More than 80% of Poles know little about Personal Investment Accounts. However, those familiar with the new solution are divided as to whether they intend to use it. In the latest Finances of Poles survey conducted on behalf of Bank Millennium, nearly 48% of Poles declared that they knew nothing about OKI (Personal Investment Accounts), while a further 35% said they knew little about them. Only 17% declared that they had at least a basic understanding of the new solution. At the same time, among respondents familiar with the concept of OKI, nearly one in three intends to make use of it. A similar proportion remain open to the idea and are waiting for more information. This means that both the way OKI is implemented and the effective Client education will play a very important role in the development of the investment market.
"OKI is one of the most significant changes to the Polish capital market in recent years. However, it should not be expected that substantial new funds will flow into the market already from the very start of its operation. The first effect of OKI will primarily be the migration of existing savings into a more tax-efficient solution. For many investors, it will simply mean changing the tax "wrapper" of an already existing portfolio rather than starting to invest from scratch. It is only in the years ahead that the key question will be whether OKI starts to attract capital that currently remains outside the capital market. In my view, the increase in the number of people investing on a regular basis will be the best measure of the long-term success of this solution," argues Grzegorz Gawkowski, analyst at the Brokerage House of Bank Millennium.
"To address this need, Bank Millennium has begun preparations to implement a Personal Investment Accounts product offering tailored to different client needs. We are currently working on an OKI based on savings accounts and an OKI based on Millennium TFI investment funds. We believe that the offering we are developing will enable our clients to fully benefit from the tax advantages available under OKI and encourage them to invest part of their funds in the capital market," adds Robert Chorzępa, Head of the Savings Products Sub-unit at Bank Millennium.
The survey conducted on a representative sample of Poles indicates that Poles are considerably more active in saving than in investing. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) hold a savings account, term deposit or other savings products with their main bank, with savings accounts remaining the most popular place to keep surplus funds (51%). Respondents most commonly save for financial security, unexpected expenses, travel, home renovation and furnishing, and securing their future. More than half of those who save (59%) declare that they put money aside on a regular basis (every month or more frequently).
Only 14% of respondents declared that they invest their surplus funds. Seventeen per cent of respondents invest through their main bank, while 12% do so through another bank. The main barriers to investing remain a lack of disposable funds (45%), fear of losing money (42%), and a lack of investment knowledge (33%). The most desirable features of investment products, in turn, are the security of funds, capital protection, ease of access to money, low servicing fees, and only then a high potential rate of return.
The Finances of Poles survey was conducted in July 2026 via the Ariadna Nationwide Research Panel using the CAWI method on a representative sample of 1,214 adult Poles (N=1,214).
More on: www.bankmillennium.pl.