
Die Zweite Sparkasse is expanding its services to include more prevention and education programs. This is a great step forward for the community.
The new initiatives aim to support individuals and families in need, with a focus on financial literacy and education. This will help people make informed decisions about their money.
By offering these services, Die Zweite Sparkasse is demonstrating its commitment to the well-being of its members and the community. This is a positive development that will have a lasting impact.
The expanded services will include workshops, counseling, and other resources to help people manage their finances effectively.
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Organization and Structure
Die Zweite Sparkasse is a fully-fledged bank, but it's run differently than traditional credit institutions.
The bank is led by around 360 volunteer employees from the Erste Bank and the Sparkassengruppe, who don't have any profit goals in mind.
The bank's management team consists of three members: Günter Benischek, Brigitte Guttmann, and Mag. Robert Schmidbauer, all of whom serve voluntarily.
The bank's leadership is headed by Günter Benischek as the Chairman of the Board.
A seven-member Sparkassenrat is sent by the 50 members of the Die Zweite Wiener Vereins-Sparcasse association, with Andreas Treichl at the helm.
Services and Offerings

Die Zweite Sparkasse offers a range of services to help customers manage their finances. They provide banking services to clients in financial problem situations, only accepting those referred by cooperating advisory organizations.
The bank offers a special account for these clients, which is initially valid for three years and can only be used on a credit basis without overdrafts. This account comes with a charge of €9 per quarter, but is refunded to the client when they switch to a conventional commercial bank.
Clients also receive a basic insurance package, including free legal advice every three months, a small accident insurance policy, and household insurance. Additionally, they get a debit card, free of charge, which can be used worldwide for cashless payments and withdrawals.
The Zweite Sparkasse also offers a "permanent account" and "managed accounts" for customers who need more time to sort out their financial problems. These accounts come with the same €9 per quarter charge, but don't have a refund option.
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Zielgruppe und Mission

The Zweite Sparkasse has a clear mission: to help people who have fallen out of the regular financial system get back on track with a functioning bank account and financial stability. This mission has been in place since the bank's founding in 2006.
With over 23,000 supported individuals in Austria, the bank has already made a significant contribution to overcoming financial difficulties.
Dienstleistungsangebot
The Zweite Sparkasse offers a unique set of services designed to help people in financial problem situations.
One of the key services is a special account that can be opened for a three-year term, with a credit basis only and no overdrafts allowed.
Clients are also charged a quarterly account management charge of €9, but this fee is refunded when they switch to a conventional commercial bank and close their Zweite Sparkasse account.
You can also get an ATM card free of charge, which allows you to make payments and withdrawals worldwide.
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In addition to the basic account, the Zweite Sparkasse offers a "permanent account" to give customers more time to sort out their financial problems.
Another service is the "managed account", which allows for automatic payments of essential expenses.
All clients are issued a basic insurance package when opening an account, including free legal advice every three months, a small accident insurance policy, and household insurance (premium).
The Zweite Sparkasse also offers a "betrreutes Konto" (managed account) in cooperation with the Schuldnerberatung (debt counseling), where essential payments are made automatically.
For this account, the quarterly account management charge is €9, but it's not refunded when switching to a conventional bank.
The Zweite Sparkasse also provides a "Sparkonto" with a better interest rate and a modified savings plan, as well as a cooperative model of a savings plan.
Furthermore, clients can take advantage of the possibility of quarterly legal advice.
Additionally, all Zweite Sparkasse customers receive a basic insurance package, including a free quarterly legal advice, a small accident insurance policy, and a household insurance (premium) for a monthly premium of €3.
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This insurance package also includes a liability insurance for the customer and their family members living in the household.
The Zweite Sparkasse has been offering workshops since 2008 under the title "I €AN", where apprentices are advised in small groups on financial matters and informed about possible debt traps.
The bank's focus is on preventing debt traps, particularly in the context of gambling addiction, by blocking payments to gambling establishments or online betting sites.
The Zweite Sparkasse also offers a free accident insurance, free legal advice, and the option to open additional savings products.
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Kundenentwicklung
The Zweite Sparkasse has made significant strides in customer development since its inception. Since its founding in 2006, the bank has registered its first customers on October 4th of that year.
By the end of 2007, the Zweite Sparkasse had 1,300 customers with around 1,800 accounts in three branches, supported by 268 volunteers. The bank has continued to grow, with the number of customers in all of Austria reaching around 8,000 by the end of 2017.
So far, the bank has successfully transferred around 4,000 customers to other banks as part of its business model.
Founding and Development

Die Zweite Sparkasse was founded on the initiative and with the support of the ERSTE-Stiftung. The ERSTE-Stiftung played a crucial role in the establishment of the bank.
The founding document, the Satzung, was adopted on May 15, 2006, at the founding assembly. This marked a significant milestone in the bank's history.
The Satzung was later approved by the Finanzmarktaufsicht in September 2006. This gave the bank the necessary regulatory clearance to operate.
The bank's first branch was opened in Vienna-Leopoldstadt on November 21, 2006, in the presence of Austrian President Heinz Fischer. This branch serves as the bank's headquarters.
The bank's registration with the Handelsregister des Handelsgerichts Wien was finalized on October 21, 2006. This formalized the bank's existence as a legal entity.
Restrictions and Limitations
You can't become a customer at Die Zweite Sparkasse if you're financially unstable.
People who are not in financial trouble can join.
You need a working bank account at another Sparkasse or bank to become a customer.

Die Zweite Sparkasse doesn't accept people who are not financially motivated to change their situation.
You also can't join if you're not mentally capable of making financial decisions.
Here are the specific groups that are excluded from becoming customers:
- Menschen, die finanziell nicht in Schieflage geraten sind
- Menschen mit funktionierender Bankverbindung bei einer anderen Sparkasse/Bank
- Menschen, die die nicht durch eine NGO vermittelt werden
- nicht-geschäftsfähige Menschen
- Menschen ohne Eigenmotivation, die eigene finanzielle Lage zu verändern
Partnerships and Collaborations
Die Zweite Sparkasse ist bekannt für ihre enge Zusammenarbeit mit Partnerorganisationen. Diese Partnerorganisationen helfen Kunden in schwieriger finanzieller Situation, die eine spezielle Beratung benötigen.
Die Zweite Sparkasse arbeitet auf überregionaler Basis mit diesen Organisationen zusammen und hat von Anfang an an der Projektentwicklung mitgearbeitet.
In Wien und teilweise an weiteren Standorten in den Bundesländern kooperiert die Zweite Sparkasse mit zahlreichen weiteren Nichtregierungsorganisationen.
Einige der wichtigsten Partnerorganisationen sind die Caritas und die österreichischen Schuldenberatungsdienste.
Business and Strategy
Die Zweite Sparkasse has a clear mission since its founding in 2006: to help people who have fallen out of the regular financial system get back on track to financial stability. This mission has been successfully implemented, with over 23,000 supported individuals in Austria.

The bank's focus is on providing a functioning bank account to those who need it, which is crucial for financial stability. This approach has already made a significant contribution to overcoming financial difficulties.
By supporting over 23,000 people in Austria, Die Zweite Sparkasse has demonstrated its commitment to helping those in need.
Geschäftszweck und Kontoführung
The Zweite Sparkasse has a clear goal: to help people in financial trouble by offering banking services. They have a specific approach to achieve this goal.
Only customers who are referred by cooperating counseling organizations can become customers. This is because the Zweite Sparkasse wants to ensure that customers are in genuine need of their services.
New customers get a special account that's valid for three years. This account is based on credit, not overdraft, which means you can't spend more than you have.
There's a small fee of 9 euros per quarter for this account, but it's refunded if you switch to a regular bank. This fee is called the Kontoführungskaution.

Customers get a debit card that lets them make purchases worldwide and withdraw or deposit money at the bank's ATMs. This service is free.
You can also make free transfers and set up standing orders with your account.
The Zweite Sparkasse offers two additional account types: the unbefristetes Konto and the betreutes Konto. Both have the same Kontoführungsprovision of 9 euros per quarter.
These accounts come with extra features, like automatic payments for essential expenses. However, the Kontoführungsprovision is not refunded for these accounts.
Customers can also get a savings account with a better interest rate and a modified savings plan.
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Strategische Erweiterung: Präventive Unterstützung
The Zweite Sparkasse is expanding its services to focus on prevention and education, targeting young adults and single mothers who are particularly vulnerable to financial difficulties.
This strategic move is a response to the increasing number of people seeking debt counseling, with 60,500 individuals in 2023, an 8% increase from the previous year.

The Sparkasse aims to provide support before people fall into financial trouble, helping them navigate the transition to independent life, manage expenses, and avoid risks like impulse buying and gambling.
Carmencita Nader, the Leiterin of Social Banking at the Erste Bank Oesterreich and honorary board member of the Zweite Sparkasse, emphasizes the importance of early intervention, stating, "Young people need help with financial planning, managing ongoing costs, and dealing with risks like impulse purchases and gambling."
The Sparkasse has already achieved significant success, having assisted over 25,000 people since its founding in 2006 with the help of over 350 volunteers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was kostet ein Konto bei der zweiten Sparkasse?
Kontoführungs-Kosten betragen 3 Euro pro Monat in der 3-jährigen Startphase. Ihr Guthaben wird mit 0,01 % p.a. verzinst
Wie teuer ist ein zweites Konto bei der Sparkasse?
Ein zweites Konto bei der Sparkasse kostet 1,95 Euro pro Monat. Mit diesem Angebot erhalten Sie ein vollwertiges Zweitkonto.
Sources
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Zweite_Sparkasse
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Zweite_Sparkasse
- https://www.erstegroup.com/de/news-media/presseaussendungen/2024/12/03/zweite-sparkasse-erweitert-hilfsangebote-fokus-auf-praevention
- https://www.vol.at/unterstutzung-fur-finanziell-benachteiligte-menschen-zweite-sparkasse-eroffnet-filiale-in-vorarlberg/8580196
- https://deutsch.wikibrief.org/wiki/Die_Zweite_Sparkasse
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