Digital Savings: Automating Financial Inclusion in Mexico

In Mexico, saving is a financial goal for many citizens and a behavior that is on the rise. According to the National Financial Inclusion Survey (ENIF), from 2021 to 2024, the percentage of Mexican savers grew by 6.2%, reaching a 39.8% share. In other words, there are more than 46 million Mexicans saving.

However, 36.6% of savers prioritize informal methods, such as keeping money “under the mattress” or managing it only in batches. This approach limits their opportunity to benefit from developing and maintaining good saving habits. This form of saving, although positive in intention, limits the benefits that savers could obtain if they had access to formal instruments and automatic mechanisms that optimize their resources. This approach is not beneficial for savers if it is their sole method of engaging with savings.

It is important that at this point we protect Mexican savers from the tyranny of cash, which manifests itself in different ways. For savers, for example, having money physically on hand makes it difficult to set it aside for specific goals and makes it easier to spend it without control.

In that sense, the lack of simple, automatic, and flexible mechanisms can become a key obstacle. When savings remain in cash or depend exclusively on willpower, they become vulnerable to unexpected expenses, daily temptations, or situations of economic stress.

Automation emerges as a viable and powerful solution. Features such as scheduled transfers, digital savings accounts linked to other formal financial products, and apps that help set aside money according to specific goals allow users to save without having to “remember” to do so every month. The features also enhance transparency, enabling users to monitor their finances, and provide proximity, allowing them to understand when and how each feature is activated.

Let's imagine Maria, a worker with a variable salary and frequent unexpected expenses. Before, saving meant giving up important things or relying on her monthly discipline. Now, with automated tools, she can make weekly scheduled deposits into a savings account that generates returns, and if an urgent expense arises, she can temporarily adjust her contribution. Not only is her money protected, but it can also work for her. Examples like this show how technology encourages and supports financial planning, thereby changing the savings behavior of millions of Mexicans.

Informality is a reality that many companies already face, but it is not the only challenge. Many Mexicans save using formal financial instruments that were not specifically designed for the purpose of saving.

Although the number of informal savers has decreased slightly, from 38.8% in 2021 to 36.6% in 2024, this reduction could reflect the fact that many remain in formal products that are not specifically designed for savings.

Technology, applied strategically, can bridge that gap with digital savings accounts that are managed through mobile applications. Flexibility will be a key ally in this challenge, ensuring that savings are tailored to each person's reality.

Following María's example, she already takes advantage of automation designed for her saver profile: a woman with variable income. Flexibility is reflected in specific tools that support her catalog sales business, allowing her to concentrate all her money in one place. The app can even manage and claim funds for her, adapting to María's schedule and preferences.

We are experiencing a golden opportunity to include savers who still do not trust technology. With a significant number of users involved, saving through an app can ensure that new users do not feel that this option of managing their money digitally is unfamiliar or distant. 

The combination of simple, automated, and flexible tools is not a luxury: it is a strategy capable of transforming the relationship millions of Mexicans have with their savings. When saving becomes natural and secure, opportunities for growth, protection, and stability open up that transcend each person's pocketbook, positively impacting the economy of the entire country.

A country where more people save formally reduces economic vulnerability, strengthens financial literacy, and builds a solid foundation for more equitable growth. More than a matter of technological innovation, we are talking about a change in behavior that allows Mexicans to save more, better, and with peace of mind.