FINANCIAL CONSULTING AS A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR ENHANCING FINANCIAL STABILITY AND FINANCIAL SECURITY OF UKRAINE: SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS AND WAYS TO IMPROVE REGULATION

Abstract

The article considers financial consulting as a strategic tool for developing financial literacy among the population, financial stability of businesses, and financial security of the state. It defines its essence as advisory activities in the field of finance aimed at comprehensively solving clients’ financial problems. Its importance for business entities as an important condition for effective functioning is emphasized, as a result of which a financial consultant actively influences the client’s financial results, contributing to increased profitability and the search for undiscovered reserves. Research into the content of consulting has made it possible to highlight its comprehensive nature and main types and directions. The systematization of financial consulting has made it possible to distinguish between corporate consulting (improving the quality of financial management, tax optimization, outsourcing, attracting investments) and personal consulting (forming a financial cushion, investment planning). The key functional areas of financial consulting in the modern business environment have been identified, including risk management, financial and investment consulting, and anti–crisis consulting, the demand for which has grown significantly as a result of military actions in Ukraine. At the micro level, financial consulting should become an important addition to the NBU’s financial literacy programs, ensuring the quality of personal financial decisions and reducing information asymmetry regarding the financial environment. It has been determined that the development of the consulting market environment is hampered by the lack of relevant legislation, the fragmentation of the legal field, and the absence of a universal licensing or mandatory certification mechanism for financial advisors. International experience in financial consulting has been analyzed, demonstrating the need for fiduciary duty and unified regulatory oversight. Strategic ways to improve financial consulting are substantiated, which should include: the adoption of a relevant law; the introduction of a national system of mandatory certification; the integration of consulting into the recovery policy through targeted subsidization of business costs for attracting financial consulting services. The institutionalization of financial consulting is a necessary prerequisite for improving the well–being of the population, business efficiency, and the financial security of the country.