A total of 15,000 customers have opened an investment account through ING Invest, less than a month after its launch, ING Bank Romania said.
The lender’s investment platform is available through its mobile app, and offers access to shares of companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and major European stock exchanges, as well as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) managed by asset management companies such as Amundi, BlackRock and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, among others.
In the coming period, the bank plans to add direct access to the US market, currently available through ETFs listed on European exchanges, and the state bonds Fidelis.
The platform available in Romania is the solution used by ING at group level, where ING has more than 5.3 million clients who use investment accounts.
“Our ambition is to bring investing closer to people by integrating it directly into ING Home’Bank, allowing customers to take their first steps with greater confidence in a familiar digital environment. We see investing as a natural part of a modern banking relationship, and we remain committed to developing solutions that help our customers achieve their long-term financial goals,” Mihai Lazăr, Tribe Lead Investments, ING Bank Romania, said.
Investment interest on the rise among Romanian savers, survey finds
The launch of ING Invest comes amid increasing interest in investment products, the lender said. According to a survey conducted by iSense Solutions for ING Bank Romania in September 2026, 40% of urban residents who already save money currently hold at least one investment product. The potential for further growth remains significant: 17% of non-investors say they intend to start investing within the next 12 months, while a further 49% are open to investing in the future.
Nevertheless, several perceptions continue to discourage people from entering the investment market, many of which highlight the need for greater financial education. A total of 51% of respondents believe that investing requires monitoring financial markets on a daily basis, while 48% consider advanced financial knowledge a prerequisite.
The survey was conducted by iSense Solutions on behalf of ING Bank Romania between September 9 and 16, among a sample of 804 urban residents aged 18 to 65 who save money. Of the total respondents, 319 currently hold investments, while 485 do not currently invest.
A previous ING Research study found that only 29% of Romanians currently invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or ETFs, compared with 41% across Europe. At the same time, 30% of respondents in Romania say they have never invested but might do so in the future.
It came as more than half of the Romanian respondents (51%) found it difficult or barely managed to cover their current expenses, a higher percentage than the European average (44%).
The launch of the platform marks ING’s reentry into the investment segment, Mihaela Bîtu, CEO of ING Bank Romania, explained. ING Barings, the group’s brokerage company, was present in Romania from the late 1990s to the 2008 financial crisis. “I am glad that we are now returning, in a new formula, through a platform that allows us to make investments accessible to as many people as possible,” she explained. “The recent years have shown us that the potential is there, and that the investment appetite is on the rise,” she added.
Established in 1994, ING Bank Romania, part of ING Group, is currently a universal bank, offering products and services to all categories of customers: large and small companies, financial institutions, small entrepreneurs and individuals. The bank has over 2 million customers in three business segments: individuals, SMEs & Mid-Corporate companies, and Wholesale Banking.