Analysis of the Payment Habits in Malta – 2018

The Central Bank of Malta recently published an interesting survey setting out the payment habits of the Maltese population.  You can download the survey by clicking here.  The survey findings are thought provoking: Since 2018 the use of mobile banking increased marginally. Major increase in payment channels between 2013 and 2018 is the use of…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 17

Assistance in Payment of Rents The Government announced that persons negatively affected by COVID-19 can receive benefits that cover up to 80% of the rent. The persons who are eligible for this benefit are: Persons who lost their employment and hence are not receiving any wage Persons who are temporarily suspended on unpaid leave Self…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 16

The Government announced that it has reached agreement with all commercial banks to limit the interest rate on working capital loans to 3.5%. The banks involved are Bank of Valletta, HSBC, APS Bank, MeDirect, BNF, Lombard Bank, Izola Bank and FCM Bank Moreover, the Government will cover the first 2.5% of the interest rate for…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 15

Research shows that banknotes and coins do not ‘pose a particular risk of infection for the public’.  The probability of the risk of getting infected from handling banknotes and coins is smaller than from many other objects used in everyday. To read more go to this article:  https://www.bundesbank.de/en/tasks/topics/cash-poses-no-particular-risk-of-infection-for-public-828762

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 14

You can apply for the COVID-19 social measures on-line as follows: Person with a Disability Benefit Persons with disability employed in the private sector of Malta, who after 8th March 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19 cannot go to work on medical advice and are not able to work from home, may apply for…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 13

As we are experiencing COVID-19 there is a good possibility that you are working from home, your children are schooling from home – and generally, you are spending more time at home. Also as we have underlined in our posts, given the uncertainties it is very important that you manage your costs.  Cost management can…

Launch of New Calculator: The Latte Tracker

The ĠEMMA team is pleased to inform you that is has launched a new calculator – The Latte Tracker. The Latte factor was coined by a certain David Bach who brought out the simple idea that the trivial things we spend on every day matters add up to a large sum over the period of…

A Memorandum of Understanding on the financial capability gamification concept and prototype design

The Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity (MFCS) and the University of Malta signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the financial capability gamification concept and prototype design. Under this Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Artificial Intelligence within the University of Malta and the ĠEMMA unit within the Ministry, the students…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 12

The COVID-19 may have created money pressures for your and your family.  A reduction or loss of salary is bound to do this.  You may have had a Rainy Day Fund in hand to see you over a money emergency.  You have been trying to keep things normal and you have been dipping into the…

COVID-19 AND YOUR MONEY MANAGEMENT: POST 11

The ĠEMMA Team refers you to its Money Management and COVID-19 post – MORATORIUM ON LOANS AND OTHER CREDIT FACILITIES – click here.  This post relates to the COVID-19 measure that established a moratoria on bank loans and other credit facilities. On 24th April the Central Bank of Malta issued a clarification.  The clarifications are…