Aktia Bank
Aktia Bank is a Finnish asset manager, bank and life insurer. Aktia provides digital services to customers in a number of channels and provides personalised services in its offices in the Metropolitan Region as well as in the Turku, Tampere, Vaasa, Oulu and Kuopio regions. Headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland.[1] Aktia's shares are listed on NASDAQ Helsinki.
The name Aktia is derived from the Greek word akti, meaning coast. When the name was introduced in 1991, the bank's area of operation was on the southern coast of Finland.[2] Aktia and its predecessors operated as savings banks for a long time, but at the beginning of the 21st century Aktia withdrew from the Savings Banks group, became a commercial bank and was listed on the stock exchange in 2009[3].
Early history
[edit]Aktia is the oldest deposit bank currently operating in Finland.[3] The bank was established in 1825 under the name of Helsingfors Stads Sparbanks Inrättning as the second savings bank in Finland. Social reasons prompted the creation of a savings bank. At the time, unemployment, poverty, and beggary had escalated in Helsinki, and poor relief had been found to make the poor passive. The bank's purpose was to provide safe deposits and interest on money in such a way that saving would encourage “diligence, care, and industriousness” rather than “laziness, forgetfulness, and self-inflicted misery.” The savings bank was to be run without self-interest. The bank opened its doors on 8 April 1826. The first customer was fisherman's daughter Sophia Albertina Schelin, who deposited sixteen shillings in savings account number 1. At first, the bank was only open on Saturday evenings. During the 19th century, the bank expanded its operations. In 1870 it was feared that the public’s increased thriftiness could bring the bank to ruin. The bank could not guarantee that interest would be obtained on the funds deposited, leading to a termination of interest payment if the deposit exceeded a certain amount. By 1875, the bank had 16,745 deposit customers. [4][5]
Helsinki Savings Bank
In 1891, the name of the savings bank was changed to Helsingfors Sparbank (en. Helsinki Savings Bank). [6]
Banks that have merged with Aktia include Kirkkonummen Säästöpankki in 1956, Säästöpankki Torkkeli in 1979 and Espoon Säästöpankki in 1980. IT was introduced in 1966, first as a service from Sweden. The bank acquired its first computer, a UNIVAC 9200, in 1968. [5]
Establishment of Aktia
In 1991, the savings banks of Bromarv, Hanko, Inkoo, Karjaa-Pohja, Sipoo, Siuntio and Tenhola were merged with Helsinki Savings Bank. The bank was named Savings Bank Aktia. One year later, the savings banks of Porvoo and Vaasa merged with the savings bank. In 1993, Aktia became Finland's second limited savings bank company. The name of the bank was changed to Aktia Savings Bank Ltd in 1994. [6]
In the beginning of the 2000s, Aktia withdrew from the Savings Banks group, became a commercial bank, and was listed on the stock exchange in 2009. [3]
Operations
[edit]Aktia provides banking and financial services to private, corporate and organisational customers and institutions. In addition, Aktia provides customers with asset management services and investment products. Aktia also provides customers with life insurance, disability insurance and insurance cover in case of serious illness.[1]
Aktia as an asset manager
[edit]Aktia has a focus area in asset management and provides institutions and private customers with asset management services and investment products in Finland and internationally. Aktia’s asset management is a Morningstar Fund Awards and Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards winner [7] (footnote
Aktia in society
[edit]Aktia interacts with public authorities, professional organisations, scientific communities, schools, colleges, and universities., Aktia also supports e.g. local cultural events and sporting and club activities. Aktia publishes an annual Sustainability Report detailing the measures taken to support sustainable development in society. The Annual Review 2024 (in English) includes the Sustainability Report. [1]
Sustainability
[edit]Aktia has principles for responsible investment since 2006 and has signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) endorsed by the UN. Aktia is also a Member of FIBS (Finnish Business & Society), the largest corporate responsibility network in the Nordics, and FINSIF (Finland's Sustainable Investment Forum), a Finnish organisation promoting responsible investment. [8]
Shareholders
[edit]At the end of December 2023, the total number of registered shareholders was approximately 40,000 [1]
Aktia is owned by Finnish Aktia and savings bank foundations, institutions, and private individuals. Aktia foundations and savings banks foundations own a significant part of the shares. [9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Aktia Bank Plc Annual Review 2024" (PDF). aktia.com. 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ Karlsson, Svenolof (2006). Ihmisen kokoinen. Aktia – suuri pieni pankki ja sen salaisuus,. Aktia,. Helsinki: Aktia Sparbank AB. p. 94. ISBN 952-92-1265-8.
- ^ a b c "History". aktia.com. 24 July 2025. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025.
- ^ Kuusterä, Antti (1995). Kuusterä, Antti (1995). Aate ja raha - Säästöpankit suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa 1822–1994 (in Finnish). Otava. p. 45. ISBN 952-92-1267-4.
- ^ a b Karlsson, Svenolof (2006). Med mänskliga mått. Aktia – en stor liten bank och dess hemlighet (in Swedish). Aktia. pp. 61–68. ISBN 952-92-1267-4.
- ^ a b "Hallituksen esitys Eduskunnalle laeiksi luottolaitostoiminnasta annetun lain ja muiden luottolaitostoimintaan liittyvien lakien muuttamisesta sekä väliaikaisesta poikkeuksesta luottolaitostoiminnasta annettuun lakiin (HE 176/1995)".
- ^ "Asset management". aktia.com. 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Översikt över ansvarsfullt investerande" (PDF). 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Sparbanksstiftelserna". www.aktiastiftelserna.fi.
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