Managing personal finance by robo-advice users during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the post-pademic period. A comparative analysis of Poland and Slovakia

Abstract

Design/methodology/approach: This article aims to compare the behaviour of Polish and Slovak robo-advice users in the area of personal finance management during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their expected saving, expenditure and investment action after the end of the pandemic. An important aspect of the analysis is a comparison of how the respondents use the PFM application for personal finance management. The article was based on a literature analysis, statistical data, as well as our own pioneering empirical study conducted in September 2021 among clients of the Slovak brokerage house Finax in Poland and Slovakia, which was the first entity in Poland to offer a robo-advice service. A number of statistical methods were used to analyze the collected statistical material: Mann-Whitney U Test, Pearson’s Chi-square test, Linear Regression Analysis, Kendall’s tau correlation analysis. Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic did not adversely affect the personal finance of Polish and Slovak robo-advice users and they differed in terms of investment methods during the pandemic as well as their investment plans after the pandemic. Polish and Slovak robo-advice users used spreadsheets plus special banking and non-banking applications to manage their personal finance. Sociodemographic variables did not largely explain how Poles and Slovaks used the application to configure personal finance. During the pandemic, saving was associated with the use of an application to configure personal finance and the awareness of the existence of such an application among both Poles and Slovaks. Research limitations/implications: The conclusions of the study can be used by financial institutions, FinTechs, robo-advisors and PFM application providers for managing the home budget. Originality/value: The novelty of the article is the first comparative study of robo-advice users in Poland and Slovakia on personal finance management during the COVID-19 pandemic and financial plans in the post-pandemic period. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, robo-advice, personal finance management, PFM applications.