What is the Orange Envelope^®?

The Orange Envelope is a platform (web application) that is an interactive tool for wealth management, an individual’s wealth management strategy, managing financial products, estimating retirement income from all pillars, and a tool for testing investment and savings strategies.

Why is the platform called Orange Envelope?

The term “orange envelope” was created in Sweden. Swedish researchers wanted to raise awareness of pensions and produced a summary statement of expected pension benefits. At that time it was sent by post. In order to increase people’s motivation to open the envelope and not to overlook it, the statement came in a coloured envelope. In orange envelope. We also see the need to improve information about pensions in Slovakia. That is why in 2017 we started working as a group of researchers to create a comprehensive overview of the pension system in Slovakia. We named this project after our colleagues from Sweden – The Orange Envelope. However, our Slovak Orange Envelope has been given a digital form. Later, based on requests from our users, the platform was expanded with investments (as some of them are also for retirement), loans, real estate and insurance. The aim is to give you a clear overview of the structure and setup of your finances and assets in one place.

Why is the Orange Envelope provided by a private company?

We originally built the platform as part of a research project and also for ourselves, where we wanted to materialize the results of our research and projects. We wanted to build a platform that would automatically monitor our savings and tell us how we were doing in terms of our financial health. Each of us has explored a different area of personal finance (pensions, loans, investments, property, insurance). The platform was designed to connect our research worlds. We didn’t want to constantly have to log into other institutions’ interfaces and other websites just to get a full picture of our own financial security. This motivated us to build a platform where we could see our finances in one place and no one would tell us what we should or shouldn’t buy.

Over time, we found that the platform could be useful to others as well. We were looking for a way to make it accessible to a wide range of users. At the same time, we were looking for a way to continue our research and to allow users to enjoy the results of our work immediately. That is why we have decided to merge into one legal entity. The platform is operated by a private company. This makes it easier for us to comply with all legal requirements for data protection, consumer protection and to raise resources for further research, development and expansion of the platform, including through paid functionalities.

As researchers, this will give us the space and resources to continue our research. Research is reflected in the continuous improvement of the platform’s tools, the updating of data and the search for further use of research results. In a private company that runs the platform, we can effectively agree on the use of the research results and at the same time we can agree on the rules of operation. We care about professionalism and we have a system of internal peer review of research results. The ethics of research and publication of results is also important (we work with sensitive data and take care that research results should be verifiable). Continuity of research and development of new functionalities is also important (we know that my colleague will be here and will continue his/her research even when his/her research grants end), sharing the resources acquired to improve the technological level of the platform and especially data security.

Who is the Orange Envelope for?

Orange Envelope is for anyone who is looking for a place to track and manage their finances in one place. Because of its accessibility and flexibility, the Orange Envelope is suitable for the general public – regardless of wealth or skill level. The Orange Envelope is for anyone who wants to keep track of their finances online in one place. It is for anyone who wants to take an active role in building their wealth and is looking for a tool to effectively manage their own finances.

What makes the Orange Envelope different?

The Orange Envelope is the result of research, constant updating and improvement. We do not offer products in the Orange Envelope. We offer tools, techniques and methods so that everyone can answer questions like: “Have I purchased good financial products?”, or “Do I have a good savings setup?”, or “What changes should I make to my product setup to be better off in the future?”. We built the platform to have a tool that manages financial products more efficiently. It also helps to identify where we can improve the management of personal finances. The platform is designed to serve as a tool for acquiring knowledge and skills.