Empowering Households for Financial Resilience by Lucia Bartůsková, Zsuzsa R. Huszár, and Erzsébet T. Varga 

We examine how gender dynamics and income distribution shape financial decisions under today’s challenging economic conditions. Using real household data, we find that families with more balanced decision-making are more likely to invest for the future. This means gender equality at home isn’t just fair, it’s smart economics. By promoting equal participation in financial planning, we can strengthen household wealth and economic security for everyone.

Why it matters:

• Inclusive decision-making boosts long-term investments.

• Gender norms influence financial risk-taking and wealth accumulation.

• Policies that support equal labor market participation empower households.

Email us if you would like to request a full working paper “Gender Norms and Economic Decision-Making within Hungarian Households: A Bargaining Perspective” by  Lucia Bartůsková, Zsuzsa R. Huszár, and Erzsébet T. Varga 

Green Investments in Hungary: Dispelling the Myths of Gen Z and Gender by  Martina Rosíková, Anita Makowska, and  Zsuzsa R. Huszár, and Erzsébet T. Varga 

While the mass media and insta posts suggest that the young generation, GenZ drives sustainability changes, the empirical evidence is scarce at best. We test the sustainability preferences in a representative online survey of 1,000 Hungarians internet users. By removing financial barriers through a hypothetical inheritance scenario, the research reveals that general interest in renewable energy investments remains surprisingly low. Most notably, the data debunks common stereotypes: neither women, parents with young children, nor Generation Z showed a significantly stronger preference for sustainable assets than the average population. Instead, the strongest predictors for green investing were higher education and existing financial literacy. The authors conclude that the primary barrier isn't a lack of funds, but a lack of financial awareness, suggesting that energy companies must prioritize education to attract retail capital.

Email us if you would like to request a full working paper “Hungarian Retail Investors' Preference for Sustainable Energy and Climate Investments” by  Martina Rosíková, Anita, Anita Makowska, and  Zsuzsa R. Huszár, and Erzsébet T. Varga 

Cracking the Inflation Code: How Knowledge Protects Hungarian Wealth by Martina Rosíková, Erzsébet Teréz Varga,  and Zsuzsa Réka Huszár

Our works into the mechanics of retail investment during one of the most volatile economic periods in recent history, during the high inflationary post pandemic period in 2022. We document evidence of "knowledge gap" in the Hungarian market. While the government introduced special tax-exempt securities to help citizens preserve their wealth, many households stayed on the sidelines. The deciding factor? Financial literacy and tax awareness.:  (1) Knowledge is Power: Higher levels of financial education significantly increased the likelihood of investing in these high-yield government instruments. (2) The Literacy "Shield": Targeted education and media campaigns successfully broke down cognitive biases, helping people move their money from stagnant savings accounts into inflation-beating assets. and (3) Domain-Specific Learning, being "tax-smart",  boosted only government bond ownership but didn't necessarily change how people approached other asset classes. 

If you would like to have a copy of the full paper "The role of financial education and real-world knowledge: Introduction of special Hungarian government securities for citizens" by Martina Rosíková, Erzsébet Teréz Varga and  Zsuzsa Réka Huszár, contact us

Review paper on the 1st International V4 Housing Market & Retirement Challenges Conference by Vaskövi et al. (2026)

In April 2025, researchers from the Visegrád Four (V4) countries (Czechia, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia) identified 4 key challenges at the critical intersection between housing quality and the financial security of the region's aging population: 

• The "Asset-Rich, Cash-Poor" Trap: Despite high homeownership rates, the passive wealth locked in (unattainable) in their homes, leave many retirees vulnerable to rising living costs.

• Deteriorating quality and changing needs: The supply of new homes is strictly limited, while the condition of the existing housing stock is worsening. The current housing stock is increasingly ill-suited for the needs of the elderly.

• Financial & Policy disconnect: Acute need for better financial literacy and greater suites of financial products to navigate these challenges.

If you would like to receive the full report "Lakáspiaci és idősődő társadalom: Kihivások a visegrádi országokban- Beszámoló az első nemzetközi V4 lakhatási és nyugdij kihivások konferenciáról" please email one of the authors Ágnes Vaskövi, Zsuzsa R. Huszár, Erzsébet T Varga and Zsuzsanna T Vőnneki.