Turning 18 opens the door to more freedom and independence. It also means taking more responsibility for your own money.
To help young adults get started, ING is putting learning first. Eligible customers in Belgium who turn 18 in 2026 can take part in a financial education course covering saving, investing, risk and diversification. Once they have completed it and met the participation conditions, they can receive four ING Group shares in an eligible ING Self Invest investment account.
Learning before investing
By becoming shareholders themselves, participants get a practical introduction to what owning a share means. They can see how a share price changes over time and gain first-hand insight into the ups and downs that come with investing.
“Financial health is becoming increasingly important, yet too many young adults enter adulthood without feeling confident about financial decisions,” says Peter Adams, CEO of ING in Belgium.
“The four shares are not the goal. They are a way to make learning tangible and help young adults understand ownership, investing and risk before they ever invested their own money.”
The initiative builds on ING’s existing financial education activities aimed at helping people build the knowledge and skills needed to make decisions about what to do with their money.
That foundation matters when it comes to investing. Research from ING shows Europeans are investing more, but there is still a substantial gap between Europeans’ savings and investments. Closing that gap isn’t simply about encouraging people to invest. It starts with giving people the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices.
Full participation terms for the Belgium initiative are available.
Investing involves risks. You may (partially) lose your investment amount.