English
Obserwator Finansowy features views and analysis of economy in Poland and other countries, written by some of the best journalists, economists and analysts. Our mission is to share knowledge of economics and financial markets in the world.
Obserwator Finansowy is a project under aegis of the Poland’s central bank, Narodowy Bank Polski. We have published thousands of articles about the Polish and global economy. Our journalists have conducted hundreds of interviews with Nobel laureates, distinguished economists, business leaders and politicians with views across the political spectrum.
In this section you can find selected articles in English.

Gold is back in favor
Piotr RosikGold has once again become a safe haven for investors. However, a return to the gold standard is a scenario that is unlikely to materialize – says Krishan Gopaul, Market Intelligence Analyst at the World Gold Council...

Insurance will not solve the effects of climate change
Regina SkibińskaThe increasing occurrences of weather anomalies make it necessary to introduce solutions that will reduce the damage caused by extreme climate events, which are hitting agriculture particularly hard. Without them, it is only...

Automatic financial advice is knocking at our doors
Krzysztof WaliszewskiAfter the financial crisis we saw a rapid development of automated financial advisory platforms (known as robo-advice). The question now arises whether these services constitute a threat to traditional, financial advisory...

NBP has injected PLN158bn into Poland’s banking system
Obserwator Finansowy“In the period from March 16th to the end of September NBP injected PLN158bn (approx. EUR 35bn) into the Polish banking system. This corresponds to approximately 7 per cent of Poland’s GDP – said Adam Glapiński, the...

Banks are not playing too safe when granting credits
Marek PielachIn a sample of over 700 firms analyzed in July and August 2020, refusal to grant a loan was very rare and only affected few per cent of respondents. In particular, incidences of refusal to finance a good investment project...

Return of securitization
Vedran ObućinaSecuritization, stigmatized for being one of the main causes of the 2008 financial crisis, is in practice becoming an increasingly enticing mechanism for reviving assets and creating new ones. The establishment of a clear...

In pandemic banks need to change their business models
Olga SzczepańskaThe standing of banks affects the real sector of the economy and the situation in the economy determines the functioning of banks. Their lending and financial plans for the next year, as well as medium-term strategies,...

Fintechs try to find a way out from crisis
Vedran ObućinaDespite the increase in non-cash payments during the pandemic, the fintech sector generally did not record an increase in profitability. They face difficulties in financing and a turnover drop, as well as in number of...

The global banking sector in the pandemic
Witold GadomskiThe global financial crisis originated in the banking system, first in the US, and then in Europe. The 2009 recession was the consequence of the banks’ freeze on lending and the resulting uncertainty. Today, the situation...

BaaS — banking without a license
Mirosław CiesielskiBanking-as-a-service (BaaS) is a process in which banks provide access to the back-office to third parties. This enables the latter to offer financial services without the need of obtaining banking licenses and possessing...