ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Financial integration

Imagine you have a piggy bank and your friend has a piggy bank too. Your piggy bank has coins and your friend's piggy bank has paper bills. Now, financial integration is when you and your friend combine your piggy banks into one big piggy bank that has both coins and paper bills. This makes it easier for both of you to save your money and buy things you want.

In real life, financial integration works in a similar way. Countries sometimes share their wealth to create a big pot of money that everyone can use. This is called economic integration. Countries may share their money in different ways, such as through trade agreements or by creating a common currency. This makes it easier for people to buy and sell things with each other and can make prices more consistent across different countries.

However, financial integration can also have some drawbacks. If one country experiences economic troubles, it can affect the entire group. Also, if the big pot of money gets too big, it can be hard to manage and might not benefit everyone equally.

Overall, financial integration means sharing money and resources with other countries to make things easier and more efficient.