Student Financial Literacy Crucial for Building Financial Awareness

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Financial literacy is considered a crucial step in building young people’s awareness of financial management and protection from an early age. Obed Fan Simanjuntak, Branch Manager of Asuransi Sinar Mas Palangka Raya, stated that understanding financial protection needs to be introduced to students to better prepare them for future financial planning. “Through this financial literacy initiative, we want students to understand that financial protection is easy, relevant, and can start early. We hope this activity provides benefits, expands knowledge, and increases awareness of the importance of financial literacy,” Obed said in a statement on Tuesday (26 May 2026). Primandanu Febriyan Aziz, Head of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) for Central Kalimantan, assessed that financial literacy and inclusion activities for students are a positive step to enhance public understanding of financial management. “We appreciate Asuransi Sinar Mas’ commitment to bringing financial literacy activities to Kalimantan, particularly Palangka Raya. Such financial literacy and inclusion initiatives are a positive step to improve public understanding, especially among the youth, on financial management and the importance of financial protection,” Primandanu said. He added that students, considered relatively financially literate, need to be encouraged to manage their finances more wisely. “We highly appreciate Asuransi Sinar Mas for choosing Muhammadiyah University of Palangka Raya as the venue for this financial literacy activity. The event provides valuable knowledge for students, particularly regarding financial management and financial protection as preparation for the future,” said Rakhdinda. He hopes similar collaborations can continue to raise awareness among students about the importance of healthy financial management. During the event, participants received educational material on risk management, the role of insurance in dealing with unexpected risks, and the development of practical digital insurance services tailored to current community needs. As part of supporting increased insurance inclusion, Asuransi Sinar Mas provided free Simas Siswa Mikro insurance to 500 students and Simas Perlindungan to 20 participating lecturers. Simas Siswa Mikro is a personal accident insurance product offering 24-hour coverage for death or permanent disability due to accidents as stipulated in the policy, including reimbursement for medical treatment costs resulting from accidents. Meanwhile, Simas Perlindungan is a personal accident insurance product providing 24-hour coverage for death and permanent disability due to accidents.