Frankfurter Bankentag 2026

28th of April 2026

This year's Frankfurter Bankentag, we put a focus on two key issues for the future of Frankfurt as a financial center: financial literacy and the development of young talent.

Together with representatives from academia, the banking sector, and various institutions, we discussed how to strengthen financial literacy at the structural level and reach people in a more targeted manner. Lutz Lienenkämper (Member of the board, Deutsche Bundesbank) kicked off the event with a presentation on the importance of financial education from the perspective of Deutsche Bundesbank. Prof. Dr. Christine Laudenbach (Director Department "Household Finance", SAFE/Goethe University) then demonstrated that while financial literacy in Germany is comparatively high, access to it continues to depend heavily on educational and socioeconomic background.

Dr. Andreas Kaun (Head of the Economic Education Division at the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Money Museum) then outlined specific ways this could be implemented:

• school materials, lectures, and the Money Museum as the three central pillars of the Bundesbank
• supplemented by international initiatives such as the Eurosystem Financial Literacy Network

Contributions from the Netherlands and Finland offered international perspectives, highlighting the importance of long-term strategies, strong networks, and the early integration of financial education into the education system. Japke Kaastra (Head of Financial Health, ING Nederland) presented the Dutch initiative “Stichting Financieel Gezond Nederland”, an impressive network of private and public partners with a shared goal: reducing the number of households experiencing financial stress by 50% by 2030. Anu Raijas (Financial Literacy Advisor, Bank of Finland (Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank) Museum) spoke about the perspective of financial literacy as a lifelong process that must be integrated into the education system. In Finland, a strong network organizes a wide range of initiatives. And it has a clear goal: make Finland #1 in financial literacy by 2030.

Another highlight of the Frankfurter Bankentag 2026 was the traditional award ceremony held in collaboration with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. The top students in the “Business Administration,” “Management,” and “Banking Specialist” programs were honored.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Nils Stieglitz emphasized the importance of a solid education and practical qualifications, especially in times when the demands of the labor market are changing significantly due to artificial intelligence.

Frankfurter Bankentag has once again demonstrated that a sustainable financial center requires not only innovation and exchange, but above all people – well-educated talent as well as broad access to financial knowledge.