Toss, MIM & Free Whale Teach Finance to Youths with BIF

• Six-month “Toss On-site Financial Education” program launched in April to enhance financial literacy and prevent fraud

Viva Republica, the operator of the financial super app “Toss,” announced that it has partnered with the Seoul Borderline Intellectual Functioning Continuing Education Support Center (“MIM Center”) and social enterprise Free Whale to offer financial education to young adults with borderline intellectual functioning (“BIF”). Over the next six months, Toss will continue its outreach-based financial literacy program, aiming to help such so-called "slow learners" build healthy financial habits and support their path to independence.

The first session of ‘Toss On-site Financial Education’ was held on April 28 at Free Whale headquarters, with 10 young adults currently working as baristas at Free Whale participating. The session was divided into two parts: “Financial Basics” covering the importance of early financial planning, understanding interest, and credit management, and “Fraud Prevention” based on recent real-life scam cases.

A key strength of the program was its tailored curriculum, developed through one-on-one preliminary interviews and surveys with both participants and their primary caregivers. This approach received positive feedback for effectively addressing practical needs. Research shows that individuals with BIF are more susceptible to financial fraud than the general public. To address this, Toss aims to increase participants' financial literacy levels by 50% by September 2025, helping ensure safer financial lives.

This initiative follows the memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024 between Toss and the MIM Center. The program is managed by Toss CX, a Toss affiliate specializing in non-face-to-face customer service. Toss CX has long supported vulnerable youth through various financial literacy programs, helping them achieve financial independence. Drawing on its accumulated experience, Toss CX will offer the participants personalized consulting, small group workshops, and behavior-based assessments, delivering tailored financial management solutions.

“Young adults with BIF often struggle with social adaptation but fall outside the legal definition of disability, which makes it difficult for them to access the support they need,” a Toss representative said. “Through this program, Toss hopes to make financial life more equitable and accessible for everyone—and to inspire meaningful change.”