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The Island of Verdopoli and its financial secrets
A special guide, Slim the Frog.

Ready to set off on an extraordinary journey?

An educational journey reminiscent of classic pixel art platform game maps. This is not a game, but a real educational journey that will allow you to explore the 8 fundamental concepts of economics and personal finance. With the help of our guide, Slim the frog, on the island of Verdopoli, we will learn crucial concepts of financial education while having fun. Our adventure is designed to offer a foundation of financial literacy to the younger generation, in order to raise awareness and stimulate more attention to the world of financial education.

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1. The income

Let us start step by step. The first thing, at any age, that is needed for economic stability is an income. Income is a flow of money that can come from work, from renting property and land, or from investments.  
Already at a very young age, one can create the habit of managing a certain amount of money received on a regular basis through pocket money. This tool enables financial independence by understanding the importance of proper money management early on.

2. Planning

In order to create a functional planning of our money, one must first be clear about one's expenses, both recurrent and occasional. The best way to do this is to make a list of all one's expenses divided by category.
You can then start planning the use of your income by taking into account your recurrent expenses, the ones you are sure you will have to pay every month: rent, mobile phone top-ups and other things like subscriptions to streaming services. The second step, then, is to allow for a certain amount of spending in each category: groceries, dinner out, new clothes, and everything else. From these, it is always good to leave out a small amount to save, to put aside for a more demanding purchase and/or to have some money ready for every eventuality.

3. Prices

Price is the amount of money needed to purchase a good or service and is formed in the relationship between supply and demand; it can vary in space and time, as can the purchasing power of a currency. Here, inflation often comes into play, i.e. the increase in prices over a given period, which can depend on various factors: an excessive amount of money injected into the system, excess demand, a prolonged increase in the cost of production factors and raw materials. Inflation is generally considered to be a problem, mainly because prices and wages do not vary with the same intensity: this tends to create negative effects on people's purchasing power and creates uncertainty about the future of money: not knowing what our money and earnings will be worth in the future makes savings or investment choices difficult.

4. Payments

For almost 3,000 years, coins have been used to pay, but they leave no trace of the transaction, leaving room for illegal activities such as tax evasion and money laundering. That is why there is a maximum limit on the use of cash. Moreover, the use of cash entails costs. Today, there are “new” payment methods that enable us to overcome these disadvantages:
Credit transfer is the transfer of money between two current accounts, which is easy to do from an app, with just a few clicks; Debit card an electronic card linked to an account, which enables purchases to be made in any establishment participating in the payment circuit, or cash withdrawals. Credit card with which it is not necessary to have the money in the account at the time of payment, but the charges will be settled at a later date. Reloadable cards, which, unlike the others, are not linked to an account and therefore have to be “loaded” according to the owner's needs.

5. The accounts

Money is mostly digital today and a bank account is needed to deposit it, but which account?
A current account allows the most common transactions to be carried out easily: financial transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, transfers and payments, with a lot of flexibility. It can then be used to receive salary and pay expenses with direct credit from the account.
The deposit account allows you to deposit money and earn a return in the form of interest, and is designed to make your savings work safely.
A securities account is a bank account used exclusively for investments. It is usually linked to a current account, into which the sums to be invested can be moved, in order to trade directly in the financial markets. 
There are also special accounts, offered by various banks, designed especially for young people. To teach them how to manage money and use it in a practical and safe way.

6. Saving

Today we discover savings, i.e. the money we put aside for emergencies or important expenses, as opposed to investments designed for the long term.
Having savings also allows us to seize opportunities on the fly, which is why it is essential to choose flexible instruments.
Current accounts are ideal for immediate liquidity, perhaps by separating savings from everyday expenses.
Among the most classic methods is the piggy bank, perfect for setting aside small sums over time.
For those who prefer modern solutions, there are digital piggy banks, which round up paper expenses and set aside the rest automatically.

7. Investments

Today our frog Slim discovers a new aspect of money management: investments.
After talking about income and financial planning, it's time to figure out how to make your savings pay off instead of leaving them unused.
Among the safest options are term deposit accounts, which offer interest in exchange for locking up capital for a certain period, and bonds, securities issued by the state, banks or companies that guarantee repayment of capital plus the payment of periodic coupons.
For those seeking a higher return, there are shares, which represent a stake in a company.
Their value can rise or fall depending on the performance of the company and the market, offering opportunities for profit but also a higher risk.

8. Credit

Here we are on the last leg of the Slim Frog's journey: today we discover credit. This is a sum of money received in advance, with a commitment to repay it in the future, either in one lump sum or in instalments.
Credit helps you manage your resources over time, for example by allowing you to buy a house without having to accumulate the entire sum in advance. To obtain it, one has to turn to banks or finance companies, which grant loans by charging an interest rate, i.e. the cost of money lent.
To assess the overall cost of a loan, one can look at the APR (Annual Percentage Rate of Charge), which includes both interest and any additional charges.
The journey of the Slim Frog ends here, but financial education is an adventure that continues!

5. I conti 

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Other initiatives

Collaboration with FeduF allows us to:

  • create local and national events dedicated to students, teachers, adults and businesses
  • enhance our financial education experience in the national and international scenario
  • be represented on tables of dialogue and discussion on the topic
  • carry out activities to raise awareness and promote educational initiatives
  • foster the visibility and dissemination of jointly implemented initiatives

"La mia Impresa, il mio Futuro"

In collaborazione con la fondazione Sodalitas ogni anno realizziamo il Progetto "La mia Impresa, il mio Futuro" che vede coinvolti molti studenti e studentesse delle scuole secondarie di secondo grado nella realizzazione di una start up d’impresa e di un BMC. I seminari vengono realizzati dai Manager volontari della fondazione Sodalitas in collaborazione con i professionisti di BPER Banca.

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