Many people during childhood and adolescence had no contact at all with financial matters. It is common for schools not to address these issues and, at home, money, bills, and accounts payable are usually topics exclusive to adults. My parents always taught me to save and to value and preserve the things we had, but this teaching had more to do with our financial situation than with the subject itself.

Consequently, financial life became a taboo. The bureaucracy of banks and the lack of easily accessible and understandable content for those who are not specialized in the subject contributed greatly to this. But technology changed our way of dealing with many things and also changed our relationship with money.

For at least ten years, internet banking has been a reality. The possibility of accessing an account by computer and, later, through tablets and smartphones left many people on the defensive in the beginning, but it soon won over users by making it easier to check balances, pay a bill, or transfer money.

The explosion of digital banks

I am sure that if, some time ago, I told my parents that it was possible to have an account in a bank without a physical branch, they would laugh. And I confess that I myself found it strange and immediately thought: "what if I have a problem and need to solve it?"

Digital banks emerged accompanied by many doubts regarding their functioning and security, but they are here to stay. The waiver of fees, the 100% online and agile operation (at least theoretically), and the ease of opening an account have won over many users. Today there are several digital banks and it is very likely that you who are reading me now have an account in at least one of them.

A survey conducted by Toluna Insights states that about 20% of Brazilians have accounts in digital banks. This number corresponds to approximately 40 million people, and most of them are between 18 and 34 years old.

Transactions through social networks

Technology does not stop. Every day the field updates itself, bringing small or big changes that can make our daily lives much easier, and the ease of dealing with financial matters did not stop with digital banks.

There are applications for practically everything in this life. It is possible to organize oneself, exercise, remember to drink water, stimulate focus, among others. And for a long time, many people have been using apps to control expenses, set savings goals, and analyze where their money goes every month.

Now dealing with financial matters is no longer restricted to specific applications for that. A few weeks ago, WhatsApp, an instant messaging social network, launched the "payments" feature. With it, it is possible to send and receive money without needing to open or even have a bank application installed.

For now, the feature is only available for debit cards, but the intention is to extend transactions to credit cards, enabling payment for purchases of products or services.

I could spend hours talking about the conveniences that the use of technology has brought to financial life. Today it is easier to find reliable information on these subjects and to stay highly informed, improving our relationship with money and our expenses.

Pix has become my great friend; after all, it is great to be able to send and receive amounts at no cost and instantly. Our generation is increasingly accelerated, and being able to solve that problem with the bank without needing to go to a branch saves us time and, of course, patience.

Even so, it is important to be attentive to how banking applications function. Being careful with passwords, not registering your data on any website, and understanding the security of other applications that allow transactions within them is fundamental.

On the internet, our banking data needs to be protected at all times. By being careful and responsible, we can build a healthier and less bureaucratic financial life.

Article written by UOL Tilt

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