Enhancing Financial Wellbeing

Our financial wellbeing commitment is to empower people with the knowledge and skills to make the most of their finances so they can be in control of their everyday spending, have a plan for the future and the resilience to withstand the financial impact of an unexpected event or a major life event, while striving to leave no one behind on the journey to financial health.

We continue to be recognised as the number 1 bank for Financial Wellbeing in Ireland which puts us in a pivotal position to improve Ireland’s financial health. In simple terms, financial wellbeing is about having a good relationship with money. We are all at different stages of our journey to financial health, but we are all on the journey together.

We were one of the founding signatories of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking (UNPRB) commitment to Financial Health and Inclusion. In 2023, we along with a small number of banks globally, published our targets to 2030. Our targets are focused on supporting our customers’ day-to-day and life event financial resilience. In 2024, we were invited to co-lead the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and UN women’s working group on Gender Equality commitment which launched its guidance on the Gender Equality commitment for financial services in Geneva in December 2024.

You can read more on our UNPRB commitments here

Bank of Ireland’s Financial Wellbeing strategy is driven by 3 key pillars:

  • Fostering financial inclusion
  • Improving financial literacy and capability
  • Building a more financially resilient and confident Ireland
Myles O’Grady (CEO) and Mairead McGuinness (European Commissioner) alongside all 16 teams competing in the Money Smarts Quiz Challenge Grand Final in Trinity College Exam Hall, 12 May 2023.

Myles O’Grady (CEO) and Mairead McGuinness (European Commissioner) alongside all 16 teams competing in the Money Smarts Quiz Challenge Grand Final in Trinity College Exam Hall, 12 May 2023.

  • Fostering financial inclusion in Ireland

    Our ambition is to ensure inclusive and effective access to products and services for all so that no one is left behind on the journey to financial health.

    Some examples of how we are fostering financial inclusion in Ireland include:

    • Our vulnerable customer unit which is fundamental to promoting financial inclusion amongst prioritised groups and provides enhanced expert banking support to customers in vulnerable circumstances or situations;
    • Our ‘Extra Help’ hub which centralises information about all the additional supports available to customers, families, carers and advocates across a range of topics;
    • Basic Bank Accounts;
    • Working with the Irish Alzheimer’s Society and the HSE to build a training and education programme so all branches become ‘Dementia Friendly’.
  • Improving financial literacy and capability in Ireland

    Our ambition is to empower people (including colleagues) with the knowledge and skills to help them improve their financial literacy and capability on their journey to financial health.

    Some examples of how we do this include:

    • Bank of Ireland’s financial literacy programmes for both primary and secondary schools which continue to grow yearly;
    • Our financial wellbeing online centre which provides educational content including articles, tools, and calculators;
    • Supporting adults with financial education initiatives internally and externally;
    • Mi365 our in-app money management tool which delivers personalised insights and tailored nudges to help customers review spending patterns, make better financial decisions, adapt their behaviours and habits to pursue their financial goals.
  • Building a more financially resilient and confident Ireland

    Financial resilience is the capacity to withstand or absorb a financial shock which can be the result of an unexpected day-to-day expense or an unexpected life event such as job loss, relationship breakdown or long-term illness. It is a fundamental step on the journey to financial health.

    Our ambition is to increase the number of customers and colleagues who have the resilience to withstand the financial impact of an unexpected day-to-day expense or a major life event. Our UNPRB commitment on financial health and inclusion focuses on both day-to-day and life event financial resilience. A key enabler to achieving this ambition will be working with active partnerships to support the financial resilience of prioritised groups. Protecting our customers and colleagues’ financial wellbeing is a key priority with a strong focus on supporting those with ‘money worries’ as well as providing fraud education and awareness.

    To support customers, we have:

    • A ‘Money Worries hub’ signposting practical tips and resources to support customers which includes budgeting tools, helpful tips to cope with financial strain, and resources to build financial literacy. We also have a dedicated money worries helpline;
    • Announced an investment of €50 million on customer fraud prevention and protection including €15 million on new fraud prevention technology and a range of high-profile customer awareness campaigns and support for customers targeted by fraudsters as a central part of our commitment to safeguarding the financial wellbeing of our customers. You can find more information and advice on how to protect yourself from fraud in our Security Zone section.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals


Financial Wellbeing
Financial Wellbeing