The Museum of Saving launches a free app to help tackle financial anxiety

Growing economic and social uncertainty in recent years has made financial anxiety increasingly widespread, affecting people's ability to make balanced decisions about managing their finances.

To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center carried out the applied research project "Study on reducing financial anxiety from a neuroscientific perspective" in collaboration with the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, in support of the Museum of Saving. The research found that people's relationship with money is influenced not only by their financial resources, but also by cognitive, psychological and behavioural factors.

The app translates the research findings into a free, self-guided and short training programme designed to strengthen the skills that support more balanced financial decision-making.

The programme focuses on four key areas:

• cognitive training exercises to improve attention, memory and decision-making skills
• activities that help users recognise the cognitive biases influencing financial choices
• tools to strengthen metacognition, self-efficacy and confidence in personal decision-making
• breathing and relaxation techniques to support more effective management of financial anxiety.

The app is available free of charge on the Apple App Store for iOS devices and on the Google Play Store for Android devices.

The Museum of Saving is an educational space where visitors can explore the concepts of saving and investing through clear, accessible language, helping them improve their level of financial literacy.

Since opening in 2012, the Museum—the first institution in the world entirely dedicated to financial education—has adopted an educational approach based on edutainment and experiential learning, developing programmes for children, young people and adults. In 2025, its educational initiatives for schools received the National Committee for Financial Education's Quality Labels, recognising the effectiveness and reliability of the programmes.

With the launch of Chill&Skill, the Museum further strengthens its commitment to advancing financial education through accessible, innovative tools grounded in scientific research.