Nudging Users into Thrifty Saving (NUTS)

财务管理对经济增长和福祉至关重要，但46%的英国员工担心他们的财务状况，11%的人处于严重的财务困境中（巴克莱，2014），这是不健康行为的主要原因，包括吸烟、体重增加、酒精和药物滥用（阿帕，2011年）。财务困境也为雇主带来了隐性成本，对底线的影响估计为4%（巴克莱银行，2014年），并且由于金融产品的多样性和复杂性，金融文盲（42%的英国<25岁的人不能准确阅读银行对账单），储蓄减少（英国的储蓄率是经合组织中最低的）和过度依赖债务（平均20%）而进一步加剧。>£ 6 k/家庭，> 3 k/个人）（公平贸易局，2013年;英格兰银行，2014年;经合组织，2014年）。英国每天有277人破产（英格兰银行，2014年），而对高利率短期贷款的需求飙升（英国发薪日贷款市场的收入在3年内翻了一番，到2013年达到8亿英镑/年，其中50%来自展期贷款，费用高达7k%APR）（公平贸易局，2013年; Squirrel已经发现了一个改善个人财务管理的机会，这个平台可以自动处理收入，根据个人和背景数据生成高度针对性的个人资料，并应用行为科学的见解来改变用户的选择架构，推动用户进入节俭储蓄（NUTS）。松鼠公司通过与潜在客户（包括ByBox、Field Fisher、The Hut Group、Benefex和Bethesons Benefits）和关键利益相关者（包括Bethesons Benefits）的讨论，确认了对这项新技术的需求。由Emanuel Andjelic和Mutaz Qubbaj领导的Squirrel汇集了超过40年的金融和创业经验，致力于让员工重新掌控自己的财务生活。Squirrel曾在英国《金融时报》、CNN和The Next Web等知名媒体上亮相，并获得了包括Pitch@Palace和WIRED 2014创业大赛。

Financial management is critical to economic growth and wellbeing, yet 46% of UKemployees worry about their finances and 11% are in severe financial distress (Barclays,2014), a leading cause of unhealthy behaviour incl. smoking, weight gain, alcohol and drugabuse (APA, 2011). Financial distress also generates hidden costs for employers, impactingthe bottom line by an estimated 4% (Barclays, 2014), and is further aggravated by growingdiversity and complexity of financial products, financial illiteracy (42% of UK <25s cannotaccurately read bank statements), decreasing savings (UK has lowest saving rate of OECD)and overreliance on debt (avg. >£6k/household, >3k/personal) (OFT, 2013; Bank of England,2014; OECD, 2014). Each day 277 people are made bankrupt in the UK (Bank of England,2014), whilst demand for high-interest short-term loans soars (UK payday lending marketdoubled revenue in 3yrs, to £800M/yr by 2013, 50% of which was generated from rolled overloans with fees up to 7k% APR) (OFT, 2013; Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 2013).Squirrel has identified an opportunity to improve personal financial management with anintermediary platform that automatically processes income, generates highly targeted profilesbased on individual and contextual data, and applies insights from behavioural science tomodify users’ choice architecture, Nudging Users into Thrifty Saving (NUTS). Squirrel hasvalidated demand for this novel technology through discussions with prospective clients (incl.ByBox, Field Fisher, The Hut Group, Benefex and Thomsons Benefits) and key stakeholders(incl. Barclays, Techstars).Led by Emanuel Andjelic and Mutaz Qubbaj, Squirrel brings together >40yrs in finance andentrepreneurship with the ambition to empower employees to regain control of their financiallives. Squirrel has featured in high-profile media including FT, CNN and The Next Web, andhas received industry awards incl. Pitch@Palace and WIRED 2014 Startup Competition.