Milan — September 2, 2025 — Emmanuel Onofaro, founder of Obiettivo Riscatto Milionario and a voice in Italian financial education, has launched an urgent appeal:
“Inflation is silently eroding Italians’ savings. Those who don’t invest are already losing.”
With inflation remaining above 4% and savings accounts offering only 1–2%, Onofaro estimates that Italian families collectively lose more than €15 billion per year in purchasing power.
“Grandma who keeps €10,000 in the bank loses €400 a year”
At the current rate of inflation, those €10,000 sitting in a bank account will be worth only €9,600 in today’s money after one year. “It’s as if someone were stealing €400 every year.”
This reality, which Onofaro calls “the invisible tax,” particularly affects:
- Retirees with stagnant savings
- Workers who accumulate money in checking accounts
- Young people who are “waiting for the right moment” to invest
The paradox of ‘zero risk’
“People think that not investing is safe,” explains Onofaro. “But with inflation at 4–5%, ‘zero risk’ is actually the mathematical certainty of losing purchasing power.”
Using concrete examples from his own experience as a former factory worker:
- 2020: With €1,000 you could buy 50 weeks of groceries
- 2025: With €1,000 you buy 38
- 2030 (projection): With €1,000 you’ll buy 28
“It’s not that the money disappears. It’s that it’s worth less and less.”
The solution is not speculation, but protection
Onofaro is quick to clarify: “I’m not saying people should become speculators. I’m saying EVERYONE should know how to protect their savings from inflation.”
The basic strategies he teaches include:
- Diversification into assets that historically beat inflation
- Inflation-indexed investments
- Real assets that maintain value over time
The social responsibility of financial education
“It’s not fair that only those who studied economics understand these things,” Onofaro says passionately. “The factory worker who sets aside €200 a month has the right to know how to protect it.”
For this reason, Obiettivo Riscatto offers:
- Free financial education webinars
- Simplified guides for anti-inflation investments
The three basic rules against inflation
Onofaro summarizes protection from inflation in three rules:
- Never let everything sit idle: “At least 60% should be working for you”
- Never put everything in one place: “Always, always, always diversify”
- Never invest without understanding: “Only invest in what you understand, or trust those who have already made all the mistakes for you”
The myth of ‘waiting until the markets calm down’
“Inflation doesn’t wait until you’re ready,” Onofaro warns. “Every day your money sits idle is a day of erosion. It’s like a water leak: small but constant.”
Voices from the field
- Mario: “I thought I was being cautious keeping money in the bank. Emmanuel made me realize I was losing €200 a month without knowing it.”
- Anna, factory worker from Treviso: “Now I put 40% into inflation-protected instruments. I sleep better knowing my savings keep their value.”
A call to institutions
“We need mandatory financial education in schools,” Onofaro concludes. “We can’t have generations that don’t understand these things while suffering their consequences every single day.”
