No statement shows it. No alert warns you. Your balance sits there looking perfectly fine while it quietly buys less each year. Move the slider and see what it has cost you - and what the same money could have earned.
Bank figure: 2.14% - the average rate euro area banks pay households who lock money in for a fixed term - the best-paying option a bank offers (ECB, July 2026). A current account pays 0.28%.
Prices: 4.27% a year - average euro area inflation over the last 5 years, 2022–2026 (HICP; 2026 taken at the latest 12-month rate). 4.27% less the 2.14% a bank pays is the 2.13% a year shown above; compounded exactly, the real return on money left in a bank is −2.04% a year.
SaveSmart: an investment, not a deposit - a 12-month term at 10% a year, renewed each year with the interest reinvested, so it compounds the way the bank side does. Interest reaches your wallet monthly, before the 10% tax Afranga withholds; reinvesting it is your choice, and this figure assumes you do. Rates are current and not guaranteed for future terms.
The quiet problem
The number in your account stays the same. The world around it doesn’t. Your bank pays 2.14% a year while prices climb 4.27% - so what you have saved is worth a little less at the end of every year than it was at the start.
Five years ago, €100 filled your shopping basket. Today the same basket costs €123. Your €100 didn’t change. What it buys did.
€10,000 left in the bank, five years
The balance climbs. What it buys sinks. The widening gap is inflation.
Based on 2.14% a year - the average rate euro area banks pay households on a new fixed-term account (ECB, July 2026) - and 4.27% average yearly price rises (euro area HICP, 2022–2026). Your balance is €1,117 higher, but it buys €981 less than your €10,000 buys today - that €981 is measured against what you started with, while the €2,097 in the chart is measured against the balance you ended with; the two differ by the €1,117 of interest. 4.27% less 2.14% is the 2.13% a year above; compounded exactly it is 2.04% a year, which is where −9.8%, −18.6% and −33.8% come from.
Two kinds of risk
Most people keep money in the bank because it feels safe - but in reality they are taking a risk they cannot see.
This is real, and we will not pretend otherwise. Investing means your money is at risk. That is why most people stop here and leave their savings where they are.
Also real - but you don’t see it. It just doesn’t show up anywhere. Your balance never drops, so nothing looks wrong - while the money quietly buys less every month.
Leaving your money in the bank is also a decision.
It just isn’t a free one.
Side by side
The same €10,000, left alone for five years.
| Your bank | SaveSmart | |
|---|---|---|
| What you earn a year | 2.14% on average, at best | 8% to 10%, depending on the term you pick |
| What €10,000 becomes in 5 years | €11,117Money locked in at the bank for 12 months at 2.14%, renewed every year with the interest left in. | €16,105A 12-month term at 10% a year, renewed every year with the interest reinvested. Interest reaches your wallet monthly; reinvesting it is your choice. |
| When you get paid | Usually once a year | Every month, into your wallet |
| Smallest amount to start | Varies by bank | €10 |
| Access to money | Locked until the term ends | Up to 30% of your investment (max €5,000), for a 1% fee |
| Who checks them | A banking regulator | The Financial Supervision Commission |
A bank account protects your euros but not what they are worth. SaveSmart aims to grow what they are worth, and asks you to take investment risk for it - it is not a deposit and carries no deposit guarantee. We explain that in plain words below.
How it works
No trading, no guessing, no watching charts. Your money does one simple job: it is lent to one company, and that company pays you interest for it.
Pick how much you want to lend and for how long - 3, 6 or 12 months. That is the only decision you make.
Your money goes directly to a single borrower: a lending institution registered with the Bulgarian National Bank, checked by us before it reaches the platform. You sign the loan contract directly with that company; Afranga arranges and administers it.
Interest on your loan is paid into your Afranga wallet every month, and your full amount comes back to you when the term ends.
This is why the rate is higher than a bank’s. A bank lends your money out too, and keeps most of what it earns. Here the interest comes to you instead - and so does the risk, because everything depends on one company repaying you.
What you get
You don’t need savings to test it. Try it with the price of a coffee and see how it feels.
Three months, six months or twelve months. You choose how long your money stays lent out. That is the whole decision.
Interest arrives monthly, not at the end. You see it working from the first month.
When a term ends, your investment can renew if you choose so. The monthly interest lands in your wallet and waits - it starts earning as well only once you invest it too. The figures on this page assume you do.
You can take out up to 30% of your investment early, to a maximum of €5,000, for a 1% fee.
No loans to pick and no daily decisions. Your term can renew if you choose so; the interest waits in your wallet until you decide what to do with it.
Licensed
Afranga holds a European crowdfunding service provider licence. In plain words: a financial regulator reviewed how we work, decided we were fit to handle investors’ money, and keeps checking.
Licensed as a European crowdfunding service provider (ECSP) by the Financial Supervision Commission of Bulgaria, Decision No. 863 of 12.09.2023. The licence is valid across the European Union.
Starting small
Not because €10 is a lot of money, but because handing your money to someone new never feels easy. That is exactly why the minimum is €10 and not €1,000.
Start with an amount you would not think twice about. Then let us show you how this works with your own money, not with our promises.
That is how a long-term partner should be chosen: tested with a small amount first. We would rather earn your savings slowly than ask for them on day one.
Open an accountInvestors
“Reliable returns, clear communication, and a trustworthy team. Afranga stands out as a true long-term performer.”
“I’ve been an Afranga user for the past one year, and I have already recommended it widely to family members and friends. I will continue to do so, as I have been truly satisfied with their overall customer service, the offers they have in terms of interest rates, the early payoff of the loans, and the user-friendly and intuitive website.”
“My experience with Afranga has been very positive. The platform’s risk-return ratio remains unmatched in the P2P industry.”
“I have been investing on Afranga since 2021 and never met any serious problem. During the time no loans were declared to be in default, which is important.”
“Afranga is the #1 platform in my portfolio”
“I have been using the platform for a few years now and am very pleased with the returns I get.”
Getting started
Sign up in minutes with our streamlined verification process. All you need is a valid government-issued ID, like opening any bank account.
Transfer from your bank account. Any amount from €10. Start small if you want to see how it works first.
Pick between 3, 6 or 12 months. Your first interest payment arrives within a month.
FAQ
Interest is paid monthly to your Afranga wallet. The invested principal is repaid in full at the end of the investment term. Alternatively, it can be automatically reinvested for a new term if you enable this option via the "Re-invest" toggle in the loan details page.
No. SaveSmart is not a deposit - your investment is a private loan made through Afranga and carries investment risk. It is not covered by deposit guarantee schemes, as bank deposits typically are.
Yes, however multiple investments with the same parameters made on the same day may be grouped. Limits may apply to prevent excessive fragmentation.
Yes. You can withdraw up to 30% of your SaveSmart investment before maturity, up to a maximum of €5,000. If 30% of your investment comes to less than €100, you can still withdraw up to €100, as long as you have at least €100 invested. A 1% fee applies to every early withdrawal.
Start with what feels comfortable. The minimum is €10, so you can try it with an amount you would not think twice about.
Afranga withholds 10% tax on your SaveSmart interest before it reaches you, so what lands in your wallet is already net of that. Whether you owe anything more depends on where you live, and the rules differ by country. We give you the statements you need; for your own situation, check with a tax adviser.
Adults resident in the European Economic Area. You will go through an identity check when you open the account, and a short questionnaire about your experience - that is part of the rules we follow as a licensed provider.
Go back to the calculator and put in your real number. Then decide which of the two results you would rather live with in five years.