BOV driving financial literacy & financial planning for customers

The world of investments is not simple to navigate, but this is an area that Bank of Valletta has been actively nurturing, primarily by enhancing financial literacy and helping customers get to grips with financial planning. This was highlighted by Mark Agius, Head of BOV’s Asset Management during his intervention at the BOVAM Seminar held a few weeks ago to BOV Group authorised sales representatives. The seminar was the tail-end of a number of informative sessions held across the Island for customers and non- customers alike.

The focus of BOV Asset Management during 2023 was to increase knowledge and communication across all areas of the BOV Group. This led to the organisation of quarterly seminars where staff members from BOV Asset Management could network and discuss best practices with BOV representatives who work at the front line, with a view to enhance the support offered to customers in improving financial literacy and financial planning.

In his intervention, Mark Agius emphasised the focus that the Bank has been giving to learning and development. “Acknowledging the need for ongoing learning, to remain ahead of the curve, saw us delivering over 70 training sessions and carry out over 100 branch visits. The team focused on financial literacy programmes for customers, through a series of educational sessions that were held across BOV Branches and Investment Centres.

Other speakers included Investment Managers and Investment Specialists from BOV Asset Management, who gave an overview of both international and local markets. Speaking about the local scenario, reference was made to the ESG framework and related regulations. Focus was made on the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation that imposes mandatory ESG disclosure obligations for asset managers and other financial market participants.

The seminar was brought to a close by Chief Personal and Wealth Officer Simon Azzopardi. Thanking the participants for their active participation, he emphasised the importance of collaboration across functions to bring to customers the extensive specialised resources held across the BOV Group. “At Bank of Valletta, we invest heavily in ensuring our people are experts in what they do. Ongoing learning, while keeping abreast with market developments is key for our front-liners and financial advisors, who have the backing of our research team to ensure that all advice given is informed and well-timed. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that customers make the right choices that match their expectations at every stage of their lifecycle.”