The National Bank of Moldova published the transcript of a “Sensul banilor” financial education podcast featuring Governor Anca Dragu and financial education expert Galina Cicanci, centred on building saving habits and balancing saving with investing. The discussion also warned against “too good to be true” returns and highlighted the rise in online fraud risks alongside the expansion of digital financial services, noting that the views expressed are not the National Bank of Moldova’s official position. In the episode, Dragu framed saving as a financial “buffer” that supports day-to-day resilience, recommending an emergency reserve equivalent to three to six months of expenses and linking the case for saving to inflation being below 7% and trending lower. The speakers discussed liquidity as a key criterion when choosing saving and investment products, pointing to bank deposits as the most liquid option and mentioning government securities, insurance and pension plans as other ways to save and invest. Citing the World Bank Findex-Moldova 2024 survey, the podcast referenced that 2% of respondents saved for old age, 7% saved at a bank or other financial institution, and 41% reported saving during the year using any method. Dragu also pointed to banking data indicating household deposits grew by over 8% year on year to above EUR 4bn (over MDL 80bn), around 25% of gross domestic product, with increasing deposits in the national currency, and described the central bank’s role in fraud-related cases as preventive rather than investigative, with consumer protection and enforcement falling to other institutions.

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