Banco Santander Mexico and the Comisión Nacional para la Protección y Defensa de los Usuarios de Servicios Financieros (CONDUSEF – national commission for the protection and defense of the users of financial services have introduced Mun-2 Aventuras Financieras, the first personal finance videogame, which aims to educate children about finances. The game was created by Tuiio, Banco Santander Mexico's financial inclusion initiative.
The presentation of this innovative digital game was led by the Chief Executive Officer of Banco Santander Mexico, Felipe García Ascencio; the President of Condusef, Oscar Rosado Jiménez; the Vice-president of exchange supervision of the Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV – national banking and securities commission), Edson Octavio Munguía González; and the General Director of Tuiio, Norma Castro Reyes. The event saw Santander and CONDUSEF take on the challenge of creating a strategy to enable basic concepts relating to financial education to be taught to children, in order for them to become financially responsible adults.
Mun-2 Aventuras Financieras, which can be accessed completely free online, allows children and the general public to learn, in a dynamic and fun way, the basic concepts of personal finance, as well as the benefits of – and how to use – services like debit cards, loans, investment, scheduled savings, car insurance and medical expenses for the elderly.
Felipe García Ascencio, Chief Executive Officer of Banco Santander Mexico, highlighted the fact that CONDUSEF had become a strategic partner before going on to say: "in Mexico, our financial education initiatives have benefitted around 700,000 people as part of our Responsible Banking agenda, which makes us stand out as disruptors thanks to things like this innovative game, which will spread financial education to every corner of the country".
Edson Octavio Munguía González, Vice-president of exchange supervision of the CNBV, added: "According to the results of the 2021 Encuesta Nacional de Inclusión Financiera (ENIF – national survey of financial inclusion), disinterest in, and a lack of knowledge about financial products are significant barriers to young adults accessing them. That's why I believe it is vitally important to develop initiatives like this one to convey, from childhood, the importance of having protection against unforeseen expenses, the need to save for the future and the chance to access finance for plans and dreams in adult life".
Finally, Norma Castro, General Director of Tuiio, Santander's financial inclusion initiative, added: "We are committed to generating a positive social impact on society and, with this financial education videogame, we are promoting learning among children in a new and fun way. It's an open and free platform that can be accessed easily by children in Mexico and allows them to learn so that they become financially responsible adults tomorrow".
The game is based on the basic principle of incomings and outgoings, and the players must generate as many TuiioCoins as they can and use them smartly. Using simulators, the players will learn how loans, investment and scheduled savings work, and they can even open debit accounts to keep depositing their TuiioCoins, learning that the Bank is the safest place to keep them.
They can also take out financial products, cover unexpected expenses and even make investments to generate returns. However, they'll also come across hostile characters that will trick, challenge and encourage them to take out products that they don't need, and spend money badly.
The Dusef character will guide them through their financial decisions. They can also access the almanac, where they'll find incredible videos that will help them learn and make better decisions.
Players will also have a pet called Ziigo, a puppy they need to feed, care for and make better when he gets sick, using their TuiioCoins, which will give them a sense of responsibility.
