastercard and USCIB, it brought together representatives from business, education, and the OECD around the Chair of our Finance Committee Gianluca Riccio to discuss how financial literacy supports financial inclusion, digital resilience, and long-term economic growth.

Business at OECD will continue to advance this work within the OECD framework, including contributions to ongoing discussions on financial education at the International Network on Financial Education .